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 68
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On the old Indian reservation, in a limestone soil, are two white sulphur springs, re- spectively 10 and 12 miles from Tiffin, and about 2 apart. The water is clear, and petri- fies all objects with which it comes in contact. The water furnishes power sufficient for two large merchant mills, flows in great quantities, and nearly alike in all seasons.
In the northeastern corner of the county, in the township of Thompson, is a subterranean streams, about 80 feet under ground. The water is pure and cold, runs uniformly, and in. a northern direction. It is entered by a hole in the top, into which the curious can descend on foot, by the aid of a light.
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463
SHELBY COUNTY.
The following is a list of villages and localities in the county with their population in 1840. Attica 118, Bascom 34, Bettsville 23, Bloomville 13, Caroline 27, Fort Ball 129, Fort Seneca 52, Green Spring 29, Lodi 30, Melmore 127, Risdon 39, Rome 80, Republic 161, Springville 35, Sulphur Spring 29.
Some of these have since much increased. The most important of them now is Republic. This thriving village is in the township of Scipio, on the line of the railroad, 9 miles E. of Tiffin. It was laid out about 13 years since, and contains 1 Presbyterian, 1 Metho- dist and 1 Universalist church, 1 book, 3 grocery and 9 dry goods stores, 1 machine shop for the making of steam engines, 1 clothing mill, and about 600 inhabitants. The houses are new and neat, and the inhabitants, many of whom are from western New York, have among them a flourishing academy, numbering about 100 pupils of both sexes.
SHELBY.
SHELBY was formed from Miami in 1819, and named from Gov Shelby, of Kentucky. The southern half is undulating, rising in places along the Miami into hills. The northern portion is flat table land, forming part of Loramie's summit, 378 feet above Lake Erie, being the highest elevation in this part of the state. The soil is based on clay, with some fine bottom land along the streams. The south- ern part is best for grain, and the northern for grass. Proper drain- age and tillage will render it an excellent county for grazing and small grain. Its principal crops are corn, grass, oats and wheat. The following is a list of the townships in the county in 1840, with their population.
Clinton, 1496
Jackson, 478
Salem,
1158
Cynthian, 1022
Loramie, 904 Turtle Creek, 746
Dinsmoor, 500 M'Lean, 513 Van Buren, 596
Franklin, 647
Orange, 783 Washington, 1688
Green, 762
Perry,'
861
The population of Shelby in 1820, was 2142, in 1830, 3671, and in 1840, 12,153 ; or 29 inhabitants to the square mile.
The nonh of Loramie's creek, in this county, 16 miles Nw. of Sidney, is a place of historic interest. It was the first point of English settlement in Ohio. As early as 1752, there was a trading house at that place, called by the English Pickawillany, which was attacked and destroyed by the French and Indians that year ; but little is known, however, of its history. (See page 7.)
At the time of the first settlement of Kentucky, a Canadian French- man, named Loramie, established there a store, or trading station, among the Indians. This man was a bitter enemy of the Americans, and it was for a long time the head-quarters of mischief towards the settlers.
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464
SHELBY COUNTY.
The French had the faculty of endearing themselves to the Indians and no doubt Loramie was, in this respect, fully equal to any of his countrymen, and gained great influence over them. They formed! with the natives attachments of the most tender and abiding kind. "I have," says Colonel Johnston, "seen the Indians burst into tears when speaking of the time when their French father had dominion over them ; and their attachment to this day remains unabated."
So much influence had Loramie with the Indians, that when Gen. Clarke, from Kentucky, invaded the Miami valley in the autumn of 1782, his attention was attracted to the spot. He came on and burnt the Indian settlement here, and plundered and burnt the store of the Frenchman.
The store contained a large quantity of goods and peltry, which were sold by auction afterwards among the men by the general's orders. Among the soldiers was an Irishman named Burke, considered a half-witted fellow, and the general butt of the whole army. While searching the store, he found done up in a rag 25 half joes, worth about $200, which he secreted in a hole he cut in an old saddle. At the auction no one bid for the saddle, it being judged worthless, except Burke, to whom it was struck off for a trifling sum, amid roars of laughter for his folly. But a moment elapsed before Burke commenced a search, and found and drew forth the money as if by accident ; then shaking it in the eyes of the men, exclaimed, " an' it's not so bad a bargain after all !"
Soon after this, Loramie, with a colony of the Shawanoese, emi- grated to the Spanish territories, west of the Mississippi, and settled in a spot assigned them at the junction of the Kanzas and Missouri, where the remaining part of the nation from Ohio have at different times joined them.
