USA > Ohio > Auglaize County > Wapakoneta > History of Auglaize County, Ohio : with the Indian history of Wapakoneta, and the first settlement of the county > Part 9
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We have remarked that the emergence of the continent after the Erie clay deposit was somewhat slow and marked by fre -. quent intervals of rest. During these periods the waves washed up ridges, or raised beaches wherever the shore was more nearly
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
level and composed of soft materials. These old shore lines are distinctly marked by the three ridges that cross the county. The outer and older line is characterized by a succession of gravelly knolls and ridges, varying from one-half to three miles in width. It crosses German township, the northwest corner of Shelby County, Pusheta, Clay, and Union townships. New Bremen, Botkins, and St. Johns are situated on it. Owing to its remarkable development at the latter place, it has been named St. Johns Ridge.
"The second gravelly ridge, called the Wabash Ridge, inter- sects the county in a similar way, passing through St. Marys, Moulton, and Duchonquet townships. It is intersected by the Auglaize River at Wapakoneta. The third passes through the northern part of Salem township. This is simply a broad, gentle undulation or. thickening of drift, and consists mostly of clay. If it contains gravel it lies at a considerable depth. In some localities these ridges are broken into rounded or elongated heaps from twenty to sixty feet in height, to which the name "hog's- back" is frequently applied. The ridges, "hog's- backs," and knolls usually exhibit an irregular and oblique stratification of beds of sand, gravel, and occasionally boulders.
A section of the Wabash Ridge at Wapakoneta, taken by Mr. Winchell, exhibits the arrangement of the materials in most of them. Commencing at the base and proceeding up- ward, the following order was noted :-
1. Unassorted sand and gravel, two feet.
2. Unassorted sand and gravel, four feet.
3. Stratified sand, the beds broken by lenticular beds of un- assorted sand and gravel, one to four feet.
4. Unassorted gravel and sand, with some rounded stones a foot in diameter, one to fonr feet.
5. Damp sand with some gravel, one foot.
6. Unassorted sand and gravel, one to four feet.
7. Rusty surface soil, one foot.
Prof. Newberry in writing on the Surface Geology of Ohio says : " It seems that in the period of the greatest submerg- ence the larger part of the summit of the watershed was under water, and was swept by breakers and shore waves, by which some of the beds of sand and gravel were formed." He fur- ther supposes that additional materials composing the ridges and knolls were derived from icebergs stranding on the shoals which now form the crest of the divide. His theory accounts in a more satisfactory manner than most theories do, for the presence of the large boulders found on the summits of the
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
ridges and knolls. He further says: "At this time a sufficient depth of water existed in the passes of the watershed to float icebergs of considerable size ; and as currents flowed through these passes, some of the boulders scattered over southern Ohio were probably transported by them. When the water- level had been somewhat depressed by the slow elevation of the continent, these gaps became, as I have supposed, waste weirs, through which powerful streams of water continued to flow for a long time, cutting the gaps deeper, and transporting great quantities of gravel and boulders, and depositing them in lines which lead down toward the valley of the Ohio." Five passes are described by him. The first is the one tra- versed by the Miami Canal at the St. Marys summit. This has a level of 367 feet above Lake Erie, and connects the valleys of the Maumee and Miami. The second is the one through which the waters of Mnchinippie Swamp flow into the Scioto River. All the lines of drainage leading south ward from these passes are marked by deeply excavated channels, now more or less perfectly filled by accumulations of rolled and transported material.
The foregoing hypothesis accounts in a satisfactory manner for the numerous small ponds without outlets, found in the county. They were without much doubt produced by the dip- ping down of icebergs when thrown out of balance by melting or other canses. Some of them were produced, no doubt, by the grounding of bergs, as the rims of gravel and boulders in some instances seem to indicate.
After the emergence of the land from the last great body of water that covered it, the new surface abounded in irregulari- ties, depressions, and basins, which afterward became ponds, swales, and swamps. The numerous ponds and swamps scat- tered over the country were stocked with fresh-water mollusks. The shells of these mollusks and the precipitated carbonate of lime formed what is known as fresh-water shell marl. In the marl thrown from a ditch on the farm of Thomas Baggs in Clay township, the following shells have been identified: Lym- nea, Planoribus, and a species of Cyclas. The same varieties have been identified in the marl taken from the bottoms of ponds in other sections of the county. The time will probably come when these shell deposits will become of considerable economical value as a fertilizer. These marl beds are generally overlaid by beds of peat or muck, composed principally of vegetable matter, and usnally still in process of formation.
