History of Ashland County, Ohio, Part 3

Author: Baughman, A. J. (Abraham J.), 1838-1913. cn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1012

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An old Indian took charge of Fast, by whom he was taken to Upper Sandusky. The prisoners were divested of their clothing, and, as their march led through a rank growth of nettleweeds, the journey was indescribably painful. Fast, becoming maddened with pain, at length refused to go forward, and, baring his head to his captor, demanded that he should tomahawk him, and thus put an end to his sufferings. The Indian took compassion on him and restored his clothing. During the remainder of the journey he was treated with great kindness. At Upper Sandusky he was adopted into a distinguished family of the tribe. He visited the lamented Colonel Crawford after the failure of the expedition, and during his imprisonment, and was within hearing of his cries during the horrid cruelties he suffered at the stake.

About eighteen months after Fast's capture, an expedition left Upper Sandusky for the purpose of attacking the white settlements and fortifications at Wheeling. Connected with this expedition was the notorious James Girty. Fast, who now possessed the full confidence of the Indians, was also of the party. The expedition reached its destination and besieged the fort at Wheeling three days and two nights. On the third night Fast determined upon an attempt to effect his escape. Approaching his adopted brother at a late hour of the night, he awoke him, complaining of thirst, and urged his brother to accompany him to a place where they could procure a drink of water. The Indian pleaded weari-

THE PRIEST STOCKADE. WAR OF 1812

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

ness, and urged him to go alone, insisting that no harm would befall him. Fast, taking his camp-kettle, started directly for his father's house in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, about thirty miles distant. The night being excessively dark, he made slow progress, and at daylight was yet within hearing of the guns at Wheel-

ing. As soon as daylight appeared, he pushed forward, and soon discovered, by a fresh trail, that about thirty Indians were in advance of him, making for the white settlements in Washintgon county, Pennsylvania. On reaching a spur of a ridge he discovered that the trails separated, and that the Indians had formed two parties, each pursuing parallel lines through the valleys. He hoped, by vigorously pursuing the middle and straight course, to get in advance of the Indians, and in this effort he was successful. Before night he reached the margin of the settlement in Washington county, the Indians being a short distance in the rear. A few rods in advance of him and advancing on his own trail, Fast discovered a white man, with a couple of bridles on his arm, evidently in search of horses. Placing himself behind a tree Fast waited until the white man was within a few feet of him, when he suddenly placed himself in his path, and gave a hurried explanation of his name, object, and the immediate danger that threatened the white settlement. The man was paralyzed with fear, he could not believe that the savage looking man before him, with his painted face, his ears and nose filled with broaches, his hair (all except a tuft in front, which was passed through a silver tube) nearly plucked from his skull, was anything

else than a veritable Indian. Mechanically, however, the man obeyed his directions, and each, seizing and mounting horses, which were near at hand, made for the settlements with all practicable speed. They gave the alarm to all the families in the neighborhood, and succeeded in securing all the settlers in the fort except one boy who was killed at the instant he reached the gate which was thrown open for his ingress.

After the beleaguered fort was relieved by the retirement of the Indians, he sought his father's house; but so completely was he metamorphosed by his Indian costume that his parents could not, for a considerable length of time, recognize hm. At length his mother, recalling some peculiar spots near the pupils of his eyes, gave a scrutinizing look, and at once identified her son. She sprang forward to embrace him, and would have fainted in his arms, but he repulsed her, explaining that his person, as was the case with all Indians, was covered with vermin. He retired from the house, committed his Indian clothes to the fire he had made, purified his body as best he could, and then clothed himself in garments furnished by his father.

On the very day of his return to Orange township, Ashland county, in 1815, he met Tom Lyons, a chief, and one of his original captors, and a party of Indians, by whom he was recognized. The Indians had no suspicion that he had deserted, but believed he had been drowned in the river. They evinced much joy at the discovery of their lost "brother," and ever afterward offered him numerous tokens of their friendship.

In the summer of 1819, a party of Indians were encamped at the foot of Vermillion lake. Tom Lyons invited his "brother," Christian Fast, Sr., and his children, to partake of a feast which they had proposed. The only members of the family who found it convenient to accept the invitation were Nicholas and

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

Francis. Lyons, after painting himself for the occasion, insisted that the boys should also be painted-to which proposition, "for the fun of the thing," they readily assented. Old Tom put the paint on the face of Frank, who was a mischievous lad, "so thick," that it remained indelible for a period of more than a year.

