History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 11

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716

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Nathan Perry

THE PERIOD FROM 1802 TO 1812.

bluff, they all climbed up the rocks as far as they could, and there they waited with the cold waters of the lake beating continuously over them, hoping and praying that some chance traveler on the bluff above them might bear their eries, or some passing vessel might afford them relief. But no traveler came through the darksome forest, and, as the storm increased, all vessels remained within the protection of the harbors.

They were wrecked on Friday. On Saturday the storm grew more violent, and the two children per- ished from the chilling effect of the waters which washed over them. On Sunday Mrs. Hunter sue- enmbed to the same angry element and expired. On Monday her husband, exhausted by cold and hunger, also died, leaving the colored man. Ben, clinging alone to the wreck and breasting the storm, which, however, was now abating. Still another night he remained in his terrible position. On Tuesday some French traders, who had started in a boat from Clove- land for Detroit, saw poor Ben on his dismal perch, took him on board, turned about and carried him back to Cleveland. They left him at the tavern of Major Carter, who treated him with the generosity he usually bestowed on outcasts of every description. Ben's toes were frozen so that they came off, and the terrible sufferings he had undergone brought on the rheumatism, which twisted his limbs out of shape, so that he was hardly able to crawl around throughout the whole of the succeeding season. In the special history of Cleveland will be found an account of the after adventures of Major Carter, poor Ben and his Kentucky master.

Another sad adventure of the year 1806 was the loss of the schooner " Washington," though only slight- ly connected with this county. It received one of the first clearances from the new port at the mouth of the Cuyahoga, sailed out mpon the lake and was never heard of more.

CHAPTER X. THE PERIOD FROM 1807 TO 1812.

Formation of Cuyahoga County-Its Boundaries-Still attached to Geauga-Murder of Mohawk and Nicksaw-Excitement in this Conn ty-Demand of Stigwanish for Justice-"Snow cannot lie " -- De- scription of Stigwanish-Scheme to open Rivers and make Porlage Road-A Lottery authorized for that Purpose Fine Promises-No Performance-Draft of Land west of Cuyahoga -Judge Huntington elected Governor-Another Disaster-Wrecked under a Bluff A Son's Bravery-A Difficult Rescue -Numerous Deaths by Drowning-Cleve land made the Seat of Justice of Cuyahoga A Primitive Bill for Serv- ices-A United States Senator from ('nyahoga County-An Early Mail Route -Carrying the Mail under Difficulties-Organization of the Coun ty-First Officers-Huron County attached to Cuyahoga-The First Court-Census of 1810-First Physician-First Practicing Attorney- Fears of Indian Hostilities-Extension of the Western Bounds of Cuyahoga-Increased Excitement regarding War-A Murder by In- dians-Trial of Omic-His Bravado after Conviction Mrs. Long's Fright -The Execution-Major Jones's Perplexity -Omic's Terror-A Bargain to be hung for Whisky -- More Trouble -- More Whisky-Hlung at last-Removal of the Body-Declaration of War.

WE begin this chapter with an actual Cuyahoga county, in place of " the territory of Cuyahoga coun-

ty," which has hitherto been the scene of our story. On the 10th day of February, 1807, the legislature passed an act creating three new counties-Ashtabula, Portage and Cuyahoga. The latter included all that part of Geauga county west of the east line of range ten-that is, the east line of Solon, Orange, Mayfield and Willoughby, then called Chagrin. Both east and west of the river the southern boundary of the county was the same as now, but the western boundary ran along the western side of range fourteen (Strongsville, Middleburg and Rockport). In short the boundaries of the county were the same on its first formation as now, except that it ineluded Willoughby, now in Lake county, and excluded Dover and Olmstead. It was left attached to Geanga county for judicial purposes until it should be organized by the due appointment of officers, which was not until three years later.

About the time of the formation of the county the people beeame greatly excited over events which al- most portended an Indian war. In the latter part of January an Indian called John Mohawk killed a white man named Daniel Diver near Hudson-now Summit county. Two of Diver's friends named Darrow and Williams determined to avenge the murder. Finding a Senere Indian named Nieksaw in the woods, and either believing him to be the murderer, or not caring whether he was or not, they came upon him without a word of warning and shot him dead in his tracks. Major Carter and Mr. Campbell, the trader, went with the chief Stigwanish and buried the slain Indian; all agreeing that the snow showed no appearance of combat or resistance.