In 1794, a fort was built at the place occupied by Loramie's store, by Wayne, and named Fort Loramie. The last officer who had command here was Capt. Butler, a nephew of Gen. Richard Butler, who fell at St. Clair's defeat. Says Colonel John Johnston :
His wife and children were with him during his command, A very interesting son of his, about eight years old, died at the post. The agonized father and mother were incon- solable. The grave was enclosed with a very handsome and painted railing, at the foot of which honeysuckles were planted, grew luxuriantly, entwined the paling, and finally en- veloped the whole grave. Nothing could appear more beautiful than this arbor when in bloom.
The peace withdrew Capt. Butler and his troops to other scenes on the Mississippi. I never passed the fort without a melancholy thought about the lovely boy who rested there, and his parents far away never to behold that cherished spot again. Long after the posts had decayed in the ground the vines sustained the palings, and the whole remained perfect until the war of 1812, when all was destroyed, and now a barn stands over the spot.
The site of Loramie's store was a prominent point in the Green- ville treaty boundary line. The farm of the heirs of the late James Furrow now covers the spot. Col. John Hardin was murdered in this county, in 1792, while on a mission of peace to the Indians. The town of Hardin has since been laid out on the spot. (See page 240.)
The first white family who settled in this county was that of James Thatcher, in 1804, who settled in the west part on Painter's run ; Samuel Marshall, John Wilson and John Kennard-the last now living-came soon after. The first court was held in a cabin at Hardin, May 13th and 14th, 1819. Hon. Joseph H. Crane, of Dayton, was the president judge ; Samuel Marshall, Robert Houston and Wm. Cecil, associates; Harvey B. Foot, clerk ; Daniel V. Dingman, sheriff, and Harvey Brown, of Dayton, prosecutor. The first
465
SHELBY COUNTY.
mill was a saw mill, erected in 1808 by Daniel M'Mullen and Bilderbach, on the site of Walker's mill.
NATIONAL HOTEL
Public Square, Sidney.
Sidney, the county seat, is 68 miles N. of w. from Columbus, 88 from Cincinnati, and named from Sir Philip Sydney, " the great light of chivalry." It was laid out as the county seat in the fall of 1819, on the farm of Charles Starrett, under the direction of the court.
The site is beautiful, being on an elevated table-ground on the west bank of the Miami. The only part of the plot then cleared was a corn-field, the first crop having been raised there in 1809, by Wm. Stewart. The court removed to Sidney in April, 1820, and held its meetings in the log-cabin of Abm. Cannon, on the south side of the field, on the site of Matthew Gillespie's store. During the same year, the first court house, a frame building, now Judge Walker's store, was built, and also the log jail. The first frame house was built in 1820, by John Blake, now forming the front of the National hotel. The first post-office in the county was established at Hardin in 1819, Col. James Wells, post-master ; but was removed the next year to Sidney, where the colonel has continued since to hold the office, except during Tyler's administration. The first brick house was erected on the site of J. F. Frazer's drug store, by Dr. Wm. Fielding. The Methodists erected the first church on the ground now occupied by them. Mr. T. Truder had a little store when the town was laid out, on the east side of the river, near the lower crossing. The Herald, the first paper in the county, was established in 1836, and published by Thos. Smith. A block-house at one time stood near the spring.
In the centre of Sidney is a beautiful public square, on which stands the court house. A short distance in a westerly direction, passes the Sidney feeder, a navigable branch of the Miami canal. The town and suburbs contain 1 Methodist, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Asso- ciate Reformed, 1 Christian and 1 Catholic church ; 1 drug, 2 iron, 5 hardware and 10 dry goods stores; 2 printing offices, 1 oil, 2 card- ing and fulling, 3 flouring and 4 saw mills, and in 1840, Sidney had 713 inhabitants, since which it has increased.
In Van Buren township is a settlement of COLORED people, numbering about 400. They constitute half the population of the township, and are as prosperous as their white neigh- bors. Neither are they behind them in religion, morals and intelligence, having churches and schools of their own. Their location, however, is not a good one, the land being too flat and wet. An attempt was made in July, 1846, to colonize with them 385 of the eman- cipated slaves of the celebrated John Randolph, of Va., after they were driven from Mercer
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466
STARK COUNTY.
county ; but a considerable party of whites would not willingly permit it, and they were scattered by families among the people of Shelby and Miami who were willing to take them.
