Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume II, Part 35

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 916

USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume II > Part 35

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I purchased for myself one hundred and ninety acres of land to establish a manual labor school for colored boys. I had sus- tained a school on it, at my own expense, till the 11th of November, 1842. Being in Philadelphia the winter before I became ac- quainted with the trustees of the late Samuel Emlen, of New Jersey, a Friend. He left by his will $20,000 for the " support and educa- tion in school learning and the mechanic arts and agriculture such colored boys, of African and Indian descent, whose parents would give them up to the institute." We united our means and they purchased my farm and appointed me the superintendent of the establishment, which they call the Eulen Institute.

242

MERCER COUNTY.

In 1846 Judge Leigh, of Virginia, purchased 3,200 acres of land in this settle- ment for the freed slaves of John Randolph, of Roanoke. These arrived in the summer of 1846 to the number of about four hundred, but were forcibly pre- vented from making a settlement by a portion of the inhabitants of the county. Since then acts of hostility have been commenced against the people of this settle- ment, and threats of greater held out if they do not abandon their lands and homes .- Old Edition.

From a statement in the county history issued in 1882 we see that a part of the Randolph negroes succeeded in effecting a settlement at Montezuma, Frank- lin township, just south of the reservoir.

FORT RECOVERY is on the south bank of the Wabash river, one and a half miles east of the Indiana State line, fifteen miles southwest of Celina, on the L. E. & W. R. R. Newspapers : News, Independent, Charles L. Patchell, editor and publisher ; Times, Democratic, A. Sutherland, editor and publisher. Churches : one Catholic, one Methodist, one Congregational, one Christian, one Lutheran. Bank : G. R. McDaniel. School census, 1888, 347 ; D. W. K. Martin, school superintendent.

Fort Recovery is in the midst of a great gas field. On Wednesday, March 28, 1887, the first well was struck. It was well named "Mad Anthony." It came with a mighty roar at only a depth of five hundred and ten feet. "Hats went up, cheers rang out " and, writes one, " the glad light of happiness, enthu- siasm and prosperity shone in the eyes of our people. The test shows two millions of cubic feet daily from this well alone."

The great event at this place was the defeat of St. Clair, already largely detailed. Since the issue of our original account in 1847, Fort Recovery has been the scene of a reminder of that sad day, here detailed.

BURIAL OF THE REMAINS OF THE SLAIN.

In July, 1851, after heavy rains had washed off the earth, a discovery of a hu- man skull in the streets of Recovery, near the site of the old fort, led to a further search, when the skeletons of some sixty persons were exhumed, well preserved. It was resolved to reinter them, with suitable ceremonies. They were placed in thirteen different coffins. representing the thirteen States of the Union at the time of the battle. The bones showed variously marks of the bullet, tomahawk and scalping- knife.

On a fine day, September 10, ensued the ceremony of the burial of the slain of St.

Clair's army. The crowd was immense, and the procession was formed under charge of General James Watson Riley and aids. One hundred and four pall-bearers from different counties headed the proces- sion in charge of the coffins, and were fol- lowed by soldiers, ladies and citizens gen- erally, forming a column a mile long, while marching to the stand, in full view of the battle-ground, when Judge Bellamy Storer delivered an eloquent address in his fervid, patriotic style. On the close of the pro- ceedings, the procession moved to the vil- lage burying-ground, and the thirteen cof- fins deposited in one grave just sixty years after the battle.

SHANE'S CROSSING is eleven miles north of Celina, on the southern division of the T. D. & B. and C. J. & M. Railroads. Newspaper: Free Press, D. C. Kinder, editor and publisher. Bank : Farmers'. Population, 1880, 404. School census, 1888, 308.

Historically this is an interesting spot. It is on the south bank of St. Mary's river. Originally it was on or near the site of the Indian village Old Town. This was an old trading post held and conducted by the In- dians prior to the war of 1812, and named from Anthony Shane, a half-breed Indian trader. At this spot Wayne's army crossed going north, and the spot eventually became known as Shane's Crossing. The United States granted a reservation here to Shane and he laid out a town on his land June 23, 1820; it was recorded at Greenville under

the name of Shanesville, which it retained until 1866, when it was incorporated and took its original name as Shane's Crossing. When the Shawnese left Ohio for Kansas, Shane, then a very old man, went with them.

Shanesville, St. Mary's and "Coil Town" were the early contestants for the seat of justice for the county. Coil Town passed away, became a cultivated field. The first term of court was held at Shanesville, Judge Low presiding; but St. Mary's won the prize, and then it later passed to Celina.

Anthony Shane appears in a snake story.

243

MERCER COUNTY.