It was soon aseertained beyond doubt that it was not Nicksaw but John Mohawk who had killed Diver. Then the whites were auxions that Mohawk should be demanded from the Indians and punished for his crime. At the same time it was suggested by some of the leading men that Darrow and Williams should be arrested and punished for their crime. But their neighbors bitterly opposed this, and threatened death to any officer who should attempt to arrest them. The excitement spread into this county, where some of the whites were opposed to the arrest of Darrow and Williams, while others looked askance at the lo- dians still encamped across the river from Cleveland, and were anxious above all else for a course which would keep the peace with those few but dangerous enemies.

On the tenth of February Judge Huntington wrote to General Wadsworth that he had seen Stigwanish. (or Seneca as he was commonly called) the same chief before mentioned as the brother of " Big Son," and who was usually regarded as the head of all the Sene- rus in this section. Seneca said he wanted justice for both sides. lle was not content to see all the power of the whites used to infliet punishment of John Mo- hawk, while they were asleep regarding the murder of an innocent Indian. Ile offered to deliver up Mohawk when the slayers of Nicksaw were secured. Referring to the fact, to which Carter and Campbell certified,

GENERAL HISTORY OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

that there was no evidence of resistance on the part of Nieksaw, Seneca said:

" White man may lie - Indian may lie - snow can- not lie."

Ile declared he did not want war, but did want jus- tice. The result of the whole excitement was that neither party obtained justice; Mohawk was not given up by the Indians and the murderers of Nicksaw were not punished by the whites.

The chief Stigwanish, or Seneca, was much re- spected by the whites. General Paine Jauded him in extravagant terms as having the honesty of Aristides, the dignity of a Roman senator and the benevolence of William Penn. Unlike the average " noble red man," he never asked for a gift, and when one was voluntarily made to him he would always return it by another of equal value. The general also stated that he abjured all spiritnous liquors, but was obliged to add that this abstinence was caused by his having, in a drunken fury, split open the head of his infant child with a tomahawk, while aiming a deadly blow at his squaw, on whose back the child was strapped. It is difficult, after learning this, to look with very intense admiration upon the general's hero. Stigwanish was killed in Holmes county in 1816, by a white man who said that the chief had tired upon him; so we are left in doubt whether the benevolent and seuatorial Seneca had not relapsed into his former habits.

About this time a scheme was set on foot to clear the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas rivers of logs and other obstructions, so as to make them passable for large boats, and at the same time to construct a good wagon road over the portage between the two streams ; thus forming a continuous communication for heavy freight between Lake Erie and the Ohio river. As was ens- tomary in those days, the legislature was called on to authorize a lottery in order to raise the needed cash. It was rare indeed that any important public work was attempted in the forepart of the present century without a lottery being organized to provide the whole or a part of the funds.

In this case the managers were authorized to issue twelve thousand tickets, at five dollars each; making a total of sixty-four thousand dollars. This was done, and in return they offered one prize of tive thousand dollars; two of two thousand five hundred cach; tive of one thousand each; ten of five hundred cach; lifty of a hundred each; a hundred of fifty each, and three thousand four hundred of ten dollars each. This made the total amount of the prizes sixty-four thou- sand dollars; just the value of all the tickets. A deduction of twelve and a half per cent., however, was to be made from the various prizes, which, supposing that all the tickets were sold, would furnish eight thousand dollars with which to pay the expenses of the lottery, clear out the rivers and build the portage road. This does not appear like a very liberal allow- ance, considering the amount likely to be swallowed up by the expenses of the lottery and the probability that many tickets would be left unsold; so that, aside

from the moral qualities of the scheme, it does not impress one very favorably regarding the business shrewdness of our primeval financiers.

Twelve commissioners were appointed by the legis- ature to conduet the enterprise, of whom six were from this county. These were Hon. Samuel Hunt- ington, judge of the supreme court (who, however, removed to Painesville the same year), Major Amos Spatford, Hon. John Walworth, Major Lorenzo Car- ter, James Kingbury, Esq., and Timothy Doan, Esq. Hon. John Walworth, of Cleveland, was appointed general agent. Agents for the sale of tickets were also appointed in Zanesville, Steubenville, Albany, New York, Hartford and Boston, who were authorized to pay prizes in those places-when they should be drawn.