Port Jefferson, 5 miles NE. of Sidney, is at the head of the feeder, through which the waters of the Miami flow into the Miami canal, 13 miles distant. It contains 1 Methodist and 1 Baptist church, 3 stores, and about 50 dwellings. Hardin, 5 miles w. of Sidney ; New- port, 12 w., Berlin, 16 www., Houston, 11 wsw., Lockport, 8 s .. and Palestine, 9 E., are small, and some of them thriving villages.
STARK.
STARK Was established Feb. 13th, 1808, and organized in January, 1809. It was named from Gen. John Stark, an officer of the revo- lution, who was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire, in 1728, and died in 1822. The surface is generally rolling; the central and northeast portions are slightly undulating. The soil is a sandy loam ; in some parts of the north and east a clay soil predominates. It is a rich agricultural county, and produces more wheat, except Wayne, than any other in Ohio. It embraces within itself the requisite facili- ties for making it the seat of various manufactures-mineral coal, iron ore, flocks of the choicest sheep, and great water power. Lime- stone abounds, and inexhaustible beds of lime marl exist. The cul- tivation of the mulberry and manufacture of silk have been success- fully commenced. It was settled mainly by Pennsylvania Germans, and from Germany and France. The principal agricultural products are wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, barley, grass, and flax and clover seed. The following is a list of its townships in 1840, with their population.
Bethlehem, 1019 Marlborough, 1670
Plain,
1838
Canton, 3298 Nimishillen, 1927
Sandy, 1265
Jackson, 1546 Osnaburgh, 2333 Sugar Creek, 1862
Lake, 2162
Paris, 2474 Tuscarawas, 1942
Lawrence, 2045
Perry,
2210 Washington, 1389
Lexington, 1640 Pike,
1409
The population of Stark in 1820, was 12,406, in 1830, 26,552, and in 1840, 34,617 ; or 69 inhabitants to a square mile.
The first Moravian missionary in Ohio, Mr. Frederick Post, set- tled in 1761 in what is now Bethlehem township, on the north side of the Muskingum, at the junction of its two forks, the Sandy and Tuscarawas. The locality called Tuscararatown is on the south side of the river, just above Fort Laurens, and immediately con- tiguous to. Bolivar. Just there was the Indian ford, on the line of the great Indian trail running west. The site of Post's dwelling, ·or missionary station, is indicated by a pile of stones, which had probably formed the back wall of the chimney. The site of the garden differs from the woods around it in the total want of heavy
467
STARK COUNTY.
timber. The ruins of a trader's house, on the opposite side of the river, have been mistaken for those of the missionary station. The dwelling built by Post must have been the first house erected in Ohio by whites, excepting such as may have been built by traders or French Jesuits. The Indian and Moravian village of Schoenbrun was not commenced until 1772, eleven years later.
Loskiel's history of the missions says, in allusion to this mission-" On the Ohio river, where, since the last war, some Indians lived who had been baptized by the brethren, no- thing could be done up to this time. However, brother Frederick Post lived, though of his own choice, about 100 English miles west of Pittsburgh, at Tuscararatown, with a view to commence a mission among those Indians. The brethren wished him the blessings of the Almighty to his undertaking ; and when he asked for an assistant to help him in his out ward concerns, and who might, during the same time, learn the language of the Delaware Indians, they (the brethren) made it known to the congregation of Bethlehem, whereupon the brother Jchn Heckewelder concluded of his own choice to assist him."
" We know of Post that he was an active and zealous missionary, but had married an In- dian squaw, contrary to the wishes and advice of the directory, who had the oversight of the Moravian missions, and by that act had forfeited so much of his standing that he would not be acknowledged as one of our missionaries in any other manner than under the direc- tion and guidance of another missionary. Whenever he went farther, and acted on his own accord, he was not opposed, had the good will of the society of which he continued a mem- ber and its directory, and even their assistance, so far as to make known his wants to the congregation, and threw no obstacles in the way if any person felt inclined of his own choice to assist him ; but he was not then acknowledged as their missionary, nor entitled to any farther or pecuniary assistance." This will explain the above passage in Loskiel.
