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 50
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Mr. Hillman remained with them a few days, when they accompanied him to Beaver town, to celebrate the 4th of July, and Mr. H. was induced to return and commence the settlement of the town, by building a house. This was about the first settlement made on the Western Reserve. In the fall of 1797, Mr. Brown and another person came on. It was during this season that Uriah Holmes, of Litchfield county, Ct., and Titus Hayes, arrived in Youngstown the same day, both having started from Connecticut on the same day, the one taking the route through the state of New York, via Buffalo, and the other through Pennsylvania.
The settlement of the country proceeded prosperously until the murder of the two In- " dians, Capt. George and Spotted John, at the Salt Springs, by M'Mahon and Story. This affair had nearly proved fatal to the settlements, and probably would but for the efforts of Mr. Hillman. The next day after the murder, for such it undoubtedly was, Col. Hill- man, with Mr. Young and the late Judge Pease, of Warren, who had just arrived, went to the Salt Springs, with a view of pacifying the Indians ; but they had gone, not however without having buried the bodies of their murdered companions. Col. Hillman and others expected trouble, and in order to show the Indians that the whites did not sanction the act, judged it advisable to take M'Mahon and Story prisoners; which they accordingly did the . same day, at Warren. Col. H. had M'Mahon in custody, but Story, who was guarded by John Lane, escaped during the night. On the next day, M'Mahon was brought to Youngs- town, the settlers resolving to send him to Pittsburgh, to be kept in confinement until he could be tried. The affairs of the settlement, were at that time in a critical and alarming state, so much so, that all of the inhabitants, both of Youngstown and Warren, packed up their goods, and were upon the point of removing from the country, as they had every rea- son to apprehend that the Indians would take speedy vengeance. It was at this juncture, that the firmness and good sense of Col. Hillman was the means of saving the infant set- tlement from destruction. He advised sending a deputation to the Indians then encamped on the Mahoning, near where Judge Price's mills now stand, and endeavor to avert the threatened danger. It was an undertaking imminently hazardous. Few men would have dared to go, and it is quite certain no other man in the settlement would have had any chance of success. He was acquainted with their language, and knew their principal men, and was aware that in his trading intercourse with them, he had acquired their confidence, and therefore felt no fear. Although urged to do so, he would not take any weapon of defence, but accompanied with one Randall, started very early the next morning, on his hazardous enterprize, and came in sight of the Indians before sunrise. The Indians, seventeen in number, were asleep, each with his gun and powder horn resting upon a forked stick at his head. Being in advance of Randall, he came within three rods of them before he was discovered. A squaw was the only one awake; she immediately gave the alarm, which started every warrior to his feet with gun in hand. But seeing Col. H. and his companion riding into their encampment without arms, and unsuspicious of treachery or harm, they dropped their guns and immediately gathered around their visitors.
Onondaga George, the principal man or chief, knew Hillman, and the late murder be- came the subject of a very earnest conversation ; the chief exhibiting much feeling while talking about it. Hillman told him frankly the object of his visit, and talked freely of the affair, condemning M'Mahon, and assured him that M'Mahon was then on his way to Pittsburg, and should stand a trial for the murder he had committed. Nothing could be done, however, until Capt. Peters should arrive with his braves. They were then en- camped farther up the river, near the present site of Deerfield, and were expected to ar- rive that day, a message having been sent for that purpose.
340
MAHONING COUNTY.
In the course of the day they came, the countenance of Capt. Peters, as soon as he saw a white man present, scowled with hatred, revenge and defiance. Hillman endeavored to pacify him, but with little effect. During the interview, a conversation was had between Captains George and Peters, in the Seneca language, in which Capt. George endeavored to persuade the other, that they ought to kill Hillman and Randall, and before the whites could unite in defence, dispatch them in detail. But Capt. George would not agree to it, unwilling that Hillman, to whom he had conceived a liking, should be killed. It was not known to either that Hillman was acquainted with the Seneca language, in which this conversation was held ; he was, however-and it may be conceived with what interest he listened to it. Hillman succeeded, after several attempts, in drawing Capt. Peters aside, and offered him a considerable sum, if he would go to Cuyahoga on some business for the whites. This bribe, it seems, had its desired effect. The Indians retired a short distance and held a consultation, during which Randall became so much alarmed, that he proposed that each should take his horse and endeavor to make his escape. Hillman would not go, but observing that the Indians had left their guns leaning upon two trees near by, told Randall to station himself, and if on their return, one of their number should be painted black, (which Hillman knew was their custom when one was to be killed,) then each should seize upon the guns, and sell his life as dearly as possible.