At the feast one of the dishes was a bear's head boiled with the hair pre- cisely as it was cut from the body of the animal. The entrails of the bear formed a distinct dish, and the other pieces made separate dishes. Venison. also, formed part of the repast.

III.

ASHLAND COUNTY.

ASHLAND COUNTY VALLEYS.

"Happy valleys, o'er whose fields, Through the joyous summer hours, Flowers send their perfume sweet."

Valleys furnish favorite themes for both story and song. But here we do not deal with the mythical valleys of poets' fancies nor romanciers' tales' wherein vine-covered cottages are said to nestle in lovely valleys, whose occupants live in the bliss of love's young dream.

Our Ashland county valleys are of the material kind, where flowers not only bloom, but where wheat ripens; where birds sing and where cattle fatten, where the artistic, the aesthetic, and the practical unite and blend and where the fanci- ful goes side by side with the prosaic and the useful things of life.

The valleys of Ashland county are usually interspersed with ravines through which flow tributaries of the larger streams, the latter occupying ancient valleys of erosion, bordered by alluvial bottom lands of various widths. The pre-glacial waterways can be quite accurately defined and traced. After the valleys had been filled up by the "drift," streams in some places found other channels.

The greater part of Ashland county is covered with a deposit of unmodified bouldered clay, which in some of the northern townships conceals from view the underlying rocks. Except along the banks of the streams, this bouldered clay which is quite thick at places is unstratified. On the margins of the streams there is frequently at the bottom a deposit of laminated clay, with rude- ly stratified gravel and boulders above. The fragments of the local rocks are rounded and globular, except in places where they have been ground into gravel by the "drift." The bottom of streams are more or less gravelly or rocky, according to the locality through which they pass.

The valley of the Blackfork is about forty-five miles in length in Richland county, extending from Shafer's Hollow in Springfield township to the place

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

in Monroe township where it leaves Richland and enters Ashland. county. The width of this valley varies, but on the average is of considerable area, and the land is generally of unusual richness although at places somewhat swampy, as the stream has but little fall and the waters are sluggish. There is, however, but little of the Blackfork valley that is not now cultivated. The clearing of the country and the demolition of the mill dams have worked wonders in re- claiming the lands of the Blackfork valley for cultivation. One of the first settlements in Ashland county was made in the Blackfork valley, and in the same valley occurred some of the most tragie and bloody scenes of pioneer

history. In that valley was situated the Indian village of Greentown, where for thirty years from three hundred to five hundred Indians made their homes and where hundreds of their dead are buried. Farther up the valley are the Petersburg lakes, much frequented by fishing parties.

The Blackfork valley in the olden time was grandly beautiful in the summer season. In the morning as the rays of the sun glinted the distant hills, flecked the tree tops with touches of light and tinted fleecy clouds with brilliant rays, making touches of gorgeous hues the scene was entrancing. And at night the moon was wont to peer atwixt the leafy branches of the trees, casting its pale glimmers of light through the languorous atmosphere, ere it sailed forth into the open space, as though to keep watch and ward over the pioneers while they slept.

The Clearfork valley extends from Kings Corners and Johnsville down past Bellville, Butler and Newville, and through the Darling settlement at the foot of which the Clearfork leaves Richland county and enters Ashland, and after making a graceful turn at Professor Sample's, it flows through the defiles of a hilly country, until it joins the Blackfork three miles below Loudonville, where the two streams unite in forming the Mohican river.

ASHLAND COUNTY ERECTED.

From the earliest settlement the white population of Ohio gradually grew in numbers and the desire for new counties finally reached this part of Ohio and resulted in the erection of Ashland county, by an act of the legislature passed on the 24th day of February, 1846. In the schemes and discussions for the new county several propositions were made, one being for the county of Ells- worth, with the seat of justice at Sullivan; another for the county of Mohican, with the seat of justice at Loudonville; another for the county of Vermillion, with the seat of justice at Hayesville; also applications from Jeromeville, Orange and Savannah, with the seats of justice at their several towns; named at a later date for a new county to be called Ashland, the success of which was assured by the passage by the legislature of the act creating the county of Ashland, which was formed of the territory of Richland, Huron, Lorain and Wayne counties. The fractional townships of Mifflin, Milton and Clearcreek, and the full townships of Hanover, Green, Vermillion, Montgomery and Orange, were from Richland county, while Ruggles was from Huron and Troy and Sullivan

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

from Lorain, and the fractional townships of Jackson, Perry, Mohican, and Lake from Wayne county.