Mr. John Sutton, an early settler, while hunt- ing medicinal herbs for a sick horse, was bitten on the foot by a spotted rattlesnake, when. as a remedy, his bitten foot was buried in the ground. Anthony Shane was then sent for, who asked if they had any black cats, saying

he could shortly with them cure the foot. Being answered in the negative he killed some black chickens, dressed and applied them to the foot and on the third application pronounced it cured.

MENDON is eleven miles northeast of Celina, on the D. Ft. W. & C. R. R. Population, 1880, 242. School census, 1888, 144.

COLDWATER is five miles southwest of Celina, ou the L. E. & W. and C. J. & M. Railroads. School census, 1888, 269.

MERCER is eight miles north of Celina, on the D. Ft. W. & C. R. R. School census, 1888, 129.

ST. HENRY is twelve miles southwest from Celina, on the C. J. & M. R. R. School census, 1888, 218.

MIAMI.

MIAMI COUNTY was formed from Montgomery, January 16, 1807, and Staunton made the temporary seat of justice. The word Miami, in the Ottawa language, is said to signify mother. The name Miami was originally the designa- tion of the tribe who anciently bore the name of " Tewightewee." This tribe were the original inhabitants of the Miami valley, and affirmed they were created in it. East of the Miami the surface is gently rolling, and a large proportion of it a rich alluvial soil ; west of the Miami the surface is generally level, the soil a clay loam and better adapted to small grain and grass than corn. The county abounds in excellent limestone and has a large amount of water power. In agricultural resources this is one of the richest counties in the State.

Area about 400 square miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated were 137,922 ; in pasture, 7,159; woodland, 23,601 ; lying waste, 2,338; produced in wheat, 956,331 bushels; rye, 1,578 ; buckwheat, 87; oats, 454,112; barley, 27,349; corn, 1,520,000 ; broom-corn, 9,690 lbs. brush ; meadow hay, 8,175 tons ; clover hay, 7,806 ; flax, 833,800 lbs. fibre ; potatoes, 47,593 bushels; tobacco, 463,120 lbs. ; butter, 536,213; cheese, 13,400; sorghum, 4,731 gallons ; maple syrup, 8,627 ; honey, 6,225 lbs .; eggs, 433,940 dozen ; grapes, 26,635 lbs .; sweet potatoes, 1,927 bushels ; apples, 1,395; peaches, 102; pears, 831 ; wool, 22,088 Ibs .; milch cows owned, 6,033. Ohio mining statistics, 1888 : Limestone, 8,635 tons burned for lime ; 73,096 cubic feet of dimension stone ; 45,275 cubic yards of building stone ; 5,007 cubic yards for piers or protection purposes ; 27,582 square feet of flagging ; 37,850 square feet of paving ; 30,558 lineal feet of curb- ing ; 8,077 cubic yards of ballast or macadam. School census, 1888, 12,038 ; teachers, 266. Miles of railroad track, 121.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

Bethel,

1,586

1,854

Elizabeth,

1,398

1,327

Brown,

1,230

1,863

Lost Creek,

1,304

1,450

Concord,

2,408

5,354

Monroe,

1,409

2,829

244

MIAMI COUNTY.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

Newberry,

1,632

4,615

Staunton,

1,231

1,292

Newton,

1,242

2,829

Union,

2,221

3,859

Spring Creek,

1,501

1,682

Washington,

2,642

7,204

Population of Miami in 1820, 8,851 ; 1830, 12,807; 1840, 19,804; 1860, 29,959 ; 1880, 36,158, of whom 28,832 were born in Ohio; 1,882, Pennsylvania ; 599, Virginia; 570, Indiana ; 321, New York ; 243, Kentucky ; 1,376, German Empire ; 413, Ireland ; 159, England and Wales; 93, France; 48, British America ; and 14, Scotland. Census, 1890, 39,754.

REMINISCENCES OF CLARKE'S EXPEDITION.

Prior to the settlement of Ohio, Gen. George Rogers Clarke led an expedition from Kentucky against the Indians in this region, an account of which follows from the reminiscences of Abraham Thomas, originally published in the Troy Times. Mr. Thomas, it is said, cut the first sapling on the site of Cincinnati :