But, despite the list of eivil and military notables concerned in the scheme, that time never came. It was found impossible to sell more than a fourth of the tickets. The drawing was postponed from time to time in the hope of an increase of funds, and even as late as 1811 was still expected to take place. Fi- nally, however, it was entirely given up and the money already paid in was returned, without interest, to the purchasers of tickets. Thus ended the first scheme of internal improvement connected with Cuy- ahoga county.

On the second day of April in this year took place the "draft" of the Land Company's land west of the Cuyahoga; that is, the townships were distributed by lot among groups of owners, who thereupon received deeds from the trustees. The subdivision of the townships into lots by the owners was still to be made before the work of settlement could well commence.

Although, as before stated, Judge Huntington re- moved to Painesville (now Lake county) this year, yet he was so thoroughly identitied with the carly history of Cuyahoga county as to make it eminently proper to notice the fact that in the autumn of 1807 he was elected governor of Ohio, in place of Hon. Edward Titlin, appointed United States senator. Mr. Tiflin was the first executive of the State, having been elected for a second term, and so it happened that the second governor of Ohio was a gentleman whose home for six years had been among the forests, the wolves and the log-cabins of Cuyahoga county.

It must be added that Judge HI. probably left Cleveland because he despaired of its future. Ague, ague, ague, was the cry of all who came to the mouth of the Cuyahoga, and ten years after its settlement Cleveland had not probably over thirty inhabitants. This condition of the only port where there was a good harbor discouraged immigrants at the very threshold of the county, and naturally retarded set- tlement in the back townships, though we cannot learn that these were any worse in regard to sickness than the rest of northern Ohio.

Governor Huntington served one term as chief magistrate of the State. He afterwards resided on his farm near Painesville until his death.

THIE PERIOD FROM 1807 TO 1812.

Early in the spring of 1808 occurred another of the sad events so frequent in the early annals of the connty. Stephen Gilbert, one of the two first con- stables of the county Joseph Plumb, Adolphus Spaf- ford. (son of Major Amos) and - Gillmore, started on a bateau from Cleveland on a fishing expedition to the Manmee river. A colored woman called Mary was also on board the boat as a passenger, intending to stop at Black river, where Major Nathan Perry was keeping a trading-house, and where some goods be- longing to him were to be put on shore.

A Mr. White, of Newburg, and two sons of Joseph Plumb, who had expected to go on the boat but were too late, took the Indian trail to Black river, expecting to get on board there. In the western part of the present town of Dover, hearing eries of distress, they looked down to the foot of the bluff, and saw sixty feet beneath them the boat in which their friends had set sail, bottom side up, while near it was the elder Mr. Plumb, the sole survivor of the crew. He told them that the boat had capsized a mile from shore. The woman was drowned at once. All the others ex- cept Plomb were good swimmers and had struck out for shore, but the water was so cold that one after another their strength failed them and they sank to rise no more. Plumb, being unable to swim, got astride the boat and was thus driven ashore. He was seriously hurt, however, and was scarcely able to move, on account of his immersion in the extremely cold water of the lake.

His friends hardly knew what to do, as he could not climb up the almost perpendicular bluff and they conkl not get down to him. It was quickly decided, however, that Mr. White and one of the young men should hasten on to Black river, some twelve miles distant, to obtain aid and ropes, while the other son remained to comfort his father. The latter was so overcome with cold, and so discouraged by the circum- stances in which he found himself, that the young man determined to reach him at all hazards. Climbing part- ly down the bluff he found an ironwood sapling which grew out partly over the beach. Young Plumb crawled upon this to the ontermost bushes, and the tough ironwood bent far down beneath his weight. Suspending himself by his hands to the lowest-reach- ing branches, the brave young man finally let go, dropping over twenty feet to the sandy beach below, and fortunately escaping unhurt. He made his father as com fortable as possible, and together they awaited the coming of aid.

