USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 3
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"Near North Star years ago was a hill composed of a fine quality of gravel. In making the pikes in that country this hill was all hauled away. A large number of human bones
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DARKE COUNTY
were found in the hill and were hauled out on the road. where they lay for several years until crushed and ground to atoms by traveling vehicles, no one paying any attention to collecting and preserving these ancient remains. We think that no relics were found in this cemetery.
"At Bishop's crossing, near Greenville, in building the pikes, several graves, either Indian or Mound Builder, were discovered. With the bones were found pipes of stone, spear- heads and other relics. An old gentleman, who helped to do this work, said that the graves were quite numerous, and about all of them contained relics. 1462269
"It is likely that some of these graves were those of In- dians. It was the custom in this locality when the Indians buried their dead, if a chief, to kill his pony and bury it with him besides the implements used by him while alive; then to build a pen of logs around the smail mound to keep out wild animals, which might dig up the remains if not protected in this manner. A chief by the name of Blue Jacket was buried in Greenville township in the manner described. We are not able to tell just the exact difference between a Mound Builder's and an Indian's grave, but if the bones of a pony are found with the human skeleton it would be safe to call it an Indian's grave.
"There is a gravel hill in the prairie on the farm of George Reigle, near Fort Jefferson, in which a single skeleton was found but no relics or other bones. Near Clark's Station is an ancient graveyard in a gravel ridge also. Gravel is hauled out on the road every year and as it is caved skeletons a!e often unearthed which were buried in a standing position.
"The locality in and around Nashville, German township. furnishes some interesting information. One or two mounds have been opened yielding a lot of relics, skeletons, etc. Two large shells, native of the Pacific coast, were taken from one of the mounds. The inside had beeen cut out of them leav- ing a large cavity capable of holding about one gallon, and making a very beautiful addition to the kitchen furniture of the ancient people of the stone age.
"Northwest of New Madison, close to a mound, is another of the ancient cemeteries. It is situated on the southern end of a ridge while the mound is on the northern end. The last rites were, most likely, performed at the altar mound and the dead then carried to where they are found. Several skeletons
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DARKE COUNTY
have been found in this place but they soon crumble on ex- posure to the air.
"One of the most interesting burial spots was discovered on the farm of Jesse Woods in German township. In digging the cellar under the house where he lives. Mr. Woods dis- covered a skeleton in a sitting posture. It was covered with plates of mica and was the central figure in a group of other skeletons arranged in a circle around it. The skeletons in the circle were lying at full length. Mr. Woods regrets very much that he did not preserve the mica as they were the only relics found in the grave. This grave we consider the most interesting yet discovered in Darke county, but many more graves of the ancient Americans may yet be found in the county as it becomes more thickly settled.
"Near the West Branch church, in Neave township, a skeleton was dug out in the caving walls of a gravel pit. The body had been buried in a sitting position. The bones were in a state of decay. No relics were found.
"About half a mile northwest of Fort Jefferson was found a skeleton buried in a sitting position with knees drawn up. In the grave was a burned clay pipe with bowl and stem in one piece. The bowl was fluted inside. An old settler in the vicinity said that he had made many a pipe just like it. A stone ax was also in the grave.
"We have found that in selecting a site for burial the an- cient savage generally made use of an elevated spot of ground, mostly a natural ridge, in about the same location as for a camp or village. A large number are sometimes buried in one place while in other instances but a single grave is found."
It should be noted that the conch shells mentioned by this writer were probably from the Pacific coast, and the sheets of mica from the rare deposits of this material in the moun- tains of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Indian Camp Sites and Villages.