After a long time, however, they returned, Capt. Peters holding up a wampum belt with three strings, and saying that they had agreed to hold a council with the whites, on con- dition that three things should be done, as their wampum indicated. 1st. That George Foulk should act as interpreter ; 2d, that the council should be held within six days ; and 3d, that M'Mahon should be kept until the council. These things being agreed to, Hill- man and Randall returned the same day to Youngstown, where they found all the inhabi- tants assembled, waiting in anxious suspense to learn the result of the expedition, and every preparation made for a sudden flight, in case it should have proved unsuccessful. Great was their joy on seeing Hillman and his companion arrive in safety, and telling what had been done.
The inhabitants immediately set themselves about making the necessary preparations for the council. On the day appointed, two Indians made their appearance, and were conducted by Mr. Hillman to the place prepared to hold their council. After the cere- mony of smoking, commenced the speeches, and it was generally conceded that Captain Peters had the best of the argument, and throughout the whole of the consultation, showed a decided superiority over the whites opposed to him, in adroitness and force of argument, although our people had appointed three of their best men for that purpose, (the late Judge Pease, of Warren, and Gov. Huntington being of the number,) all. of whom had pre- pared themselves for this encounter with Indian shrewdness. The result of the council was satisfactory to both parties ; that M'Mahon should be tried by a jury of his own color, according to the laws of his own country. There were about three hundred people present at the council, among whom was Mr. Hudson, of Portage county, and Mr. Ely, of Deerfield. Thus was tranquillity restored mainly through the instrumentality of Mr. Hillman, a ser- vice which was so highly appreciated by Ephraim Root, the agent of the Connecticut Land Company, that he agreed on the part of the company, that he would give him 100 acres of land ; the promise however was never redeemed.
Soon after, M'Mahon was sent out by order of Gov. St. Clair, under a strong guard, to abide his trial at a special court ordered for that purpose, to be held in Youngstown by the Judges, Return J. Meigs and Benjamin Ives. Gilman, Backus & Tod were attornies for the people ; and Mr. Simple, John S. Edwards and Benjamin Tappan for the prisoner. The court was attended by persons from a great distance, and it was generally believed, that many had come with a determination to rescue M'Mahon, in case he should be found guilty. He was, however, acquitted, principally upon the testimony of one Knox, who swore that M'Mahon retreated a step or two before he fired, which probably was not true, and was not believed by those who visited the spot on the day after the affair. Capt. Peters was upon the bench during the whole trial, and was satisfied that he had received a fair trial, and should, according to the laws of the whites, have been acquitted. As soon as Knox swore that M'Mahon retreated before he fired, Capt. Peters gave a characteristic " ugh," and whispered to Judge Meigs that the jury would acquit the prisoner.
Thus terminated this critical affair, after which the settlement increased with great ra- pidity, and Col. Hillman from that time has enjoyed the confidence and respect of his fel- low citizens, twice expressed in electing him sheriff, under the territorial government, and in various other ways, and still lives respected and beloved by all.
Canfield, the county seat, is 166 miles NE. of Columbus and 16 s.
341
MAHONING COUNTY.
of Warren. It is on the main stage road from Cleveland to Pitts- burgh, on a gentle elevation. It is a neat, pleasant village, embow- ered in trees and shrubbery, among which the Lombardy poplar stands conspicuous. It contained in 1846, 3 stores, a newspaper printing office, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Epis. 1 Met. 1 Congregational and 1 Lutheran church, and about 300 people. Since then the county buildings have been erected, and from being made the county seat, it will probably, by the time this reaches the eye of the reader, have nearly doubled in population and business importance.
Youngstown.
Youngstown is the largest and most flourishing town in Mahoning county, beautifully situated on the north bank of the Mahoning river, 65 miles from Pittsburgh, Penn., 9 miles from Canfield, the seat of justice, for the county of Mahoning, 14 from Warren, the county seat of Trumbull county, 30 from Ravenna, Portage county, and 27 from New Lisbon, Columbiana county. It contains about 1200 inhabitants, has 12 mercantile stores, 3 warehouses for receiv- ing and forwarding goods and produce on the canal, 4 churches, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Episcopal Methodist, 1 Protestant Methodist and 1 Disciples. The Pennsylvania and Ohio canal passes through the vil- lage, and the products of the surrounding country are sent here for shipment. Few places in Ohio are more beautifully situated ; few have greater facilities for manufacturing, or bid fairer to be- come places of wealth and importance: Bituminous coal and iron ore abound in the immediate vicinity of the village, and along the line of the canal, adequate, it is believed, to the wants of a large manufacturing place. Several of the coal banks are already opened and successfully and profitably worked. The mines of the Hon. David Tod, furnish about one hundred tons of coal per day, and those of Crawford, Camp & Co., about sixty ; all of which have hitherto found a ready market at Cleveland for steamboat fuel. It has recently been ascertained that the coal in the valley of the
342
MAHONING COUNTY.
