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 60
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As this work is a perfect square, so the gateways and their watch-towers were equi- distant from each other. These mounds were in a perfectly straight line, and exactly parallel with the wall. Those small mounds were at m, m, m, m, m, m, m. The black line at d represents the ditch, and w, w, represent the two circular walls.
D [the reader is referred to the plate] shows the site of a once very remarkable ancient mound of earth, with a semi-circular pavement on its eastern side, nearly fronting, as the plate represents, the only gateway leading into this fort. This mound is entirely removed ; but the outline of the semi-circular pavement may still be seen in many places, notwith- standing the dilapidations of time and those occasioned by the hand of man.
The earth in these walls was as nearly perpendicular as it could be made to lie. This fort had originally but one gateway leading into it on its eastern side, and that was defended by a mound of earth several feet in height, at m, i. Near the centre of this work was a
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411
PICKAWAY COUNTY.
mound, with a semi-circular pavement on its eastern side, some of the remains of which may still be seen by an intelligent observer. The mound at m, i, has been entirely removed, so as to make the street level, from where it once stood.
B is a square fort, adjoining the circular one, as represented by the plate, the area of which has been stated already. The wall which surrounds this work is generally now about 10 feet in height, where it has not been manufactured into brick. There are seven gateways leading into this fort, besides the one which communicates with the square forti- fication-that is, one at each angle, and another in the wall, just half way between the angular ones. Before each of these gateways was a mound of earth of four or five feet in height, intended for the defence of these openings.
The extreme care of the authors of these works to protect and defend every part of the circle, is no where visible about this square fort. The former is defended by two high walls-the latter by one. The former has a deep ditch encircling it-this has none. The former could be entered at one place only-this at eight, and those about 20 feet broad. The present town of Circleville covers all the round and the western half of the square fort. These fortifications, where the town stands, will entirely disappear in a few years; and I have used the only means within my power to perpetuate their memory, by the annexed drawing and this brief description.
MAM
WHO
ODDS
West Main Street, Circleville.
Another writer gives some aditional facts. Writing in 1834, he says :
On the sw. side of the circle stands a conical hill, crowned with an artificial mound. In- deed so much does the whole elevation resemble the work of man, that many have mis- taken it for a large mound. A street has lately been opened across the little mound which crowned the hill, and in removing the earth, many skeletons were found in good preserva- tion. A cranium of one of them was in my possession, and is a noble specimen of the race which once occupied these ancient walls. It has a high forehead and large and bold features, with all the phrenological marks of daring and bravery. Poor fellow, he died overwhelmed by numbers ; as the fracture of the right parietal bone by the battle axe, and five large stone arrows sticking in and about his bones, still bear silent, but sure testimony. The elevated ground a little north of the town, across Hargus creek, which washes the base of the plain of Circleville, appears to have been the common burying-ground. Human bones in great quantities are found in digging away the gravel for repairing the streets, and for constructing the banks of the canal which runs near the base of the highlands. 'They were buried in the common earth, without any attempt at tumuli ; and occupy so large a space, that only a dense population and a long period of time could have furnished such numbers.
Circleville is a thriving, business town, surrounded by a beautiful, level country. Opposite the town, the bottom land on the Scioto is banked up for several miles, to prevent being overflowed by the
412
PIKE COUNTY.
river. Circleville has 2 Presbyterian, 1 Lutheran, 1 Episcopal, 1 Methodist and 1 United Brethren church; an elegant court house, recently erected ; 1 or 2 academies, 3 printing offices, about 20 mer- cantile stores, 1 bank, 9 warehouses on the canal, and had in 1830, 1136, and in 1840, 2330 inhabitants : it now has over 3000. The business by the canal is heavy. Of the clearances made from this port in 1846, there were of corn, 106,465 bushels; wheat, 24,918 bushels ; broom corn, 426,374 pounds ; bacon and pork, 1277,212 pounds, and lard, 1458,259 pounds.
Tarleton, 9 miles easterly from Circleville, is a thriving town, con- taining 6 or 8 stores, 3 churches, and had in 1840, 437 inhabitants. The following is a list of smaller places, with their distances and direction from Circleville, and population in 1840. Bloomfield, 9 N., 182 ; Darbyville, 12 Nw., 164; New Holland, 18 w., 161 ; Williams- port, 9 w., 159; Jefferson 85; Palestine 63, and Millport 98. The last is a new place, on the canal, and has several mills, and much water power derived from the canal. At Williamsport is a chaly- beate spring of some local celebrity.