" In Heckewelder's memoirs, written by himself, and printed in Germany, there is a short allusion to the same subject. He says, in substance, that he had in his early youth frequent opportunities of seeing Indians, and that gradually he became desirous of becoming useful to them ; that already in his 19th year, his desire was in some measure gratified, as he was called upon by government to accompany the brother Frederick Post to the western Indians on the Ohio. He then mentions some of the fatigues and dangers of the journey, and that he returned in the latter half of the year 1762. In Heckewelder's narrative of the Indian missions of the United Brethren, he gives a more detailed account of this mission. He says, in effect, that Frederick Post, who had the preceding year [1761] visited the Indians on the Muskingum, thought he would be able to introduce christianity among them ; that the writer of the narrative, by and with the consent of the directors of the society, went with him principally to teach the Indian children to read and write. They set out early in March, and came to where Post had the preceding year built a house on the bank of the river Muskingum, at the distance of about a mile from the Indian village, which lay to the south across the river. When they commenced clearing, the Indians ordered them to stop and appear before their council the next day, where Post appeared, and was charged with deceit, inasmuch as he had informed the Indians his intentions were to teach them the word of God, and now he took possession of their lands, &c. Post answered that he wanted no more land than sufficient to live from it, as he intended to be no burden to them, &c .; whereupon they concluded that he should have 50 steps in every direction, which was step- ped off by the chief next day. He farther says, that an Indian treaty being to be held at Lancaster in the latter part of summer, Post was requested by the governor of Pennsylvania to bring some of the western Delawares to it, which he did, leaving Heckewelder, who 1e- turned the same fall, in October, from fear of a war, &c. Post probably never returned to this station."*
Canton, the county seat, is 120 miles NE. of Columbus. It is finely situated in the forks of the Nimishillen, a tributary of the Muskingum. It was laid out in 1806 by Bezaleel Wells, of Steubenville, and the first house erected the same year. Mr. Wells was the original pro-
* In Zeisberger's memoirs there is no allusion to this mission, though he and Post were frequently associates at an earlier date, and in 1745 were imprisoned together in New York as spies. The above article is abridged from papers in the Barr Mss., comprising a letter from Mr. Thomas Goodman, in which was copied one from Judge Blickensderfer, of Dover, who had carefully investigated the subject.
468
STARK COUNTY.
prietor of the town, and died in 1846. The view shows a part of the public square, with the court house on the left and the market in the centre. It is a very compact town, with many brick dwellings.
Public Square in Canton.
A large business is done here in the purchase of flour and wheat, and within the vicinity are many flouring mills. Canton contains 1 Ger- man Reformed, 1 Lutheran, 1 Presbyterian, 2 Catholic and 1 Metho- dist church ; 10 dry goods, 2 book, 2 hardware and 7 grocery stores ; 2 newspaper offices, 1 gun barrel and 2 woollen factories, 2 iron founderies, and about 2000 inhabitants. The Canton female institute is a flourishing institution, with near 100 pupils.
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View in Main street, Massillon.
Massillon is on the Ohio canal and Tuscarawas river, 8 miles from Canton and 65 from Cleveland. It was laid out in March, 1826, by James Duncan, and named from John Baptiste Massillon, a cele-
469
SUMMIT COUNTY.
brated French divine, who died in 1742, at the age of 79 The Ohio canal 'was located only a short time before the town was laid out, at which period, on its site was a grist mill, a distillery, and a few dwellings only.
The view was taken near the American hotel, shown on the right, and within a few rods of the canal, the bridge over which is seen in front. The town is compactly built, and is remarkable for its sub- stantial appearance. It is very thriving, and is one of the greatest wheat markets in Ohio. At times, Main street is almost completely blocked by immense wagons of wheat, and the place has generally the bustling air of business. It lies in the centre of a very rich wheat region. The old town of Kendall, laid out about the year 1810 by Thomas Roach, joins on the east. Massillon contains 1 German Evangelical, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Episcopal, 1 Lutheran, 1 Disciples, 1 Episcopal Methodist and 1 Catholic church; 2 hardware, 2 whole- sale grocery and 11 dry goods stores ; 6 forwarding houses, 3 foun- deries, 3 machine shops, I newspaper office, 1 bank, 1 woollen factory, and had in 1840, 1420 inhabitants, and now has about 2000. " Just below the town commences a series of extensive plains, spread- ing over a space of 10 or 12 miles in length from east to west, and 5 or 6 in breadth. These were covered with a thin growth of oak timber, and were denominated barrens, but, on cultivation, they pro- duce fine crops of wheat. The Tuscarawas has cut across these plains on their western end, and runs in a valley sunk about 30 feet below their general surface."