Mahoning, is well adapted, in its raw state, to the smelting of iron ore, and three furnaces similar to the English and Scotch furnaces, each capable of producing from sixty to one hundred tons of pig metal per week, have been erected in the township, and near to the village. A large rolling mill has been erected in the village, at which is made the various sizes of bar, rod and hoop iron, also sheet iron, nails and spikes. The "Youngstown Iron Company," and the "Eagle Iron and Steel Company," contemplate the erection of ma- chinery for the purpose of making the T and H rails ; and it is more than probable that the various rail roads now projected in Ohio and the adjoining states, will be supplied with rails from this point. In addition to the above, there is quite a number of small manufacturing establishments for making tin-ware, cloth, axes, wagons, buggies, &c., &c. The amount of capital invested in the manufacturing of iron, is probably $200,000.
The view given was taken from the southeast, a few hundred yards to the left of the road leading to Pittsburgh, and near the residence of Mr. Homer Hine, shown on the right. In front ap- pears the canal and Mahoning river : on the left the rolling mill of the Youngstown iron company. In the distance a part of the town is shown: the spires seen are respectively, commencing on the right, those of the Presbyterian, Disciples and Episcopal Methodist churches ; near, on the left of the last named, appears the Protestant Methodist church.
Poland is 8 miles from Canfield, on Yellow creek, a branch of the Mahoning. It is one of the neatest villages in the state. The dwell- ings are usually painted white, and have an air of comfort. Conside- rable business centers here from the surrounding country, which is fertile. In the vicinity is coal and iron ore of an excellent quality. Limestone of a superior kind abounds in the township : it is burnt and largely exported for building purposes and manure. Poland contains 5 stores, 1 Presbyterian and 1 Methodist church, an acad- emy, an iron foundery, 1 grist, 1 saw, 1 oil and 1 clothing mill, and about 100 dwellings.
In a tamarack and cranberry swamp in this vicinity, " are found large numbers of a small black, or very dark brown, rattle-snake, about 12 or 14 inches in length, and of a propor- tionate thickness. They have usually three or four rattles. This species seem to be con- fined to the tamarack swamps, and are found no where else but in their vicinities, wander- ing in the summer months a short distance only from their borders. When lying basking in the sun, they resemble a short, dirty, broken stick or twig, being generally discolored with mud, over which they are frequently moving. Their bite is not very venomous, yet they are much dreaded by the neighboring people. Their habitations are retired and unfrequented, so that few persons are ever bitten. The Indian name for this snake is Massasauga."
At Lowell, 4 miles E. from Poland, on the canal and Mahoning river, is the extensive furnace of Wilkinson, Wilkes & Co .; 2 miles northerly, on the same stream, is a furnace of the Great Western Iron Company. Ellsworth, 5 miles w. of Canfield, has 2 stores, 2 churches, about 35 dwellings and an excellent academy, under the supervision of the Methodists. Austintown and Fredericksburg are small places in the northern part of the county. The following are
343
MARION COUNTY.
villages formerly within. Columbiana county. To some of them is attached their population, as in the census of 1840 : Petersburg 187, Lima 129, N. Middletown 118, Green Village 351, Lewistown 79, N. Springfield 89, New Albany 52, Birmingham and Princeton.
MARION.
MARION was organized March 1st, 1824, and named from General Francis Marion, of South Carolina, a partisan officer of the revolu- tion. The surface is level, except on the extreme east. The San- dusky plains, which is prairie land, covers that part of the county north of Marion and west of the Whetstone, and is well adapted to grazing: the remaining part, comprising about two-thirds of the surface, is best adapted to wheat. The soil is fertile. The prin- cipal farm-crops are corn, wheat and grass, a large proportion of the prairie land being appropriated to grazing : much live stock and wool is produced in the county : some of the flocks of sheep con- tain about 5000 head. The following is a list of the townships in 1840, with their population.
Big Island, 554
Grand Prairie, 716
Richland, 1138
Bowling Green, 324
Green Camp, 361
Salt Creek. 607
Canaan, 1027
Marion,
1638
Scott,
854
Claridon, 1084
Montgomery, 552
Tully, 870
Gilead,
1150
Morven,
976
Washington, 880
Grand,
605
Pleasant,
1414
The population of Marion, in 1830, was 6558, and in 1840, 18,352, or 35 inhabitants to the square mile.