PIKE.
PIKE was organized in February, 1815, and named from General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who was born at Lamberton, Mercer county, N. J., January 5th, 1779, and was killed at the storming of York, Upper Canada, April 25th, 1813. Excepting the rich bottom lands of the Scioto and its tributaries, the surface is generally hilly. The river hills abound with excellent free-stone, extensively ex- ported for building purposes. The principal productions are Indian corn, oats and wheat. The following is a list of the townships in 1840, with their population.
Beaver,
1075
Newton,
337
Perry,
565
Camp Creek,
299
Pee Pee,
813
Seal,
1875
Jackson,
1096
Pebble,
504
Sunfish, 325
Mifflin,
645
The population of Pike in 1820, was 4253 ; in 1830, 6024, and in 1840, 7536, or 18 inhabitants to a square mile.
The first permanent settlers in the county were Pennsylvanians and Virginians. Within the last few years many Germans have settled in the eastern part. The first settlement in the vicinity of Piketon, was made on the Pee Pee prairie, by John Noland from Pennsylvania, Abraham, Arthur and John Chenoweth, three brothers from Virginia, who settled there about the same time Chillicothe was laid out, in 1796.
Piketon, the county seat, was laid out about the year 1814. It is on the Scioto, on the Columbus and Portsmouth turnpike, 64 miles from the first, 26 from the last, and 2 east of the Ohio canal. Pike- ton contains 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist and 1 German Lutheran
C
413
PIKE COUNTY.
church, an academy, a newspaper printing office, 4 mercantile stores, and had in 1840, 507 inhabitants. Piketon was originally called
View in Piketon.
Jefferson, and was laid off on what was called "Miller's Bank." The origin of this last name is thus given in the American Pioneer.
About the year 1795, two parties set off from Mason county, Ky., to locate land by making improvements, as it was believed the tract ceded to the United States, east of the Scioto, would be held by pre-emption. One of these parties was conducted by a Mr. Miller, and the other by a Mr. Kenton. In Kenton's company was a man by the name of Owens, between whom and Miller there arose a quarrel about the right of settling this beautiful spot. In the fray Owens shot Miller, whose bones may be found interred near the lower end of the high bank. His death and burial there, gave name to the high bank, which was then in Washington county, the Scioto being then the line between Washington and Adams counties. Owens was taken to Marietta, where he was tried and acquitted.
A short distance below the town are some ancient works. There the turnpike passes for several hundred feet between two parallel and artificial walls of earth, about 15 feet in elevation, and near six rods apart. On Lewis Evans' map of the middle British colonies, published in 1755, is laid down, on the right bank of the river, a short distance below the site of Piketon, a place called "Hurricane Toms :" it might have been the abode of an Indian chief or a French trader's station.
Waverly, 4 miles above Piketon on the Scioto river and Ohio canal, was laid out about the year 1829, by M. Downing. It con- tains 1 Presbyterian and 1 Methodist church, 4 stores, and had in 1840, 306 inhabitants. Cynthiana had in 1840, 71, Jasper 69, and Sharonville 61 inhabitants.
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414
PORTAGE COUNTY.
PORTAGE.
PORTAGE Was formed from Trumbull, June 7th, 1807; all that part of the Reserve west of the Cuyahoga and south of the townships numbered five, was also annexed as part of the county, and the tem- porary seat of justice appointed at the house of Benj. Tappan. The name was derived from the old Indian portage path of about 7 miles in length, between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas, which was within its limits. The surface is slightly rolling; the upland is generally sandy or gravelly, and the flat land to a considerable extent clay. The county is wealthy and thriving. The dairy business is largely carried on, and nearly 1000 tons of cheese annually produced. The principal productions are wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, butter, cheese and wool ; of the last, the annual exports amount to about 240,000 pounds. The following is a list of the townships in 1840, with their population.
Atwater, 756
Freedom, 888
Ravenna, 1542
Aurora,
906
Hiram,
1080
Rootstown,
1112
Brimfield, 1154
Mantua, 1187
Shalersville, 1281
Charlestown, 851
Nelson, 1398
Streetsborough, 1136
Deerfield, 1184
Palmyra, 1359
Suffield, 1200
Edinburgh, 1085
Paris,
931
Windham, 907
Franklin, 1497
Randolph, 1649
The population of Portage in 1820, was 10,093; in 1830, 18,792, and in 1840, 23,107, or 46 inhabitants to a square mile.
