History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 37

Author: Hill, George William, b. 1823; Williams Bros
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: [Cleveland] Williams
Number of Pages: 896

USA > Ohio > Ashland County > History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 37

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In a short time, the settlement was increased by the arrival of John, Henry, and Reuben Newkirk, James Gray, Thomas Baker, Mr. Ellsworth, John, Jacob, Alex- ander, and George Emrich, Peter Wycoff, John Smith, George Marks, Jabez Smith, and Robert Chandler. In 1824 William Greenlee sold his farm to Calvin Hibbard, and purchased the homestead on section fourteen, south- west quarter. Here William Greenle died in :854, aged eighty-two years and three and a half months, and at his decease John Greenlee came into possession of, the homestead. John Greenle married Miss Susannah Warner, of Lake township, August 10, 1836, and resided on the homestead about sixty-three years. He was a successful and thrifty farnier, a good citizen, an upright and honest man. He did his full share in improving highways, building school-houses, creating cherches, and in supporting public charities. His family was numerous, consisting of thirteen children, a part of whom, with his beloved wife, survive him. Mr. Greenlee, after a brief illness, deceased on the eighteenth of June, 1877, and was followed to the grave, his Goal resting place, by a large number of his old neighbors and friends.

When he entered Lake township, that part of the county was covered with its native forest, and abounded in wolves, bear, deer, and in other wild animals. The shrill yells of the red man often echoed amid the wilds. as he passed up and down the ancient trails. These have long since disappeared, for new men and new ideas. Civilization, with school-houses, villages, churches. railroads, and other improvements, has taken possession . of the land. How great the change. even in a lifetime of sixty four years! The Indian has gone toward the setting sun to find his last retreat ; the forest and the hunter's spett have gone, in exchange for the doughital pursuits of agriculture, and the independence of a funm. er's home.

151

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

ROBERT F. CHANDLER

was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, September 4, 1795, and removed with his father's family to Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1810, and shortly after, to Tuscarawas county, where he remained until the spring of 1812. At this time the father, Joseph Chandler, sr., and his sons Thomas, Joseph, jr., and Robert F., went to Perry township, then in Wayne county, to improve lands pre- viously entered at Canton land office. The location is now where Joseph Chandler, jr., resides, about two miles north of Jeromeville, on the east side of Mohican. When the Chandlers landed, the Delawares were quit . numerous, but harmless. They had a village about one mile southwest of the present site of Jeromeville, on the west side of the stream, known as Mohican Johns- town. The village contained a council house and about sixty or eighty pole lodges or wigwams, and was located near the old Wyandot trail. The village was a common resort of hostile Wyandis on their warlike excursions to western Pennsylvania and Virginia, in the days of the border wars. Many white captives had been led up the old trail, by the village, from 17So to 1795. The Indi- 'ans had cleared some fifteen or twenty acres of bottom land, which the squaws cultivated in corn, after the In- dian manner. The village was west of the stream, on lands now owned by Dr. Yocum. About one mile north- cast of the village, a Frenchman by the name of John Baptiste Jerome, resided in a comfortable cabin, having an Indian wife and a daughter aged about fifteen years. He also had horses, cattle and swine, and had cleared about thirty or forty acres of bottom land along the stream at the west side of what is now Jeromeville, on which he raised corn, and supplied many of the early pioneers with seed corn. When Mr. Chandler landed, the Indians, mostly Delawares, were quite friendly, and often came to see him in his cabin and clearing. He was a Quaker in dress and faith, and the Indians mani- fested a good deal of interest in his safety and success. The Chandlers immediately set about clearing a piece of land on the bottom, (near where they erected a cabin,) which he planted in corn.

About the time of Hull's surrender at Detroit, August 16, 1312, the friendly Indians notified Chandler of ap- proaching danger, and he and his sons deemed it pru- dent to leave. They returned to Tascarawas county, to near where New Philadelphia now stands, where they re- mained with the family until the close of the war. In the meantime, Robert F. returned to Jefferson county, where he remained until about 1815, when he again re- joined his father's family and returned to the Mohican, and continued improvements on their old homestead. In May, 1815, the Chandler family, father, mother and sons, removed to their wilderness home. Two years after- wards his father, joseph Chandler, sr., sickened and died His mother survived until 1852, and died at an ad. vanced age. Robert F. continued to reside near Jerome- ville until 1334, when he purchased and carried on what was then known as Smith's mill, near Mohicanville. This mill he continued, with certain improvements, to carry on about thirty years, and finally disposed of it and

purchased the farm where he deceased, and turned far- mer. Mr. Chandler was a friendly, genial pioncer, and in nis primai days delighted to dwell upon the incidents of pioneer life sixty-eight or seventy years ago. Being a iniller for many years, and possessing good conversa- tional powers, he became acquainted with nearly all the early settlers of the south part of the county, and, when in the humor, a very interesting talker. He was never a member of any church, regarding it his duty to treat all men justly, and believing that when his career should end on earth, that the Supreme Ruler of the universe would reward such a life. He looked kindly upon all men, and desired to so live that he might have a con- science free of offence when called home.