By the treaty concluded at the foot of the Maumee rapids, Sept. 29th, 1817, Lewis Cass and Duncan M'Arthur being commissioners on the part of the United States, there was granted to the Delaware Indians a reservation of three miles square, on or near the northern boundary of this county, and adjoining the Wyandot reservation of twelve miles square. This reservation was to be equally divided among the following persons : Captain Pipe, Zeshauau or James Armstrong, Mahautoo or John Armstrong, Sanoudoyeasquaw or Silas Armstrong, Teorow or Black Raccoon, Hawdorouwatistie or Billy Montour, Buck Wheat, William Dondee, Thomas Lyons, Johnny Cake, Captain Wolf, Isaac and John Hill, Tishatahoones or widow Armstrong, Ayenucere, Hoomaurou or John Ming, and Youdorast. Some of these Indians had lived at Jeromeville, in Ashland, and Greentown, in Richland county, which last village was burnt by the whites early in the late war. By the treaty con- cluded at Little Sandusky, August 3d, 1829, John M'Elvain being United States commissioner, the Delawares ceded this reservation to the United States for $3000, and removed west of the Mississippi.
Marion, the county seat, is 44 miles north of Columbus. It was
344
MEDINA COUNTY.
laid out in 1821, by Eber Baker and Alexander Holmes, who were proprietors of the soil. It is compactly built; the view, taken in front of the Marion hotel, shows one of the principal streets : the court-house appears on the left, the Mirror office on the right, and
View in Marion.
Berry's hill in the distance. General Harrison passed through this region in the late war, and encamped with his troops just south of the site of the village, on the edge of the prairie, at a place known as "Jacob's well." The town is improving steadily, and has some fine brick buildings : it contains 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist and 1 German church, an academy, 2 newspaper printing offices, 15 dry goods, 1 drug and 5 grocery stores, 1 saw, 1 fulling, oil and carding mill, and about 800 inhabitants : in 1840 it had a population of 570.
Mount Gilead, 18 miles sE. of Marion, is a flourishing village, con- taining 2 churches, several stores, 2 or 3 mills, and about 400 inhab- itants. Iberia, Caledonia, Cardington, Le Timbreville, Denmark, Big Island, Claridon and Holmesville, are small villages.
MEDINA.
MEDINA was formed February 18th, 1812, "from that part of the Reserve west of the 11th range, south of the numbers 5, and east of the 20th range, and attached to Portage county, until organized." It was organized in April, 1818. The county was settled princi- pally from Connecticut, though within the last few years there has been a considerable accession of Germans. The surface is generally rolling, with much bottom land of easy tillage: the soil is princi- pally clay and gravelly loam-the clayey portion scantily watered, the gravelly abundantly. The soil is better adapted to grass than grain. The principal productions are wheat, hay, wool, corn, oats,
345
MEDINA COUNTY.
barley, butter and cheese. The following is a list of the townships in 1840, with their population.
Brunswick, 1110 Homer, 660
Sharon,
1314
Chatham, 555
Lafayette, 938
Spencer, 551
Granger, 954
Litchfield, 787
Wadsworth, 148!
Guilford,
1402
Liverpool,
1502
Westfield, 1031
Harrisville,
1256
Medina,
1435
York,
782
Hinckley,
1287
Montville, 915
The population of Medina, in 1820, was 3090; in 1830, 7560, and in 1840, 18,360, or 43 inhabitants to the square mile.
The first regular settlement in the county, was made at Harris- ville, on the 14th of February, 1811, by Joseph Harris, Esq., who removed from Randolph, Portage county, with his family, consisting of his wife and one child. The nearest white people were at Woos- ter, 17 miles distant.
The first trail made through the county north, toward the lake, was from Wooster, a short time after the declaration of war with Great Britain. The party consisted of George Poe, (son of Adam, see page 106,) Joseph H. Larwill and Roswell M. Mason. They carried their provision in packs, and laid out the first night on their blankets, in the open air, on the south side of "the big swamp." It was amusing, as they lay, to listen to the howling of the wolves, and hear the raccoons catch frogs and devour them, making, in their mastication, a peculiar and inimitable noise, which sounded loud in the stillness of the night. In the course of the evening, they heard bells of cattle north of them, and in the morning, discovered the set- tlement of Mr. Harris. From thence they proceeded down to the falls of Black river, at what is now Elyria, and at the mouth of the stream found a settler, named Read, whose habitation, excepting that of Mr. Harris, was the only one between there and Wooster.