Darkness came on and still no relief appeared, At length, when the night was well advanced, shouts were heard and lights were seen on the bluff above. White and young Plumb had returned, accompanied by Major Perry and Quintus F. Atkins, who probably comprised the whole male population at Black river at that time. They brought ropes and lanterns, but their task was still one of considerable difficulty. The elder Mr. Plumb weighed some two hundred and twenty pounds, and it was no easy task to raise

him by sheer strength np that sixty-feet bluff. How- ever, one end of the rope was made fast to a tree, the other was let down to the men below, and fastened by young Plumb under his father's arms. The four men above then began to " haul in," and by exerting their united strength finally landed the old gentleman at the top of the bluff ; he and they being alike almost exhausted by the operation. The young man was then drawn up with comparative ease.

Such were the dangers from the turbulent lake and the rock bound coast that out of the eighteen deaths of residents of Cleveland, occurring during the twelve first years of the settlement, no less than eleven were by drowning. It will be seen that, notwithstanding the evil reputation of the locality as to health, there was not a very large proportion of deaths by disease. In fact the agne seldom killed; it only made people wish they were dead.

In the spring of 1809 a commission was appointed by the State to select a location for the seat of justice of Cuyahoga county. The only place besides Cleve- land which had serions claims to this honor was Newburg, which had as large a population as the former village, or larger, and was a ninch more healthy and thriving locality. However, the position at the month of the Cuyahoga, with its possibilities of future greatness, carried the day in spite of the ague, and Cleveland was duly selected. The time employed by the commissioners and the salary paid them are both shown by the following extract from the bill presented by one of the honorable commissioners, from Colum- biana county, which also gives a hint of the orthog- raphy often practiced among the officials of the day: " A Leven Days, Two Dollars per day, Twenty-two dollars. "

In an accompanying letter to Abraham Tappen the commissioner requested that he present the bill to the " Nixt Cort," by which he would much oblige " your humble Sarvent."

In the spring of 1809 another citizen of Cuyahoga county was elevated to distinguished honors. Hon. Stanley Griswold, who had been secretary of the Ter- ritory of Michigan under Governor Hall, had resigned that position and located himself at " Doan's Corners, " four miles cast of Cleveland village. He was a man of marked ability and when, in the forepart of 1809. Mr. Tillin resigned his seat as United States senator. Governor Huntington appointed Mr. Griswold to till his place.

In a letter written about this time the new senator expressed the opinion that this would be a good loca- tion for a physician: there being none in the county. and none of any eminence within fifty miles. Still. he said, a doctor would have to keep school a part of the time in order to make a living, until there was a larger population. Senator Griswold only served dur- ing the remainder of one session, but it is somewhat remarkable that Cuyahoga county should have fur- nished a State governor and a United States senator before it possessed a doctor.

GENERAL HISTORY OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

The contract for carrying the mail through a wide region was at this time held by Joseph Burke, of Enelid, whose two sons were the mail carriers ; one of them having been the late Gains Burke of Newburg. The route was from Cleveland to Hudson, Ravenna, Deerfield, Warren, Mesopotamia, Windsor, Jefferson, Austinburg, Harpersfield, Painesville, and thence back to Cleveland. This was the only route any part of which was in Cuyahoga county, except the main line to the west along the lake shore, and Cleveland still possessed the only post-office in the county.

Mr. Gaius Burke, in a letter on file among the ar- chives of the Historical Society, says that the road was underbrushed most of the way, but there were no bridges, and streams and swamps were numerons. In the summer the two youngsters by turns carried the mail on horseback, but when wet weather came in the spring and fall they had to trudge on foot; the roads being too bad to be traveled on horseback, much less with a wagon. On reaching streams the carrier sometimes crossed in a canoe or on a raft, kept there for the accommodation of travelers. Sometimes he got astride a convenient piece of flood-wood and pad - dled obliquely to the opposite shore. And sometimes, in default of any of these resources, he waded the stream, or, if it was too deep for that, plunged boldly in and swam across, keeping his little bag of letters above his head as best he might. The population was still extremely sparse: there being spaces five, ten or even fifteen miles in width without a single house.

At length, in May, 1810, Cuyahoga county was duly organized by the appointment of the proper of- fivers, and began its independent existence. The first officers were Hou. Benjamin Ruggles, presiding judge of the court of common pleas; Nathan Perry, Sr., A. Gilbert and Timothy Doan, associate judges; John Walworth, clerk: and Smith S. Baldwin, sheriff. At this time Ilurou county, which was still unorganized. was attached to Cuyahoga conuty for judicial and legislative purposes, as was also a tract between the two counties, which appears to have been left outside of any county boundaries. The first court was held at the newly created store of Elias and Harvey Mur- ray, in Cleveland. One indictment was presented for petit larceny, several for selling whisky to Indians, and others for selling foreign goods without license.