He married young, when about twenty years of age, Miss Charlotte Jones, April 25, 1816. This lady deceased September 19, 1819; and in January, 1825, he married Miss Hannah Winbigler, who died February 25, 1875. His family consisted of Charles and Eleanor, of his first wife, and Robert, William, Joshua, Shadrac, Hannah, Joseph, Charlotte, Sarah, Rebecca, John, and Jasper, by his second wife. All these were living when this sketch was written, in 1876, except John and Jasper. His fam- ily are much scattered, and many reside in the far west.

Among the incidents of his life, Mr. Chandler took much pleasure in relating the following: When a young man, during his residence in Tuscarawas county, he be- came acquainted with a number of Delaware Indians, formerly from Greentown, upon the Black fork. At a hilarious gathering, near Goshen, in Tuscarawas county, a number of Delawares joined in the sport of wrestling. running and hopping. A tall, powerful Indian, formerly from Greentowr, by the name of Philip Kennotchy, challenged Mr. Chandler to wrestle at arms-length -In- dians never taking back hold. Mr. Chandler being al- ways full of conceit, and very ambitious and atheletic, and weighing at the time about two hundred pounds, accepted the banter. The parties selected the ground, and took hold as agreed, Mr. Chandler supposing him- self superior to all rivals at arms-length; but the giant grasp of the big Delivre soon convinced him that he had a full match. They twisted, tripped and struggled for thirty or forty minutes, until nearly exhausted, with out apparent advantage to either. Mr. Chandler be- came very much enraged and quite desperate, while Kennotchy remained calm and resolute, and finally com- pelled him to ask a cessation of the struggle, which Kennotchy was willing to do. Mr. Chandler saldi that at one time, that he was so much enraged that he felt like striking the Indian; but, in his calmer moments, he is now satisfied that he refrained from all violence, be- cause the Indian would have undoubtedly overpowered and severely punished him. In connection with this Indian, he gave a very interesting detail of the Kuffner Zimmer assassinations, on the Black fork, in the till cf IS:2. Kennotchy was very fond of fire-water, and white under its influence gave full particulars of the Back fuck murders. He stred that he was one of the number that killed Martin Kaffier, Frederick Zimmer, the ell lady, and Kate. After leaving the calm and passing up

- -

152

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

the ravine, the Indians held a council, when Kennotchy returned and dispatched the white squaw, meaning " Kate," with his tomahawk, the other Indians protest- ing, when he claimed to have "brave heart." This is the most valuable information ever obtained concerning the particulars of that fearful tragedy.

SPARKS BIRD.

Sparks Bird, son of John and Cassandra Bird, was born at Redstone, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1797. His parents removed to Jefferson county, Ohio, about the year 1803, which, at that time, was very sparsely settled. The Delawares yet remained along the Tuscarawas river, in large numbers, and ranged the forests in quest of wild game. They often visited the cabin of the parents of Mr. Bird, but offered no threats or intimidations. In the spring of 1814, at the age of eighteen, young Bird left the parental ronf in search of employment and fortune, and stopped a short time near the present city of Massillon. In the spring of 1815, he visited his uncle, General Beall, at Wooster, and obtained employment of him; and in 1816, in company with the general and the late Hon. Levi Cox, passed up the trail and visited the village of Loudonville, which at that time, contained but few cabins. They traveled over a good deal of the townships of Hanover, Green, and Lake, and he made choice of the southeast quarter of section seven, in Lake township, when he returned to Wooster and entered. He then entered the employ of General Beall, and worked at clearing and farming for some time. The farm of the general occupied most of the present site of Wooster, and Mr. Bird says he has plowed over the ground upon which some of the best residences of Wooster now stand. The old Wyandot trail, just at the south margin of the present city of Wooster, was then quite plainly marked by Indian travel. The trail was at that time much used by the Delawares and Il'yandots, on their trading excursions to "Old Pitt," as the city was then called. It was not uncommon to see hundreds of red men, from the northwest, pass and re-pass the settlement about the block-house, every week, for four or five years after the war of 1812; but the spirit of the red man had been completely broken, and the hostiles had generally removed to Canadian soi!, while the Mortours, the Armstrongs, the jonacakes, the Dow- dees, and the Lyons still continued to range the forests of what is now Ashland county, in search of game.