Waynesburgh, on the Sandy and Beaver canal, 12 miles sE. of Canton, is a flourishing place, with about 500 inhabitants. Canal Fulton, on the Ohio canal, 13 miles from Canton, contains not far from 60 dwellings, and is a smart business place, where much wheat is purchased. Bethlehem, Rochester and Navarre, are three villages nearly connected as one, about 10 miles sw. of Canton, on the Ohio canal and Tuscarawas river. The three places may contain not far from 1000 inhabitants, and have 10 forwarding houses, it being an important point for the shipment of wheat. Brookfield, Paris, Osna- burg, Harrisburgh, Freedom, Limaville, Minerva, Mapleton, Magno- lia, Sparta, Berlin, Greentown, Uniontown, Milton and Louisville, are small villages. This last named village is almost entirely set- tled by French. It has been estimated that there are several thou- sand French in the county from the river Rhine. They form an excellent population, and readily assimilate to American customs. The French children enter the English schools, while the Germans show more attachment to those in their native language.
SUMMIT.
SUMMIT was erected from Portage, Medina and Stark, March 3d, 1840. It derived its name from having the highest land on the line
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470
SUMMIT COUNTY.
of the Ohio canal, originally called " the Portage summit." Along the Cuyahoga it is uneven and hilly ; elsewhere level or undulating. In Tallmadge and Springfield are immense beds of bituminous coal, from which large quantities are exported and used by the lake steamers. In Springfield, large quantities of stone-ware are made, at which place fine clay abounds. The soil is fertile and produces excellent fruit. The principal productions are wheat, corn, hay, oats, cheese, butter, and potatoes and fruit. The following is a list of the townships in 1840, with their population.
Bath,
1425
Green,
1536
Portage, 2382
Boston,
845
Hudson,
1220
Richfield,
1108
Copley,
1439
Northampton, 963
Stow,
1533
Coventry,
1308
Northfield,
1031
Tallmadge, 2134
Franklin,
1436
Norton, 1497
Twinsburgh, 1039
The population of Summit in 1840, was 22,469, or 45 inhabitants to the square mile.
The old Indian Portage path, between the Cuyahoga and the Tus- carawas branch of the Muskingum, lies within this county, and was part of the ancient boundary between the Six Nations and the western Indians.
It left the Cuyahoga at the village of Old Portage, about three miles north of Akron. It went up the hill westward about half a mile to the high ground, where it turned southerly and run about parallel with the canal to near the Summit lake ; there took the low ground nearly south to the Tuscarawas, which it struck a mile or more above the New Portage. The whole length of the path was, by the survey of Moses Warren, in 1797, 8 miles, 4 chains and 55 links.
The first settlement made in this county was at Hudson, in the year 1800, by Mr. David Hudson, the history of which we derive from a series of articles written by Rev. J. Seward, and published some 10 or 15 years since in the Hudson Observer.
In the division of the Western Reserve among the proprietors, the townships of Chester and Hudson fell to the lot of Birdsey Norton and David Hudson.
In the year 1799, Mr. Hudson came out to explore his land, in company with a few others. On the way, he fell in with Benj. Tappan, since judge, then travelling to his town of Ravenna. They started in his boat from Gerondigut bay, on Lake Ontario, early in May, and soon overtook Elias Harmon, since judge, in a boat with his wife, bound to Mantua. On arriving at Niagara, they found the river full of ice. They had their boats conveyed around the falls, and proceeded on their dangerous way amidst vast bodies of floating ice, having some of the men on the shore pulling by ropes until out of danger from the current of the Niagara. Arrived at the mouth of the lake, they found it full of floating ice as far as the eye could reach, and were compelled to wait several days ere they could proceed, which they then did along near the shore. When off Ashtabula county, their boats were driven ashore in a storm, and that of Mr. Harmon's stove in pieces : he pro- ceeded from thence by land to Mantua. Having purchased, and in a manner repaired Har- mon's boat, Mr. Hudson shipped his effects in it, and they arrived at Cleveland on the 8th of June.
Morse's geography having given them about all the knowledge of the Cuyahoga that they possessed, they supposed it capable of sloop navigation to its forks. The season being dry, they had proceeded but a few miles when they found it in places only 8 or 10 inches deep, and were often obliged to get out, join hands and drag their boats over the shallow places, and made but slow progress. After a lapse of several days, they judged they were in the latitude of the town of which they were in search. Mr. Hudson went ashore and commenced hunting for a surveyor's line much too far north, and it was not until after six days labo- rious and painful search that he discovered, towards night, a line which led to the south- west corner of his township. The succeeding day being very rainy he lodged under an
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