Ravenna, the county seat, so named from an Italian city, is 34 miles SE. of Cleveland and 140. Nw. of Columbus. It is situated on the. Cleveland and Pittsburgh road, on the crest of land dividing the waters flowing into the lakes from those emptying into the Gulf of Mexico : the Ohio and Pennsylvania canal runs a short distance south of the town.
This place was originally settled by the Hon. Benj. Tappan in June, 1799, at which time there was but one white person, a Mr. Honey, residing in the county. A solitary log-cabin in each place, marked the sites of the flourishing cities of Buffalo and Cleveland. On his journey out from New England, Mr. Tappan fell in with the late David Hudson, the founder of Hudson, Summit county, at Ger- ondaquet, New York, and "assisted him on the journey for the sake of his company. After some days of tedious navigation up the Cuyahoga river, he landed at a prairie, where is now the town of Boston, in the county of Summit. There he left all his goods under a tent with one K ***** and his family to take care of them, and with another hired man proceeded to make out a road to Ravenna. There they built a dray, and with a yoke of oxen which had been driven from Connecticut river, and were found on his arrival, he conveyed a load of farming utensils to his settlement. Returning for a second load, the tent was found abandoned and partly plun-
415
PORTAGE COUNTY.
dered by the Indians. He soon after learned that Hudson had per- suaded K ***** to join his own settlement."*
On Mr. Tappan's " removing his second load of goods, one of his oxen was overheated and died, leaving him in a vast forest, distant from any habitation, without a team, and what was still worse, with but a single dollar in money. He was not depressed for an instant by these untoward circumstances. He sent one of his men through the woods, with a compass, to Erie, in Pa., a distance of about 100 miles, requesting from Capt. Lyman, the commandant at the fort; a loan of money. At the same time, he followed himself the township lines to Youngstown, where he became acquainted with Col. James Hillman, (see p. 338,) who did not hesitate to sell him an ox, on credit, at a fair price,-an act of generosity which proved of great value, as the want of a team must have broken up his settlement. The unex- pected delays upon the journey and other hindrances, prevented them from raising a crop at this season, and they had, after the provisions brought with him were exhausted, to de- pend for meat upon their skill in hunting and purchases from the Indians, and for meal upon the scanty supplies procured from western Pennsylvania. Having set out with the determination to spend the winter, he erected a log cabin, into which himself and one Bixby, whom he had agreed to give 100 acres of land on condition of settlement, moved on the first day of January, 1800, before which, they had lived under a bark camp and their tent."*
W.M. FOLGER
View in Ravenna.
The engraving represents the public buildings in the central part of the village : in the centre is seen the court house and jail ; on the right in the distance the Congregational, and on the left the Univer- salist church. Ravenna contains 1 Congregational, 1 Disciples, 1 Methodist and 1 Universalist church, 10 mercantile stores, an acad- emy, 2 newspaper printing offices, and about 1200 inhabitants. It is a thriving, pleasant village and is noted for the manufacture of carriages.
About the time of Mr. Tappan's settlement at Ravenna, others were commenced in several of the townships of the county. The sketches of Deerfield and Palmyra we annex from the Barr MSS.
Deerfield received its name from Deerfield, Mass., the native place of the mother of Lewis Day, Esq. Early in May, 1799, Lewis Day and his son, Horatio, of Granby, Ct., and Moses Tibbals and Green Frost, of Granville, Mass., left their homes in a one horse wagon, and arrived in Deerfield on the 29th of the same month. This was the first wagon
* From the sketch of Hon. Benj. Tappan, in the Democratic Review, for June, 1840.
416
PORTAGE COUNTY.
that had ever penetrated farther westward in this region than Canfield. The country west of that place had been an unbroken wilderness, until within a few days. Capt. Caleb At- water, of Wallingford, Ct., had hired some men to open a road to township No. 1, in the 7th range, of which he was the owner. This road passed through Deerfield, and was com- pleted to that place when the party arrived at the point of their destination. These emi- grants selected sites for their future dwellings, and commenced clearing up the land. In July, Lewis Ely and family arrived from Granville and wintered here, while the first named, having spent the summer in making improvements, returned east. On the 4th of March, 1800, Alva Day, (son of Lewis,) John Campbell and Joel Thrall, all arrived in company. In April, George and Robert Taylor and James Laughlin, from Pennsylva- nia, with their families, made permanent settlements. Mr. Laughlin built a grist mill, which, on the succeeding year, was a great convenience to the settlers. On the 29th of June, Lewis Day returned from Connecticut, accompanied by his family, and his brother- in-law, Major Rogers, who the next year also brought out his family.