During the period of his employment by General Beall, he became acquainted with the notorious John Driskel, who afterwards became the leader of a gang of desperadoes in Green township, of what is now Ashland county, that were the terror of law-abiding people. When Driskel first came to the settlement at Wooster, he was not considered a bad man, otherwise than somewhat quarrelseme when under the influence of corn whiskey. .Associations and sprees with his gang of outlaws soon made him a dangerous man : and so rapid was his prog. ress in crime that law-abiding citizens were compelled to

defend themselves against the incursions of the villainous thieves and land pirates headed by him. The leading crimes of this bandit consisted in horse-stealing, incen- diarisin, and house-breaking. Driskel and his gang orig- inated in Columbiana county, whence they gradually collected in Wayne county, and spread to Green town- ship, in what was then Richland county. The boldness of their crimes created terror wherever they appeared. Driskel, the head of the banditti, is said to have been maimed by an encounter with Andrew Poe-having had the end of his nose bitten or cut off, which, added to his crimes, rendered him exceedingly repulsive in appear- ance. While residing in Wayne county, several of the gang were detected, convicted and sent to the peniten- tiary. Driskel was finally captured and sent to State prison; but, by some means, escaped, and, by the aid of his son John, and the two Brawdys, relations, and pro. fessional highwaymen and thieves, for a long time escaped recapture. Repeated acts of incendiarism in Green township, in which many barns, other buildings, hay and stock were consumed, and horses and cattle stolen, the indignant pioneers speedily organized a band of regu- lators, or a black cane company, to compel the Driskal gang to leave the country or suffer retaliation from an in- dignant and outraged community. . The Driskel ban- ditti, learning the state of public feeling, prepared to rejoin John Driske!, the head of the gang, who had been,. in the meantime, captured, and on his way to Columbus had escaped and fled to Illinois, where his desperadoes hastened to rejoin him and renew their desperate vora- tions as a bandiiti, and where the Driskels finally ex- piated their crimes by being shot or hung by the regu- lators.

In September, 1820, Sparks Bird accompanied a sur- veying party to Michigan, as a chain carrier, and was employed in surveying several counties around Saginaw bay. On the return of the company, they were driven ashore in a violent snow storm; but all escaped from the wreck, suffering dreadfully from cold and wet. They finally reached Cleveland, almost exhausted, where they were kindly cared for. From thence he returned to Steubenville, and, in 1823, returned to Lake township, and commenced clearing and improving his farm, and put up a cabin. In 1824 he was joined by his brother William and family. He then commenced pioneer lite in earnest - clearing, making rails, fencing, log-rolling, and raising cabins among the new settlers, being the chief employment. At this time wild game was quite abundant on Little Lake, and it was not uncommon for the pioneers to be serenaded by wolves. On one occa sion, the Bird brothers had purchased a lot of chickens from a neighbor about one and a half miles distant, and, for convenience, had gone for them in the evening. After capturing them upon the roost, they had gone but a short distance along the winding paths in the directon of their own premises, when they were saluted by the unpleasant bowl of wolves rapidly advancing upon their trail. The Bird brothers quickened their gait from a rapid walk to a run, as the wolves neared them in their Right. William Bird, being quite lage and the sie. Legit

153

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

up with Sparks, who was much fighter and more active, with difficulty. They hastened along the path, making al! the speed of which they were capable, until Sparks caught his foot, tripped, and feil in some brush, but held his fowis, and finally escaped the wolves. He is of opinion that he must have made excellent time, for the Voracious howlers remained about his cabin all night, in the hope of dining on his favorite poultry.

Mr. Bird was a good shot, and a successful hunter, and kept his table well supplied with both venison, tur- keys, bear, and wild honey. His experiences as a hunter are much like other rangers of the forest in Ashland county. He often met Jonacake, Billy Dowdee, and other Indian inhabitants of Greentown, as they ranged over the hills of Lake.

He has lived continuously on his pioncer farm since he began to improve it in 1823-4. He has frequently been honored, by his fellow citizens, with township offices, having been elected trustee in :838-9 and again from: 1849 to 1855.