After the close of the Drift Period when the land had be- come dry and covered with vegetation, "it is probable that animals of various kinds appeared and made the interior their
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
home. It is quite probable too, that some of them returned from places south of the Glacial area where they and their ancestors had lived during the Drift Period.
BONES OF MASTODONS .- Conspicuous among the animals whose remains are found in Ohio are those huge mammals, the Mammoth and Mastodon. Three of the latter species of ani- mal have been discovered in Auglaize County.
The first skeleton was discovered in the fall of 1870 in Clay township, two and a half miles east of the village of St. Johns, by some laborers engaged in excavating a ditch through Much- inippi swamp. The depth of the swamp at the point at which the discovery was made is about eight feet, of which the upper third is of peat, and the remainder of marl, or marly clay. The bones were found in a posture natural to a quadruped when sinking in the mire. The head and tasks were thrown upward and the right forefoot thrown forward, as in the act of walking.
The writer visited the locality on the Monday following the discovery, and before the removal of the bones of the lower extremities from the ground. A careful examination was made of the position of the animal, and measurements taken of the length of the body, neck, head, and circumference of the tusks. The accompanying engraving represents the entire skeleton of the Mastodon discovered in 1845, in a marsh near Newburgh, New York, and now in possession of Dr. J. C. Warren of Bos- ton. The parts lettered in the engraving represent the parts of the Clay township Mastodon found, and now in the writer's possession. The body was seventeen and one-half feet long from where the tusks entered the cranium to the base of the tail; and the head, as near as could be ascertained, was between four and five feet long.
" Dr. Warren's specimen is eleven feet high, and seventeen feet long to the base of the tail. The length of the tusks is twelve feet, of which two and one-half feet are inserted in the sockets. The estimated height of the animal, when living, was from twelve to thirteen feet, and the whole length, adding seven feet for the horizontal projection of the tusks, from twenty-four to twenty-five feet."
A comparison of the length of the bones of the Clay town- ship Mastodon with the Newberg specimen shows the former to be the larger of the two. It was probably a foot higher, and from one to two feet longer.
The tusks and most of the vertebrae, ribs, and pelvis, were so much decayed that they crumbled to pieces on exposure to the air. The following are the portions of the skeleton found :-
Lower Jaw (t) .- The anterior portion of the lower jaw pre-
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k
é
Fig 3.
Fig 2.
e
Fig 1.
-a
f
9
... f
b-
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
---
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
served has the form of a V, and is about eighteen inches long, terminating anteriorly in a horn five inches in length.
Tusks .- The circumference of one of the tusks at the point where it entered the cranium was twenty-two inches-their length was not ascertained.
Teeth .- There were four of the lower jaw teeth found, all of them in an excellent state of preservation. The two anterior teeth (Fig. 1) each weigh four and one-half pounds, and are seven and one-half inches long by three and one-half inches in width. They each have three transverse furrows dividing them into four nipples or eminences, cach eminence being one and one-half inches in height. The two posterior teeth (Fig. 2) are each four and one-half inches long by three and one-half inches in width. Each of these teeth has three transverse ridges, measuring one and one-fourth inches in height. The enamel is of a dark brown color, one-eighth of an inch in thick- ness, and not much worn. The roots are four and one-half inches long, and of a form that exhibits great strength.
Humerus (e) .- This is the upper bone of the foreleg. Its length is thirty-seven inches, its greatest circumference thirty- five inches, and its smallest seventeen inches.
Ulna (f) .- This is the larger of the bones of the lower part of the foreleg. Its length from the summit of the oleeranon process to the lowest point of the inferior extremity is thirty- four inches, circumference at lower extremity thirty-one inches.
Radius (g) .- The smallest bone of the foreleg. Its length is twenty-nine inches, the breadth of its carpal extremity six inches, and the entire circumference of the elbow-joint is forty- five inches.
Femur, or Thigh-bone (a) .- This bone in its form resembles the femur of the human skeleton. It is thirty-nine inches long and seventeen and one-half inches in circumference at the middle of the shaft.