Much suffering was experienced on account of the scarcity of provisions. They were supplied from settlements on the opposite side of the Ohio, the nearest of which was George- town, 40 miles distant. These were conveyed on pack-horses through the wilderness. On the 22d of August, Mrs. Alva Day gave birth to the first child-a female-born in the township, and on the 7th of November, the first wedding took place. John Campbell and Sarah Ely-daughter of Lewis-were joined in wedlock by Calvin Austin, Esq., of War- ren. He was accompanied from Warren, a distance of 27 miles, by the late Judge Pease, then a young lawyer of that place. They came on foot -- there not being any road-and as they threaded their way through the woods, young Pease taught the justice the mar- riage ceremony, by oft repetition.
The first civil organization was effected in 1802, under the name of Franklin township, embracing all of the present Portage and parts of Trumbull and Summit counties. About this time, the settlement received accessions from New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The Rev. Mr. Badger, the missionary of the Presbyterians, preached here as early as February 16, 1801. In 1803, Dr. Shadrac Bostwick organized an Episcopal Methodist society. The Presbyterian society was organized, Oct. 8th, 1818, and that of the Disciples in 1828.
In 1806, there was an encampment of seven Mohawk Indians in Deerfield, with whom a serious difficulty occurred. John Diver, it is thought, in a horse trade over-reached one of these Indians, named John Nicksaw. There was much dissatisfaction expressed by these Indians at the bargain, and Nicksaw vainly endeavored to effect a re-exchange of horses.
On stating his grievances to Squire Lewis Day, that gentleman advised him to see Diver again and persuade him to do justice. Nicksaw replied, " No! you speak him! me no speak him again !" and immediately left. On this very evening-Jan. 20th, 1806-there was a sleighing party at the house of John Diver. Early in the evening while amusing themselves, they were interrupted by the rude entrance of five Indians, John Nicksaw, John Mohawk, Bigson and his two sons, from the encampment.
They were excited with whiskey, and endeavered to decoy John Diver to their camp, on some frivolous pretence. Failing in this stratagem, they became more and more boisterous, but were quieted by the mildness of Daniel Diver. They changed their tone, reciprocated his courteousness, and vainly urged him to drink whiskey with them. They now again resumed their impudent manner, and charging Daniel with stealing their guns, declared they would not leave until he returned them. With much loss of time and altercation, he at last got them out of the house. Shortly after, John Diver opened the door and was on the point of stepping out, when he espied Mohawk standing in front of him, with uplifted tomahawk, in the attitude of striking. Diver shrunk back unobserved by the company, and not wishing to alarm them, said nothing at the time about the circumstance.
About 10 o'clock, the moon shining with unusual brightness, the night being cold and clear, with snow about two feet deep, Daniel observed the Indians, standing in a ravine several rods from the house. He ran up and accosted them in a friendly manner. They treacherously returned his salutation, said they had found their guns, and before returning to camp, wished to apologize for their conduct and part good friends. Passing along the line he took each and all by the hand, until he came to Mohawk, who was the only one that had a gun in his hands. He refused to shake hands, and at the moment Diver turned for the house, he received a ball through his temples destroying both of his eyes. He im
417
PORTAGE COUNTY.
mediately fell. On the report of the gun, John Diver ran to the spot, by which time Daniel had regained his feet and was staggering about. Mohawk was standing a few paces off, looking on in silence, but his companions had fled. John eagerly inquired of his brother what was the matter ? "I am shot by Mohawk," was the reply. John instantly darted at Mohawk, intending to make him atone in a frightful manner for the injury done his brother. The savage fled towards the camp, and as Diver gained rapidly upon him, Mohawk threw . himself from the road into the woods, uttering a horrid yell. Diver now perceiving the other Indians returning toward him, fled in turn to his brother, and took him into the house. The wound, although dangerous, was not mortal, and he was living as late as 1847.
The Indians hurried to their encampment, and from thence fled in a northwest direction The alarm spread throughout the settle- ment, and in a few hours there were twenty-five men on the spot, ready for the pursuit. Before daylight this party-among which was Alva Day, Major H. Rogers, Jas. Laughlin, Alex. K. Hubbard, and Ira Mansfield-were in hot pursuit upon their trail. The wea- ther being intensely cold, and the settlements far apart, they suf- fered exceedingly. Twenty of them had their feet frozen, and many of them were compelled to stop; but their number was kept good by additions from the settlements through which they passed.