He married Eliza, daughter of the late Jacob Long, in 1832. She 'deceased in 1835. He married Char- lotte Austin, of Jeromeville, in 1840. She died in 1860. In 1864 he married Rachel, youngest daughter of the late Alexander Finley, the first pioncer of Mohican.

In 1832 the parents of Mr. Bird located in Clearcreek township, and his mother, Mrs. Cassandra Bird, was one of the first organizing members of the Presbyterian church of Clearcreek, then a branch of "Old Hope- well," in Montgomery. John Bird, father of Sparks, re- sided near Savannah, from 1832 to 1839, and was a sol- dier under General. St. Clair, in his disastrous expedi- tion against the Sharonces and their confederates, on the Miami, November -4, 1791, but was so fortunate as to escape that massacre.

Sparks Bird, although far advanced in years, pos- sesses a good deal of mental and physical vigor, and may survive to relate his pioneer experiences for many years.

BILLY DOWDEE.

The old Delaware hunter, Billy Dowdee, visited the calin of Allen Oliver, father of Lewis, in the spring of 1812, a few months before the removal of the Green- town Indians. Dowdee, with his squaw and six or seven children, en. unped at the mouth of a rivulet, half a mile above Mr. Oliver, where it empties into the Black fork. The old warrior had hunted for some time, over the hills and along the valleys of Green township, but with ill success. His squaw and children lived meagerly on hominy and venison. Dowdee was a humane Indian, and was much attached to his squaw and children. In his distress, he concluded that Mr. Oliver would be like- ly to sympathize with the "red hunter." He had met his new neighbor several times, and rightly conceived the trace elements of his character. He hastened to the cabin of Mr. Oliver, when the following dialogue took place:

Dowdee -" How much you charge for big pot full

mush and milk ? My squaw and pappoose velly hungry.' Oliver -" How much will you give ?"

Dowdee -" Me give .one large back-skin." Oliver -- "All right, bring them along."

Dowdee hastened to his wigwam to inform his squaw and children of the good news, and bring them to the cabin of Mr. Oliver.

In the meantime, Mrs. Oliver prepared a two-gallon pot of mush, and it was steaming hot when Dowdee and his family appeared at the cabin. On entering. " Billy" desired the pot to be placed in the middle of the floor, which was done; and the Indian family surrounded it, seating themselves on the floor. Tins, spoons and milk were provided, and Dowdce and his dusky family com- menced their meal. The little Indians were remarkably voracious. The mush gradually disappeared. Finally the glossy skinned little fellows, with distended stomachs, began to hesitate. " Billy," talking to them in the Pela- ware tongue, urged them to " eat more." It was in vain, for their appetites had been fully glutted.

There they sat, nearly nude, with their yellow skins expanded almost to the point of explosion. One by one, they began to become drowsy, and nodded. The scene was exceedingly ludicrous. It was well worthy somc native artist, and excited a smile from those who beheld it. The mush was at last consumed, and "Billy" pro- duced the backskin, and handed it to Mr. Oliver. He then roused his pappooses from their torpor, bade adicu to Mr. Oliver, and returned to his wigwam. The rivulet upon which he encamped, has since been known as "Dowdee's run."

A year or two after the war Dowdee returned to the Greentown settlement to hunt, and re-visited that region, annually, for several years, for the same purpose. The characteristic love of the Caucasian for mental culture existed among the early settlers of Green township. The children of the pioneers were gathered into a rude log school house, and the services of a young lady secured as teacher. This was probably the first school ever taught in the township. The young lady who taught the young idea how to shoot still survives, and has nearly reached four score of well spent years. She inforins me that, one drowsy, summer afternoon, when the little urchins under her charge were sleepily perusing their A B C's, and feeling perfectly secure, a large, copper. colored warrior stepped into the schoolroom and looked gravely at the children. Profound silence prevailed. The little fellows could almost feel their scalps disap- apearing. The teacher looked enquiringly at the Indian. The little ones trembled in expectation of capture or the tomahawk. It was Billy Dowdee. He took in the whole scene at a glance Looking gravely at the teacher, he said: "Much pappoose -- velly much pappoose." The young teacher blushed, visibly, at the insinuation, and felt greatly embarrassed. The point was, " Billy" intended to compliment her on possessing so large a family of pale-faced pappouses.

At the treaty at the Maumee rapids, in 1817. William Dondee, or Dowdee, is named as one of the proprietors in a reservation three miles square, south of Upper Sar

20.

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

dusky, which was assigned to the Greentown and Je- rometown Indians, formerly of Ashland county.