On the first Monday of April, 1846, the county seat was located at Ashland by a vote of the electors, the citizens of Ashland agreeing to donate suitable grounds, and five thousand dollars to erect county buildings thereon. The site has an altitude of one thousand seventy-nine feet.

In 1847-48 a jail was erected, by Ozias S. Kinney, architect, and cost the county about fourteen thousand dollars. An old stone church, purchased on the site of the grounds selected for the erection of county buildings, was occupied some seven years as a courthouse. It stood about midway between the present courthouse and jail, and had been erected by the Methodist denomination. The new courthouse was commenced by Ozias S. Kinney, architect, in 1851, and com pleted in 1853; and cost the county about twenty thousand dollars. The infirmary was erected by Sylvester Alger and George W. Urie, architects and builders, in 1849, and cost about four thousand dollars.

ELECTIONS.

The first election in Ashland county was held on the first Monday of April, 1846.

Commissioners-Josiah Thomas, Orange; Edward S. Hibbard, IIanover; Abner Crist, Ruggles township.

Auditor-Hugh Burns, Milton township.

Treasurer-Geo. W. Urie, Montgomery township.

Prosecuting attorney-N. M. Donaldson, Hanover township.

Sheriff-James Doty, Mifflin township.

Recorder-Asa S. Reed, Perry township.

Surveyor-John Keen, Jr., Jackson township.

By the terms of the law erecting the county, the officers elected in April only continued until their successors, who were to be elected on the second Tuesday of October, 1846, were elected and qualified.

SECOND ELECTION, HELD OCTOBER 13, 1846.

Congress-John K. Miller:

Commissioners-Josiah Thomas, Aldrich Carver, Edward S. Iibbard.

Auditor-Hugh Burns.

Treasurer-George W. Urie. Prosecuting Attorney-John S. Fulton. Sheriff-James Doty. Recorder-Asa S. Reed.

Surveyor-John Keen, Jr. Coroner-Michael Riddle.

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

SCHOOL EXAMINERS.

The first school examiners for Ashland county were John McCormick, Nicholas M. Donaldson, Loren Andrews. The first meeting of the examiners was held at Jeromeville, March 28, 1846.

VOTE TO ESTABLISH THE COUNTY SEAT.

In pursuance of an act of the general assembly of the state of Ohio, entitled, "An act to erect the county of Ashland," passed February 24, 1856, the asso- ciate judges of said county met at the house of G. II. Cake, in the town of Jeromeville, county of Ashland, on the day above written, and in obedience to the sixth section of the aforesaid act, and the poll books from the several town- ships having all been returned agreeably to said act, the clerk of the court of common pleas, in the presence and by the assistance of the associate judges aforesaid, proceeded to canvass said votes in regard to the location of the county seat as specified in said sixth section of the act aforesaid. Whereupon it appeared that there had been polled in said county of Ashland for seat of justice at Ashland, two thousand six hundred and eighty-two votes; for seat of justice at Hayesville, two thousand and two votes.

An abstract of said votes was forthwith made out and certified by said associate judges and clerk, to be returned to the next court of common pleas agreeably to the eighth section of the act aforesaid.

At a meeting of the associate judges of Ashland county, Ohio, convened at the house of Elias Slocum, in the town of Ashland, Matthew Clugston was ap- pointed by the sheriff his principal deputy; which appointment was approved by the associate judges.

At a court of common pleas begun and held at the courthouse in the town of Ashland in the county of Ashland, in the eleventh judicial circuit of the state of Ohio, on the 7th day of May, A. D. 1846, there were present the Honorable Jacob Parker, President Judge of said court; and the IIonorables John P. Reznor, Edmund Ingmand and George II. Stewart, associate judges; James Doty, sheriff; and Daniel W. Brown, clerk pro tem.

Nicholas M. Donaldson, prosecuting attorney elect of the county of Ashland, appeared in open court and presented his bond in the penal sum of two thousand dollars, conditioned, as the law directs, with Thomas J. Bull, George W. Bull, and Thomas McMahan, his bail; which bond was accepted and approved by the court, and ordered to be recorded.