On the succeeding night the party came up with the fugitives, encamped on the west side of the Cuyahoga, in the present town of Boston. The whites surrounded them ; but Nicksaw and Mohawk escaped. They were overtaken and commanded to surrender, or be shot. Continuing their flight, Williams, of Hudson, fired, and Nicksaw fell dead ; but Mohawk escaped. The whites returned to Deerfield with Bigson and his two sons. A squaw belonging to them was allowed to escape, and, it is said, perished in the snow. On arriving at the centre of Deerfield, where the tragedy had been acted, Bigson appeared to be overpowered with grief, and giving vent to a flood of tears, took an affectionate leave of his sons, ex- pecting here to lose his life according to a custom of the Indians. They were taken before Lewis Day, Esq., who, after examination, committed them to prison at Warren.
Mr. Cornelius Feather, in the papers of the Ashtabula Historical Society, says :
It was heart-rending to visit this group of human misery, at War- ren, and hear their lamentations. The poor Indians were not con- fined, for they could not run away. The narrator has seen this old frost-crippled chief Bigson, who had been almost frozen to death, sitting with the others on the bank of the Mahoning, and heard him, in the Indian tongue, with deep touching emotions, in the highest strain of his native oratory, addressing his companions in misery- speaking the language of his heari; pointing towards the rising, then towards the setting sun, to the north, to the south, till sobs choked his utterance, and tears followed tears down his sorrow- worn cheeks.
We now return to the Barr Mss. for another incident of early times, exhibiting something of Indian gratitude and customs
53
418
PORTAGE COUNTY.
John Hendricks, an Indian, for some time lived in a camp on the bank of the Mahomng, with his family-a wife and two sons-and was much respected by the settlers. Early in 1802, one of his sons, a child about 4 years of age, was taken sick, and during his illness was treated with great kindness by Mr. Jas. Laughlin and lady, who lived near. He died on the 4th of March, and his father having expressed a desire to have him interred in the place where the whites intended to bury their dead, a spot was selected near the residence of Lewis Day, which is to this time used as a grave-yard. A coffin was prepared by Mr. Laughlin and Alva Day, and he was buried according to the custom of the whites. Ob- serving the earth to fall upon the board and not upon the body of his deceased son, Hen- dricks exclaimed in a fit of ecstacy, " Body no broken !"
Some days after, Mr. Day observed these Indians near the grave, apparently washing some clothing, and then digging at the grave. After they had retired, prompted by curi- osity, Mr. Day examined the grave and found the child's clothes just washed and carefully deposited with the body. Shortly after, he inquired of Hendricks why he had not buried them at the funeral. "Because they were not clean," replied he. These Indians soon left the neighborhood, and did not return for one or two years. Meeting with Mr. Laugh- lin, Hendricks ran towards him, and throwing himself into his arms, embraced and kissed him with the deepest affection, exclaiming, " body no broke ! body no broke !"
The first improvements in Palmyra were made in 1799, by David Daniels, from Salisbury, Ct. The succeeding year he brought out his family. E., N. and W. Bacon, E. Cutler, A. Thurber, A. Pres- ton, N. Bois, J. T. Baldwin, T. and C. Gilbert, D., A. and S. Waller, N. Smith, Joseph Fisher, J. Tuttle, and others came not long after.
On the first settlement of the township, there were several families of Onondaga and Oneida Indians who carried on a friendly intercourse with the people, until the difficulty at Deerfield, in 1806, in the shooting of Diver.
When this region was first settled, there was an Indian trail commencing at Fort M'In- tosh, (where Beaver, Pa., now is,) and extending westward to Sandusky and Detroit. This trail followed the highest ground. It passed by the Salt Springs, in Howland, Trumbull county, and running through the northern part of Palmyra, crossed Silver creek in Edin- burgh, 1} miles north of the centre road. Along this trail, parties of Indians were fre- quently seen passing, for several years after the white settlers came. In fact, it seemed to be the great thoroughfare from Sandusky to Ohio river and Du Quesne. There are several large piles of stones by this trail in Palmyra, under which human skeletons have been dis- covered. These are supposed to be the remains of Indians slain in war, or murdered by their enemies ; as tradition says, it is an Indian practice for each one to cast a stone upon the grave of an enemy, whenever he passes by. These stones appear to have been picked up along the trail, and cast upon the heaps at different times.
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