Billy Dowdec was a harmless old Indian, and is well remembered by the pioneers of Green township. He and his family accompanied the Delasares to their new reservation, west of the Mississippi, in .829.

ABEL BAILEY

was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, July 24. 1799. In 1866, his father, in company with other emigrants, came down the Youghiogheny on a small flat- boot to Pittsburgh. The family of Mrs. Bryte, mother of John and the late David Bryte, were also in the com- pany. On departing from Pittsburgh, they attached the fat boat to one of the river boats, and descended the Ohio to Steubenville, and located about eight miles northwest of the village, where they remained until 1809. when John Bailey and family located near New Lisbon and remained until 18:6, and removed to Green town- ship, Richland county, and settied near Honey creek. Here the family remained until iSt8, when John Bailey, father of Abel, purchased the southeast quarter of section fourteen, in Clearcreek township, and located upon it. John Bailey and his son, Abel, visited and se- lected the quarter in 1817, one year prior to the removal. John Bailey, sr., father of John Bailey, jr., who was the father of Abel Bailey, was of English descent, and served during the Revolutionary war, from Rhode Island, and located with his family in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he deceased. John Bailey, father of Abel, died in Richland county, whither he had removed, about 1850. Mrs. Bailey died in Clearcreek at an advanced age. Abel married Miss Acsah, daugh- ter of John Murphy, of Green township, in :821, and in 1836 purchased the homestead in Clearcreek township of his father, and sell resides thereon. Wlien the Baileys removed to Clearcreek in 1818, they found the following pioneers in the township: Nathaniel Bailey, a brother of John, who located in 18:7, Abraham Haff- man, John McWilliams, David Parces, Isaac Vanmeter, Peter Vanostrand, Robert MeBeth, James Haney and bis sons, Richard, John and Thomas, Richard and John Freeborn, Thomas Munholland, Patrick Elliott. Jacob Foulk, Thomas Ford and bis sons, Elijah, Elias, Thomas and John, and Jolen Bryte. These settlers were much scattered. The roads were mere paths, ill-worked, and, in wet seasons, difficult to travel. There were no churches or schoolhouses There were a few Baptists and Methodists. Their meetings were beld in the cabins of the pioneers for several years. The forests of Clear- creek were very dense, and the timber very tall and of unusual size. The first settlers performed a paxilgy of labor in its removal. Mr. Bailey says, "The task was absolutely disheartening' Hy perseverance. however, fine farms were prepared, and many of the pioneer;, now well advanced in age, are living in comfort and plenty. He remembers vividly the scenes, bidicrous and other- wise that occurred at the early cabin raisings, iog roll

ings, and making roads. Fired by corn whiskey, and an exuberance of animal spirits, the rugged pioneers were ambitious to excel in all that tested physical endurance and courage. Very few of the first settlers remain. Many of them have long since been gathered and gar- pered by the remorseless reaper. Mr. Bailey has long been a member of the Baptist denomination, and assisted in the erection of the first church in Savannah. in 1840. It is a neat frame, and in a good state of preservation. Upon the introduction of the reform of Alexander Camp- bell, the church was greatly weakened, many of the mem- bers having connected with the new church. The Bap- tists have no regular minister at present. The members number about thirty. The family of Mi. Bailey consists of Eli, of Van Wert, Ohio, and John, of Savannah. The daughters are Jane, wife of David Andrews, Ellen, wife of John Smith, and Aletha, wife of Simon Stentz. Mrs. Bailey died in 1873. Mr. Bailey resides on the homestead. He is in good health, and his memory un. impaired.

Mr. Bailey relates that when he came to the township in 1818, deer were very plenty, and the hunters cou !!! easily procure an abundance of wild meat. The most noted hunters of what is now Ashland county were Ed ward Wheeler, Elias Ford, James Kuykendall, Chris- topher Mykrants, Solomon Urie, John McConnell, and Jacob Young, most of whom are now deceased. They hunted along the Vermillion river, the Black river. and on the Fire Lands of the Reserve. At that time, large encampingots of Wyanders and Deiawares banted an- nually along those streams, and frequently met and con- versed with the white hunters. The last deer was killed as late as :8.15, within the present limits of Troy township.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 37

Author: Hill, George William, b. 1823; Williams Bros Publication date: 1880 Publisher: [Cleveland] Williams Number of Pages: 896

Author: Hill, George William, b. 1823; Williams Bros
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: [Cleveland] Williams
Number of Pages: 896