By the United States census of this year the popu- latiop of the county was found to be one thousand four hundred and ninety-tive, a considerable portion of whom, however, resided in " Chagrin " or Wil- loughby, which has since been transferred to Lake county. The remainder of the settlers were in what is now Cleveland, East Cleveland, Euclid, Mayfield, Newburg. Independence and Brooklyn, with a very few in Middleburg.

It was not until 18to that a physician became a permanent resident of Cuyahoga county; this was Dr. David Long, a native of Washington county, New York, who then settled at Cleveland, where he prac- tieed his profession throughout a long and useful life.

Alfred Kelley, Esq., who was admitted to the bar and made prosecuting attorney of the district on the "th of November, 1810, at the age of twenty-one, was the first practicing lawyer in the county, Mr. Hunt- ington's time having been entirely occupied by other duties.

During this year the people became much excited by the rumors of Indian war from the West, where Tecumseh and his brother, "the Prophet," were en- deavoring to unite all the widely scattered tribes from the Gulf of Mexico to the great lakes in a league against the ever-eneroaching Americans. War, too, was anticipated between the United States and Great Britain, and a decided feeling of uneasiness spread over the whole frontier. Although there were scattered settlements from Cuyahoga county west- ward along the lake shore to the Maumee, yet back from the lake nearly the whole country was still an unbroken forest or an uninhabited prairie from the Cuyahoga river to the Pacific ocean, and there was nothing improbable in Tecumseh and his savage fol- lowers making a raid among the scattered inhabitants of Cuyahoga county.

In IS11 the fears of the people were again aroused by an earthquake, which gave a perceptible shock, and which was thought by many to portend some dire disaster. But ere long came the news of the battle of Tippecanoe, in which the warriors of the great league were totally deleated by the American troops under General Harrison. Then, for a time, the people rested free from the fears of Indian invasion.

By an act passed on the 25th day of Jannary of this year, (1811,) the western boundary of the county, which as defined by the aet creating it was the same as the western boundary of the present townships of Strongsville, Middleburg and Rockport, was car- ried from ten to fifteen miles farther west. Begin- ning at the southwest corner of the present township of Eaton, Lorain county, (township five, range six- teen,) the new line ran thence north to the north- west corner of that township; thence west to the middle of Black river, and thence down the center of that stream to the lake. The traet thus united to Cuyahoga county consisted of the present townships of Dover and Olinstead, which have ever since re- mained in it, and the townships of Avon, Ridgeville, Columbia and Eaton, and parts of Sheffield and Elyria, now in Lorain county.

Despite of Indian troubles, emigration was still flow- ing south and west, and in this year township five. ringe twelve, now known as Brecksville, was subdi- vided into lots ready for settlement.

During the forepart of 1812 the excitement on the frontier became intense; for it was known that the question of declaring war was being continuously de- bated in Congress, and no one knew at what moment its fury might be unchained. This locality was one of peculiar danger; for not only were the Indians threatening massacre a short distance to the westward but the whole broadside of the county lay open to

A. S. Willson

THE PERIOD FROM 1807 TO 1812.

Lake Erie, and on Lake Erie the British had several armed vessels while the Americans had none.

The prevailing uneasiness was increased by the mur- der of two white men by three Indians in Huron county, although the crime was committed solely to obtain the furs of the vietims, and had no connection with any general hostile movement. The people of the vicinity, discovering the bones of the victims be- neath the ashes of their cabin, which the Indians had fired, turned out in pursuit and captured all three of the murderers, with the property of the murdered men in their possession. One of them, a mere boy, was allowed to escape. Another, named Semo, after he was arrested placed the muzzle of his gun under his chin, pulled the trigger with his toe and instantly killed himself. The third was a young Indian who had lived in the vicinity of Cleveland, and was com- monły called Omie, and sometimes as John Omic, to distinguish him from his father who was known as Old Omic. He was only abont twenty-one years old, very hardy and athletic, and already well known for his vicious disposition; having several times committed offenses, some of which are related in the history of Cleveland city, in this work.

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History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 11

Author: Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716