In the year 1782, after corn planting, I again volunteered in an expedition under General Clarke with the object of destroying some Indian villages about Piqua, on the Great Miami river. On this occasion nearly 1,000 men marched out of Kentucky by the route of Licking river. We crossed the Ohio at the present site of Cincinnati where our last year's stockade had been kept up, and a few people then resided in log-cabins. We proceeded immediately onward through the woods without regard to our former trail, and crossed Mad river not far from the present site of Dayton ; we kept up the east side of the Miami and crossed it about four miles below the Piqua towns. Shortly after gaining the bottom on the west side of the river, a party of Indians on horseback with their squaws came out of a trace that led to some Indian villages near the present site of Gran- ville. They were going on a frolic, or pow- wow, to be held at Piqua, and had with them a Mrs. McFall, who was some time before taken prisoner from Kentucky ; the Indians escaped into the woods leaving their women, with Mrs. McFall, to the mercy of our com- pany. We took those along with us to Piqua and Mrs. McFall returned to Kentucky. On arriving at Piqua we found that the Indians had fled from the villages, leaving most of their effects behind. During the following night I joined a party to break up an encamp- ment of Indians said to be lying about what

was called the French store. We soon caught a Frenchman, tied him on horseback for our guide and arrived at the place in the night. The Indians had taken alarm and cleared out ; we, however, broke up and burned the Frenchman's store, which had for a long time been a place of outfit for Indian marauders and returned to the main body early in the morning, many of our men well stocked with plunder. After burning and otherwise destroying everything about upper and lower Piqua towns we commenced our return march.

In this attack five Indians were killed dur- ing the night the expedition lay at Piqua ; the Indians lurked around the camp, firing ran- dom shots from the hazel thickets without doing us any injury ; but two men who were in search of their stray horses were fired upon and severely wounded ; one of those died shortly after and was buried at what is now called "Coe's Ford," where we recrossed the Miami on our return. The other, Capt. MeCracken, lived until we reached the site of Cincinnati, where he was buried. On this expedition we had with us Capt. Barbee, afterwards Judge Barbee, one of my primitive neighbors in Miami county, Ohio, a most worthy and brave man, with whom I have hunted, marched and watched through many a long day, and finally removed with him to Ohio.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

From the "Miami County Traditions," also published in the Troy Times, in 1839, we annex some reminiscences of the settlement of the county and its early settlers :

Among the first settlers who established . to John Smith. During the summer he themselves in Miami county was John Knoop. made two excursions into the Indian country with surveying parties and at that time selected the land he now owns and occupies. The forest was then full of Indians, princi- pally Shawnees, but there were small bands of Mingoes, Delawares, Miamis and Pota- He removed from Cumberland county; Penn .. in 1797. In the spring of that year he came down the Ohio to Cincinnati and cropped the first season on Zeigler's stone-house farm, four miles above Cincinnati, then belonging

245

MIAMI COUNTY.

watomies, peacefully hunting through the country. Early the next spring, in 1798, Mr. Knoop removed to near the present site of Staunton village, and in connection with Benjamin Knoop, Henry Garard, Benjamin Hamlet and John Tildus, established there a station for the security of their families. Mrs. Knoop, now living, there planted the first apple tree introduced into Miami county, and one is now standing in the yard of their house raised from seed then planted that measures little short of nine feet around it.

Dutch Station .- The inmates of a station in the county, called the Dutch station, re- mained within it for two years, during which time they were occupied in clearing and build- ing on their respective farms. Here was born in 1798 Jacob Knoop, the son of John Knoop, the first civilized native of Miami county. At this time there were three young single men living at the mouth of Stony creek, and cropping on what was afterwards called Freeman's prairie. One of these was D. H. Morris, a present resident of Bethel township ; at the same time there resided at Piqua, Samuel Hilliard, Job Garrard, Shad- rach Hudson, Jonah Rollins, Daniel Cox, Thomas Rich and - Hunter ; these last named had removed to Piqua in 1797, and together with our company at the Dutch sta- tion, comprised all the inhabitants of Miami county from 1797 to 1799. In the latter year John, afterwards Judge Garrard, Nathaniel and Abner Garrard. and the year following, Uriah Blue, Joseph Coe and Abraham Hath- away, joined us with their families. From that time all parts of the county began to re- ceive numerous immigrants. For many years the citizens lived together on footings of the most social and harmonious intercourse-we were all neighbors to each other in the Sa- maritan sense of the term-there were some speculators and property-hunters among us, to be sure, but not enough to disturb our tranquility and general confidence. For many miles around we knew who was sick, and what ailed them, for we took a humane interest in the welfare of all. Many times were we - called from six to eight miles to assist at a rolling or raising, and cheerfully lent our assistance to the task. For our accommoda- tion we sought the mill of Owen Davis, .. afterwards Smith's mill, on Beaver creek, a: tributary of the Little Miami, some twenty- seven miles distant. Our track lay through the woods, and two days were consumed in the trip, when we usually took two horse- loads. Owen was a kind man, considerate of his distant customers, and would set up all night to oblige them, and his conduct mate- rially abridged our mill duties.