In the June following Mr. Harris's arrival, he was joined by Rus- sel Burr and George Burr and family, direct from Litchfield, Conn. In the summer after, on the breaking out of the war, Messrs. Harris and Burr removed their families, for a few months, to Portage county, from fear of the Indians, and returned themselves in October, to Harrisville. The following winter, provision was carried from the Middlebury mills, by the residence of Judge Harris, to Fort Ste- phenson, his cabin being the last on the route. The season is ad- verted to by the old settlers as "the cold winter." Snow lay to the depth of 18 inches, from the 1st of January to the 27th of February, during which the air was so cold that it did not diminish an inch in depth, during the whole time.
An Indian trail from Sandusky to the Tuscarawas, passed by the residence of Mr. Harris. It was a narrow, hard-trodden bridle- path. In the fall, the Indians came upon it from the west, to this region, remained through the winter to hunt, and returned in the spring, their horses laden with furs, jerked venison and bear's oil, .he last an extensive article of trade. The horses were loose, and followed each other in single file. It was not uncommon to see a
44
346
MEDINA COUNTY.
single hunter returning with as many as twenty horses laden with his winter's work, and usually accompanied by his squaw and pappooses, all mounted. The Indians often built their wigwams in this vicinity, near water, frequently a dozen within a few rods. They were usually made of split logs or poles, covered with bark. Some of the chiefs had theirs made of flags, which they rolled up and carried with them. The Indians were generally very friendly with the settlers, and it was rare to find one deficient in mental acuteness.
In the fall of the same year that Mr. Harris settled at Harrisville, William Litey, a native of Ireland, with his family, settled in Bath township, on or near the border of Portage county. In the winter of 1815, after the close of the war, the settlements began to increase. Among the early settlers, are recollected the names of Esquire Van Heinen, Zenas Hamilton, Rufus Ferris, James Moore, the Ingersoll's, Jones's, Sibley's, Frieze's, Root's, Deming's, Warner, Hoyt, Dean and Durham.
It was not uncommon for the early settlers on the Reserve, to collect from several townships, in numbers from two to five hundred, and engage in "a grand hunt." But so many accidents happened -one man being killed and others wounded, by shooting across the corners --- arising from the want of discipline, and the difficulty of restraining the men in their eagerness-that the custom fell into dis- repute. We annex a description of the method of conducting these hunts, from a sketch of Tallmadge, by Charles Whittlesey, Esq.
A large tract of wild land, the half or fourth of a township, was surrounded by lines of men, with such intervals that each person could see or hear those next him, right and left. The whole acted under the command of a captain, and at least four subordinates, who were generally mounted. At a signal of tin horns or trumpets, every man advanced in line towards the center, preserving an equal distance from those on either hand, and making as much noise as practicable. From the middle of each side of the exterior line, a blazed line of trees was previously marked to the center as a guide, and one of the sub-officers pro- ceeded along each as the march progressed. About a half or three-fourths of a mile from the central point, a ring of blazed trees was made, and a similar one at the ground of meeting, with a diameter at least equal to the greatest rifle range. On arriving at the first ring, the advancing lines halted till the commandant made a circuit, and saw the men equally distributed and all gaps closed. By this time, a herd of deer might be occasionally seen driving in affright from one line to another. At the signal, the ranks move forward to the second ring, which is drawn around the foot of an eminence, or the margin of an open swamp or lake. Here, if the drive has been a successful one, great numbers of tur- keys may be seen flying among the trees away from the spot. Deer, in flocks, sweeping around the ring, under an incessant fire, panting and exhausted. When thus pressed, it is difficult to detain them long in the ring. They become desperate, and make for the line at full speed. If the men are too numerous and resolute to give way, they leap over their heads, and all the sticks, pitch-forks and guns raised to oppose them. By a concert of the regular hunters, gaps are sometimes made purposely to allow them to escape. The wolf is now seen skulking through the bushes, hoping to escape observation by concealment. If bears are driven in, they dash through the brush in a rage from one part of the field to another, regardless of the shower of bullets playing upon them. After the game appears to be mostly killed, a few good marksmen and dogs scour the ground within the circle, to stir up what may be concealed or wounded. This over, they advance again to the center with a shout, dragging along the carcasses which have fallen, for the purpose of making count. It was at the hunt in Portage, that the bears were either exterminated or driven away from this vicinity. It embraced the "Perkins' Swamp" and several smaller ones, rendered passable by ice. At the close of this " drive," twenty-six were brought to the center ground, and others reported.
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