A member of the bar furnishes the following list of attorneys in attendance at the first term of court, namely : From Ashland-Messrs. Maffett, Hunter, Gates, McCombs, Kellogg, Fulton, Taggart, Sloan, Rankin, Osborn, Slocum, Kenyon, Donaldson, Geddis, Smith, Broombeck, Scott and Clark. From Wooster -Messrs. Dean, Cox, Hemphill, Rex, Flattery, Bonewitz, Carter, and II. C. Curtis. From Mansfield-Messrs. C. T. Sherman, John Sherman, Brinkerhoff, Purdy, Hull, Smith, I. J. Allen, Bryan, Bartley, Kirkwood and Stewart.

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

FIRST GRAND JURY OF THE COUNTY.

The following named gentlemen were impaneled as grand jurors for the May term, 1846: Hugh McGuire, Daniel Carter, Sr., George Buchanan, Chris- topher Mykrantz, Christian Miller, Thomas Smith, Samuel Burns, Daniel Campbell, Andrew Mason, Michael Myers, John Smurr, George McConnell, James Boots, Michael Riddle, and John Naylor; of whom Daniel Campbell was appointed foreman. Having been impaneled and sworn, and received their charge, they retired to their room to consider their duties.

ASHLAND COUNTY JUDICIARY.

Extract from the Court Journal

By an act of the general assembly of the state of Ohio, entitled "An act to erect the county of Ashland," passed the 24th day of February, A. D. 1846, certain territory therein described taken from the counties of Richland, Wayne, Lorain, and IIuron, in said state of Ohio, was set off and erected into a new county to be and remain a separate and distinct county by the name of Ashland, and by said act is attached and made a part of the eleventh judicial circuit of the court of common pleas.

ASSOCIATE JUDGES FOR THE NEW COUNTY.

After the passage of said act, to wit: On the 25th day of February, one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, the said general assembly duly elected Edmund Ingmand, John P. Reznor, and George H. Stewart, associate judges for the county of Ashland aforesaid for the constitutional term of seven years from and after the day of said election.

On the 3rd day of March, 1846, the said Edmund Ingmand, John P. Reznor, and George II. Stewart, having received their several commissions as associate judges for said county of Ashland, dated at Columbus, February 25, 1846, assembled at the house of James McNulty, in the town of Ashland, in said county of Ashland, and the oath of office required by law was administered to each of said associate judges, by E. N. Gates, Esquire, a justice of the peace in and for said county of Ashland, as appears by the certificates indorsed on said commissions.

APPOINTMENT OF CLERK PRO TEM.

On the said 3rd day of March, 1846, and after said associate judges had been qualified by taking the oath as aforesaid, they all sat together as a special court of common pleas of said county of Ashland at the same place at which they were sworn as aforesaid, and made the following order, to-wit :

Ordered, That Daniel W. Brown be and he is hereby appointed clerk pro tempore of the court of common pleas of said county of Ashland, and that said Daniel W. Brown be required to give bond in the sum of ten thousand dollars with three good sureties, conditioned for the faithful paying over all moneys which may come into his hands as clerk of said court, and for the faithful and

ASHLAND COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 1848

BUILDING IN JEROMEVILLE WHERE FIRST COURT IN ASHLAND COUNTY WAS HELD

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

impartial discharge of all the duties of his said office as clerk of the court of common pleas of said county of Ashland as required by law; which bond was forthwith made out and signed by said D. W. Brown as principal, and C. R. Deming, H. Luther, and John L. Lang, as sureties, which sureties were accepted by said court, and the court retained said bond until the proper county officer should be elected and qualified to receive the same.

At a meeting of the associate judges of the county of Ashland, began and held in the town of Jeromeville, in said county of Ashland on Monday, the 16th day of March, A. D., 1846-present E. Ingmand, G. H. Stewart, associates ; D. W. Brown, clerk pro tem.

FIRST COURTHOUSE.

The first court of Ashland county was held in the village of Jeromeville, and the building is still standing, notwithstanding the fact that sixty-three years have come and gone since that time, and the building is well nigh a century old. It is now occupied as a postoffice and dwelling. There is but one person now living who was present at that first session of the court. His name is J. O. Jennings, and he was clerk of the court at that time. He is now aged ninety-one years and is a resident of Ashland town. The first session of the court was held March 3, 1846. After Ashland town had been selected as a county seat, the first court held there was May 7, 1846.

By an act of the general assembly of the state of Ohio, entitled "An act to erect the county of Ashland," passed the 24th day of February, 1846, certain territory therein described and taken from the counties of Richland, Huron, Lorain and Wayne "in said state of Ohio" was set off and erected into a new county to be and remain a separate and distinct county by the name of Ashland, which by said act was attached and made a part of the eleventh judicial circuit of the court of common pleas.