With the Indians we lived on peaceable. terms; sometimes, however, panics would spread among the women, which disturbed us a little, and occasionally we would have a horse or so stolen. But one man only was killed out of the settlement from 1797 to 1811. This person was one Boyier, who was shot by a straggling party of Indians, sup-

posed through mistake. No one, however, liked to trade with the Indians, or have any- thing to do with them, beyond the offices of charity.

Beauty of the Country .- The country all around the settlement presented the most lovely appearance, the earth was like an ash heap, and nothing could exceed the luxu- riance of primitive vegetation ; indeed our cattle often died from excess of feeding, and it was somewhat difficult to rear them on that account. The white-weed or bee-harvest, as it is called, so profusely spread over our bot- tom and woodlands, was not then seen among us; the sweet annis, nettles, wild rye and pea vine, now so scarce, everywhere abounded -they were almost the entire herbage of our bottoms. The two last gave subsistence to our cattle; and the first, with our nutritious roots, were eaten by our swine with the great- est avidity. In the spring and summer months a drove of hogs could be scented at a considerable distance from their flavor of the annis root. Our winters were as cold, but more steady than at present. Snow gen- erally covered the ground, and drove our stoek to the barnyard for three months, and this was all the trouble we had with them. Buffalo signs were frequently met with ; but the animals had entirely disappeared before the first white inhabitant came into the country ; but other game was abundant. As many as thirty deer have been counted at one time around the bayous and ponds near Staunton. The hunter had his full measure of sport when he chose to indulge in the chase ; but ours was essentially an agricultu- ral settlement. From the coon to the buck- skin embraced our circulating medium. Our imported commodities were first purchased at Cincinnati, then at Dayton, and finally Peter Felix established an Indian merchan- dising store at Staunton, and this was our first attempt in that way of traffic. For many years we had no exports but skins ; yet wheat was steady at fifty cents and corn at twenty-five cents per bushel-the latter, how- ever, has since fallen as low as twelve and a half cents, and a dull market.

Milling .- For some time the most popular milling was at Patterson's, below Dayton, and with Owen Davis, on Beaver ; but the first mill in Miami county is thought to have been erected by John Manning, on Piqua bend. Nearly the same time Henry Garrard erected on Spring creek a corn and saw mill, on land now included within the farm of Col. Winans. It is narrated by the colonel, and is a fact worthy of notice, that on the first establishment of these mills they would run ten months in a year, and sometimes longer, by heads. The creek would not now turn one pair of stones two months in a year, and then only on the recurrence of freshets. It is thought this remark is applicable to all streams of the upper Miami valley, showing there is less spring drainage from the country since it has become cleared of its timber and consolidated by cultivation. .

Drawn by Henry Howe in 1846.

THE COUNTY BUILDINGS, TROY.

D. Argerbright, Photo., 1888.

CENTRAL VIEW IN TROY.

247

MIAMI COUNTY.

Troy in 1846 .- Troy, the county-seat, is a beautiful and flourishing village, in a highly cultivated and fertile country, upon the west bank of the Great Miami, seventy miles north of Cincinnati and sixty-eight west of Columbus. It was laid out about the year 1808, as the county-seat, which was first at Staunton, a mile east, and now containing but a few houses. Troy is regularly laid off into broad and straight streets, crossing each other at right angles, and contains about 550 dwel- lings. The view was taken in the principal street of the town, and shows, on the right, the court house and town hall, between which, in the distance, appear the spires of the New School Presbyterian and Episcopal churches. It contains 2 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Wesleyan Methodist, 1 Episcopal and 1 Baptist church ; a market, a branch of the State Bank, 2 newspaper printing offices, 1 town and 1 masonic hall, 1 academy, 3 flouring and 5 saw-mills, 1 foun- dry, 1 machine shop, 1 shingle and 1 plow factory, and a large number of stores and mechanic shops. Its population in 1840 was 1,351; it has since more than doubled, and is constantly increasing. It is connected with Cincinnati, Urbana and Greenville by turnpikes.

The line of the Miami Canal, from Cincinnati, passes through the town from south to north ; on it are six large and commodious warehouses, for receiving and forwarding produce and merchandise, and three more, still larger, are in progress of erection, and four smaller, for supplying boats with provisions and other neces- saries. The business done during the current year, ending June 1, 1847, in thirty of the principal business houses, in the purchase of goods, produce and manufac- tures, amounts to $523,248, and the sales to $674,307. The articles bought and sold are as follows: 174.000 bushels of wheat, 290,000 bushels of corn, 100,000 bushels of rye, barley and oats, 17,000 barrels of whisky, 17,000 barrels of flour, 1,300 barrels pork, 5,000 hogs, 31,000 pounds butter, 2,000 bushels clover-seed, 600 barrels fish, 3,000 barrels salt, 30,000 bushels flax-seed, 304,000 pounds bulk pork, 136,000 pounds lard, 1,440 thousand feet of sawed lumber, etc. The ship- ments to and from the place are about 20,000 tons .- Old Edition.