Tibia (b) .- The larger of the two lower bones of the hind- leg, is twenty-eight inches long. The circumference of the upper extremity is thirty and one-half inches, the middle of the shaft fourteen inches.
Fibula (c) .- This is a slender bone, twenty-seven inches long, passing three and one-half inches below the tibia to form part of the foot.
Bones of the Feet .- All the bones of the right forefoot and right hind-foot were found, also portions of the other two feet.
Mastodon No. 2 .- Part of the bones of another Mastodon was found in Clay township, in December, 1874, by some men engaged in digging a diteh to drain Muchinippi swamp. The ravine in which the animal was found, and through which the
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
diteh was dug, partakes somewhat of the character of the swamp. The depth of the superficial deposit at the point at which the remains were found is about six feet. The upper third is black muck, and the remainder shell marl.
The marl thrown out of this ditch, after a few months' ex- posure to the air, becomes so white as to form a strong con- trast with the inky surface soil. The following are the por- tions of the skeleton found :-
Tusks .- Two tusks twenty-eight inches in circumference at the base, and twelve feet long.
Teeth .- 3 teeth, two of them in a good state of preservation. Vertebræ .- 6 Cervical (k),
2 Dorsal.
Extremities .- 1 Humerus,
1 Femur,
1 Tibia,
1 Ulna,
1 Radius,
2 Patellæ,
3 Bones of the feet.
The bones of this specimen are much larger than the corre- sponding ones of the specimen found in 1870, and are proba- bly those of an old animal, as the teeth are very much worn. The remains were purchased by the writer, and deposited in the museum of the Heidelburg College of this State.
Mastodon No. 3 .- A third Mastodon was discovered by Mr. Samuel Craig, in January, 1878, whilst engaged in surveying in Washington township. No careful search for the skeleton has yet been made. The boggy character of the ground in which the animal is located leads us to believe that the remains will be found in a good state of preservation.
The first and second Mastodons were found so near the sur- face that we are almost led to the belief that they have been buried within 500 or 1000 years. " There can be no question that they lived and died long after the deposition of the drift on which the marsh deposits rest."
The first printed account we have of the existence of Mas- todon bones in this country is found in the volume of the " Transactions of the Royal Society of London," for the year 1714. This volume contains a short article taken from a letter written by Cotton Mather, describing some large bones and a tooth that were discovered at Claverack, N. Y., in 1705.
We have nothing more on the subject until the year 1740, when De Longuiel, a French traveller, discovered bones at Salt Lick, in Ohio, which excited his curiosity so much that
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
he sent some of them to Paris, where they were subjected to the examination of scientific men.
To Cuvier we are indebted for the first elaborate account of the bones of the Mastodon Giganteus. Having satisfied hin- self that they differed in many respects from the Elephant, he designated the animal from the form of its teeth, calling it Mastodon, from two Greek words, meaning nipple-tooth, or tooth with mammillated eminences.
The great Mastodon of Ohio was not unlike the Elephant in its general outline, though somewhat longer and thicker. It had a trunk, tusks which curved upward, and four molar teeth in each jaw. The peculiar form of the teeth once led to the erroneous belief that the Mastodon was a carnivorous animal. The discoveries made during the present century, however, have decided beyond controversy that he belonged to the herbivora.
In the midst of a collection of Mastodon bones imbedded in mud in a bog in Virginia, a mass of small branches, leaves, grass, and a common Virginian species of reed, in a half bruised state, was discovered ; the whole appeared to have been enveloped in a sack, probably the stomach of the animal.
The Newburgh Mastodon when dug up had within its ribs a blackened mass of vegetable matter, composed in part of leaves, grass, and twigs of spruce and fir.
Bones in greater or less numbers have been found scattered over a large part of the United States and Canada. Big Bone Lick in Kentucky received its name from the bones of this huge animal. The bones of a hundred Mastodons have been discovered in that locality, and probably as many in different sections of Ohio.
ARCILÆOLOGY.