After the passage of said act, viz : February 25, 1846, the general assembly duly elected Edmund Ingmand, of Mohican, John P. Reznor, of Montgomery, and George H. Stewart, of Hanover, associate judges for the county of Ashland, for the constitutional term of seven years from and after that date. March 3, 1846, they, havng received their commissions, dated at Columbus, February 26, 1846, assembled at the house of James McNulty, in Ashland, and the oath of office required by law was administered to them by E. N. Gates, Esq., "A justice of the peace in and for the said county of Ashland."

At a meeting of the associate judges held in Jeromeville March 16, 1846, there were present Judges Ingmand and Stewart and D. W. Brown, of Ruggles, clerk pro tem. The meeting was held in pursuance of an act passed for the levying of taxes on all property in the state "according to its true value." Said act was passed March 2, 1846, at which time Ashland county was divided into three districts. The first district was composed of the townships of Lake, Mohican, Perry, Jackson, and Montgomery. John Allison, of Perry, was ap- pointed assessor for this district. The second district was composed of the townships of Orange, Ruggles, Clear Creek, Troy and Sullivan. George Mc-

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

Connell, of Orange township, was appointed assessor for this district. The third district was composed of the townships of Vermillion, Green, Hanover, Mifflin, and Monroe. (Monroe was later made a part of Richland county.) Jesse IIayes of Hanover, was appointed assessor of this district. The meeting adjourned to convene as a court at Jeromeville, March 28, 1846, Edmund Ingmand, judge.

Under date, Jeromeville, Ohio, April 10, 1846, appears the following court entry. In pursuance of an act of the general assembly of the state of Ohio entitled "An act to erect the county of Ashland" passed February 24, 1846, the associate judges of Ashland county, Ohio, met in George H. Cake's hotel in the town of Jeromeville, Ohio, in said county of Ashland, on the date above named, and in obedience to the sixth section of the aforesaid act, the poll books from the several townships having been returned agreeably to said act, the clerk of the court of common pleas, in the presence and by the assistance of the associate judges aforesaid, proceeded to canvass said votes in regard to the location of the county seat as specified in said sixth section of the aforesaid act. Whereupon it appeared that there has been polled in the said county of Ashland for seat of justice at Ashland, two thousand six hundred and eighty-two votes; and for the seat of justice at Hayesville two thousand and two votes.

The first term of the court of the common pleas in the court house at Ash- land was held May 7, 1846, there being present the Honorable Jacob Parker, presiding judge, associate judges John P. Reznor, Edmund Ingmand, and George II. Stewart, Sheriff James Doty, and clerk pro tem, Daniel W. Brown. The next term of court held in Ashland was the March term, 1847. One of the orders of the court at this session was that by which Jacob O. Jennings, of Jeromeville, was appointed clerk of said court for the term of seven years.

For the foregoing facts we are indebted, in part, to C. T. Alleman, of Jeromeville.

EARLY SETTLERS OF ASHLAND COUNTY.

The simple tastes, habits and wants of the first settlers of Ashland county may excite the patronizing sympathy of the residents of the present day, who perhaps may ignore our obligations to the pioneers and congratulate ourselves that our lot has been cast in a more advanced era of mental and moral cul- ture. We may pride ourselves upon the developments and advancements which have been made in science and in the arts, and that the utilities of the present age are far more advanced than had been conceived of when Ashland county was first settled. If the people of the olden time cared less for costly apparel and ostentatious display, they cared more for their fellowmen and had that broader charity and fraternal love which make life seem to be more worth the living. The type of the christianity of that period will not suffer by compari- son with that of our own day. The vain and thoughtless may jeer at the unpretending manner, customs and costumes of the pioneers and they doubtless had their faults, but they were men of strong minds, in strong bodies made

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY

so, albeit, by their compulsory self-denial and their very privations and toil. It was the mission of many of them to aid in the formation of our noble com- monwealth, and wisely and well was that mission performed. Had their descendants been faithful to their teachings, there would have been harmony now where violence and discord reign. In those days our mountains and our valleys could say, "We nurse a race who ne'er hath bowed the knee to aught but God." They were the men to found and maintain an empire. They realized the beau ideal of the poet :-

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History of Ashland County, Ohio, Part 3

Author: Baughman, A. J. (Abraham J.), 1838-1913. cn Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1012

Author: Baughman, A. J. (Abraham J.), 1838-1913. cn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1012