Abraham Thomas, from whom we have quoted in the "Miami County Tradi- tions," published, was one of the first settlers; he came with his family in 1805, and died in 1843. He was a blacksmith and his shop a log-pen. He made his own charcoal. The panic during the war of 1812 extended to this then wilder- ness, and at the slightest alarm the women and children would flee to the forest for safety. The "County History" gives these items:

At the beginning of things hogs fattened in the woods and not five bushels of corn were needed to fatten a hundred hogs. Corn was raised only for food, and by hoeing and dig- ging around the stumps. A man who would go to mill with two bushels of corn was con- sidered a prosperous farmer. Potatoes were a luxury introduced a long time after the first settlement. Having no fences, bells were put on the stock. which, notwithstand- ing, wandered off and got lost. The sugar used was home-made, the coffee was rye, and the tea sassafras and sage. The first grain was cut with sickles, which were considered a wonderful invention.

Staunton was the first place of permanent settlement in the county, and the nucleus from which its civilization spread. It was the first plotted town. Among the earliest settlers of Staunton was Mr. Levi Martin. His wife, when a young girl, about the year 1788, then living not far from Red Stone Fort, on the Monongahela, was knocked down and scalped by the Indians, and left for dead. The family name was Corbly, and hers Delia. They

were on the way to church and shot at from a thicket, wheu Mr. Corbiy and three chil- dren were killed ontright. Two younger daughters were knocked down, scalped, and left for dead, but were resuscitated. One of these was Mrs. Martin, who lived until 1836 and reared ten children. Her wounds ex- tended over the crown of her head wide as the two hands. Her hair grew up to the scalped surface, which she trained to grow upwards, and served as a protection. At times she suffered severe headaches, which she attributed to the loss of her scalp.

Another noted old settler was Andrew Dye, Sr., who died in 1837 at the age of 87 years. having had eight sons and two daughters. At this time his posterity amounted to about five hundred. of whom three hundred and sixty were then living ranging down to the fifth generation.

Mosy of the pioneers wore buckskin panta- loons. One was Tom Rogers, a great hunter, who lived in two sycamore trees in the woods. He had long gray whiskers, a skull cap and bucks'in pantaloons.

248

MIAMI COUNTY.

The first survey of Troy was made by An- drew Wallace in 1807, with additions from time to time. On the 2d of December of that year Robert Crawford was appointed town director, who gave bonds to the county

commissioners to purchase the land for the seat of justice and lay it off into streets and lots. The original lands selected for the now beautiful town of Troy were then a dense forest, bought for three dollars per acre.

TROY, county-seat of Miami, is about sixty-five miles west of Columbus, about seventy-five miles north of Cincinnati, on the D. & M., I. B. & W. Railroads, and on the Miami river and Miami & Erie Canal. County officers, 1888 : Au- ditor, Horatio Pearson ; Clerk, John B. Fouts; Commissioners, John T. Knoop, Robert Martindale, David C. Statler ; Coroner, Joseph W. Means ; Infirmary Directors, David Arnold, William D. Widner, Thomas C. Bond ; Probate Judge, William J. Clyde; Prosecuting Attorney, Samuel C. Jones; Recorder, E. J. Eby ; Sheriff, A. M. Heywood ; Surveyor, H. O. Evans ; Treasurer, George H. Rundle. City officers, 1888 : George S. Long, Mayor ; John H. Conklin, Clerk ; Noah Yount, Treasurer ; George Irwin, Marshal ; W. B. Mckinney, Solicitor ; H. O. Evans, Civil Engineer. Newspapers : Trojan, Republican, Charles H. Goodrich, editor and publisher ; Democrat, Democratic, J. P. Barron, editor and publisher ; Miami Union, Republican, C. C. Royce, editor ; Sons of Veterans Cor- poral's Guard, Charles W. Kellogg, editor and publisher. Churches : 1 Catholic, 2 Baptist, 3 Methodist, 1 German Lutheran, 1 English Lutheran, 1 Presbyterian and 1 Christian. Banks : First National, H. W. Allen, president, D. W. Smith, cashier ; Miami County, Heywood, Royce & Co., Noah Yount, cashier.

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Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume II, Part 35

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio Number of Pages: 916

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 916