Within the last few years great interest has been awakened, touching the antiquities of the pre-historie and Indian races of America. These races, destitute of a written language, have left their history only in landmarks, consisting of mounds, effigies, fortifications, implements, and hieroglyphics. The most ancient of these races have marked their occupancy everywhere by the erection of mounds of different characters, on which account the races have been designated the mound builders. In this State alone, about thirteen thousand mounds, fortifications, and inclosures have been found. These display great engineering skill, particularly in the construction of in- closures and other works of defence, and must have required great periods of time for completion.
These mounds are the great depositories of ancient Indian
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
art, and are standing monuments of a skilled people who preceded the savages found at the advent of the whites. These latter tribes have used the mounds of their predecessors as burial places, which accounts for the imperfect forms which some of them exhibit. Mr. J. B. Maclean, in " The Mound Builders," says, " The difference between the ancient and more recent deposits is easily told. In the latter, the stratification is broken up, while in the former, it still presents its original integrity."
Implements belonging to both the mound builders and In- dians are found scattered throughout this county. Many relies have thus been discovered, but where they are found upon the surface, it is impossible to determine to which race they belonged. That the mound builders lost many imple- ments in the chase is undoubtedly true, while we know the same thing to be true of the Indians; and at the same time the Indians confess to having appropriated the implements of a former and more skilful race. Though few, if any, mounds or embankments exist within the county to be attributed to the mound builders, yet the bones and implements exhumed from the three ridges which cross the county are indicative of the occupancy of this section by this ancient people.
The following engravings represent some of the most inter- esting implements found in the county.
11
6
10
Fig. 4 is a cut of a stone implement found in an old grave on the site of Wapakoneta. It is believed by many to have been used as a last by the chief Wanghpaughkonetta, who is reputed to have been club-footed. The burial of such articles in the grave of their possessor was an Indian custom.
Fig. 5 represents a red stone pipe which was ploughed up near Wapakoneta, and is now.in possession of Dr. C. Berlin. Its general appearance is excellent, and even graceful, being formed of the red pipe stone, so highly prized by the Indians.
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
It is beautifully polished, and the workmanship, as a whole, displays great skill.
Fig. 6 represents a pipe found on the farm of Thomas Schoonover, in Moulton township. It is now in possession of C. W. Williamson, of Wapakoneta. It is of the same variety of stone as figure 5, and exhibits the same excellence of work- manship. On one side it bears the rude sketch of a fish.
Fig. 7 represents a combined tomahawk and pipe, which was found two miles south of Wapakoneta. It is probably of French manufacture. The pipe-bowl has been turned in a lathe. The material is steel, and the workmanship excellent.
Figs. 8 and 9 represent different forms of a stone ornament, known as a pendant or gorgon, which was probably suspended upon the breast, or from the terminal lobe of the ear. Dr. C. C. Abbott, in his work "The Stone Age in New Jersey," says, " At any rate, it was designed for ornament, and not for any other purpose, as has been suggested, such as a fishing-line weight, or a sinker." The holes in these pendants, and other Indian implements, have always been a puzzle to archaeologists. One of the authors of the " Ohio Centennial Report on Archa- ology" says, " I think we must give up the theory that the various forms of polished slate, perforated at right angles to the face, were used as sizers and twisters of twine or strips of skin. They are all bored with a taper, which leaves a sharp edge, either at one end, or in the middle of the piece. Those that are more or less worn, present the appearance of having been suspended. Thread twisters and sizers were probably made of wood and bone, like the Iroquois shuttles figured by Mr. Schoolcraft. Some of their perforated stone implements somewhat resemble ours in general form. Most of the striped slate relics I am inclined to place among the ornaments, badges, and armor of the ancient tribes. Some of them would answer all these purposes. The tapering holes are good contrivances for fastening by thongs of raw-hide to a belt-string, or piece of wood. Supposing the head or knot of the thong was let into the bored hole, these plates might be firmly bound to each other, or to the body of the wearer, and the holes not be much worn by the process."
Fig. 10 represents a specimen from Dr. Berlin's cabinet. It is formed of fine-grained green slate, striped with dark bands, as are all the specimens figured, except 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11. 1t would be difficult to tell the use of this instrument. It is too large for a bead, and can scarcely be considered a badge of authority. Being flattened on one side, suggests the possibil- ity of its use as a whistle. Archaeologists class it under the general head of tubes.
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
Fig. 11 is a representative stone axe, found in nearly every locality in the State. " They are not abundant in the mounds, but are found in large numbers in the valleys. They are fash- ioned with great skill, of rare and beautiful material, the pre- dominant series being granite. They are found with and witli- ont grooves for the adjustment of handles. Those designed to be wielded by both hands have an average weight of ten pounds, although they vary from one to sixteen pounds. The smaller varieties, called hatchets, were used in war, as well as for domestic uses. These weigh from one to two pounds, are destitute of grooves, and are of all sizes, from two to twelve inches. They also vary greatly in design, some having holes for the reception of handles. They are all, for the most part, polished, and some have been ground and polished with elab- orate care."
C. W. Williamson has in his possession a stone hoe, or adze, made from the same material as these axes. It resembles the stone axe in every respect. The upper side of the implement is straight, while the under side is bevelled.
14
12
15
Fig. 12 is a beautiful specimen, that may be classed under the head of banner stones. In outline, finish, and perforation, it is faultless. The hole passing through the middle is a very noticeable feature, and measures less than nine-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. It is circular, of uniform dimensions from end to end, and faintly exhibits those rings which characterize holes, drilled with a hollow instrument.
Fig. 14 represents a second example of this perforated orna- ment, or banner-stone. It is shorter and thicker than fig. 12, but is well made, and drilled with the same smoothness and beauty.
Fig. 13 is a partial representation of a very interesting form of banner-stone. The portion above the perforation is imagin- ary ; and, after reference to Dr. Abbott's work, we incline to
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IIISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
the belief that, if the upper portions were made to resemble the lower, it would probably be correct, as that author believes these parts to be alike.
" This form of badge being one of the most elegant and ex- pensive, was probably used to indicate the highest rank of office. The single crescent probably signified a rank next below the double."
Fig. 15 is a curiously wrought imitation of a bird. The knob-like protuberances, representing eyes, stand out from the head one-eighth of an inch.
The bottom of the specimen, as the engraving shows, is flat, and contains three holes, extending upwards about half way through the body. Its use is not determined.
Among the many other interesting relies found here, is a stone pestle used by the Indians to convert corn into meal. It is seven inches in length, and four and a half inches in diameter at the base, and takes the perfect form of a druggist's pestle. But few of these have been found in this locality, while the one in point is the most perfect specimen we have seen. It was found at the old home of the chief, White Feather, near the present site of Buckland, and is in possession of Robert C. Means of Wapakoneta. A stone mortar was also found in the same vicinity, which, from the statements we have re- ceived touching its form and size, we are led to believe they were used together ; but as we have not had the privilege of examining it, we cannot give a minute description.
In connection with these principal specimens, many others of less importance have been gathered within the county; but as these are of a commoner character, a full description would exceed the limits of this work. For a complete elucidation of the subject, the reader is referred to Mr. Machean's work on " The Mound Builders."
OFFICIAL RECORD.
The following list exhibits the official directory of the county from its organization to the present year, 1880. The county has supplied three State senators for this district, and prior to the year 1852 it had three associate judges, we list all these in the official records :-
SENATORS.
E. M. Phelps, Charles Boesel, 1869-71.
1855-59. George W. Andrews, 1875-77.
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HISTORY OF AUGLAIZE COUNTY, OHIO.
REPRESENTATIVES.
S. R. Mott,
1848-49. George W. Andrews, 1855-61.
Henry Sipps,
1849-50. Charles Boesel, 1861-65.
William Blackburn,
1850-51. Robert B. Gordon, 1865-69.
J. J. Rickley,
1851-53. S. R. Mott, Jr.,
1869-73.
John Walkup,
1853-54. Henry Mesloh,
1873-77.
William Sawyer,
1854-55. L. C. Sawyer,
1877-
ASSOCIATE JUDGES.
John McLean, 1848-52.
David Simpson.
PROBATE JUDGES.
Michael Dumbroff,
1850-55. J. S. Williams, 1864-67.
William L. Ross,
1855-58. Levi Hamaker, 1867-79.
A. H. Trimble,
1858-64. John McLain,
1879-
AUDITORS.
M. W. Smith,
1848-51. James Wilson, Sen., 1867-71.
A. H. Trimble,
1851-57. James F. Smith, 1871-77.
J. B. Craig,
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