Camp sites occur at many places within the county as evi- denced by the large number of spawls of chert and Aint and the broken and unfinished stone implements turned up by the plow. They are usually located near running springs. The upper valleys of Mud creek. West Branch and Crout creek were inhabited by the early Americans who have left distinct
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DARKE COUNTY
traces of their early residence along these branch streams. Sections thirteen, fourteen, twenty-three and twenty-four in German township, near the head of West Branch, have been especially prolific in relics of the stone age. Perhaps the largest camp site in Darke county was situated on the Garst farm, in section thirteen, and on the Ross farm adjoining it on the south, in section twenty-four. This site covers sev- eral acres and is on a gravel hill which terminates in a steep bank on the north and west sides. It follows the course of the stream and made a level, elevated and ideal camping place. A large number of hammers, axes, spear and arrowheads have been found here and flint chips are plentiful. On the Metzcar farm, just south of the Ross place, a pile of burned bricks were found by the first white settlers, who came here in 1817. These bricks were larger than the standard size and the up- per layer was somewhat disintegrated and covered with con- siderable leaf mold, indicating that many years had elapsed since they had been placed in position. Perhaps they had been burned on the spot to form the foundation of a Jesuit missionary station, late in the seventeenth or early in the eighteenth century ; or they might have supported the cabin of an early French trader who established himself here in a settlement of friendly Indians. Just east of the Metzcar farm, on the Wagner farm, Mr. Dalrymple explored a camp site covering about seven acres. Near the head of Crout creek, in sections three, ten and fifteen of German township, and in sections thirty-three, thirty-four and thirty-five of Washington township, numerous evidences of early cccu- pancy have been found. Skeletons, beads and various imple- ments were found in a gravel cairn on the Norman Teaford farm. The decayed remains of numerous bark wigwams were encountered on the Ross farm, in the southeast corner of sec- tion nine, German township, by the early settlers. On the Bickel and Neff farms, near the mouth of Crout creek, re- mains of an encampment were found, besides numerous stone implements. In fact, there seems to have been a string of villages along the entire course of this creek and the pioneers saw Indians in this locality as late as 1831 or 1832, when the upper Miami valley tribes emigrated beyond the Mississippi river. On the Coapstick farm, just south of Nashville, a sugar camp had apparently been operated by the Indians as the trees showed marks made in tapping when examined by the pioneers. Many stone hammers were found near this
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DARKE COUNTY
place, indicating that it had been a camp site. The Young mound and the gravel cairns on the Cable farm, above men- tioned, were in this neighborhood.
Along the east side of Mud creek prairie, between Green- ville and Fort Jefferson, several camp sites have been discov- ered. On the Benj. Kerst farm and on the Lamb farm in section fifteen, Neave township, adjoining some fine springs and overlooking the prairie, numerous unfinished implements and large quantities of spawls have been found, indicating long occupancy by the natives.
The site of the city of Greenville itself was probably one of the largest and most popular camping grounds in the county on account of its extensive elevated grounds, over- looking the Mud creek prairie and the valley of Greenville creek. It is known that Indian trails radiated from this site in various directions.
Strong indications of a camp site were found on the Wright farm in the northwest corner of section thirty-one, Green- ville township, on the north bluff of Greenville creek.
No doubt villages were located on the upper waters of the Whitewater in Harrison township and in various parts of the county, as evidenced by the large number of stone relics which have been picked up from time to time. The sites mentioned have been most carefully explored and serve to in- dicate what further careful investigation may reveal. It has been noticed that village sites have almost invariably been found near springs, and on the ridges or bluffs bordering streams or prairies. They were located here, no doubt, for convenience, for accessibility and also on account of the im- passable and unsanitary condition of the extensive swamps which characterized primitive Darke county.
Flint Caches.
The ancient Americans obtained flint blocks and fragments at an extensive and well known outcrop of this material, southeast of Newark in Licking county, Ohio, where signs of extensive quarrying appear. The flint was taken out some distance below the surface where it was found to be more easily chipped and worked out. The material secured here was often carried several hundred miles to some camp site. probably by some nomadic tribe of traders, where it was chipped off and worked into the desired implements. If not
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DARKE COUNTY
needed at the time the leaves or flakes or flint were buried a few inches beneath the surface for safe deposit and probably to keep them damp and in condition for working when needed. Such burials are known as "caches" and have been en- countered in various parts of the county. A few typical finds will be noted, all of which occured near streams. A cache was found in German township near the upper West Branch on the farm of Ivens Parent and consisted of about a peck of light lead colored chips of chert, ranging from an inch and a half to two inches in width and from two to three inches in length. The uniform color, texture and cleavage of these specimens showed clearly that they were all of the same ma- terial. A cache, comprising about three pecks of gray flakes, was revealed upon the uprooting of a large tree by the wind some forty years ago on the farm now owned by J. W. Ross, in the southeast quarter of section twenty-two. Washington township, near Crout creek. A cache comprising probably fifty specimens of a uniform light brown color was found by Washington Hunt, about twenty years ago, on the Jos. Kat- zenberger farm near Weimer's Mill, in section twenty, Green- ville township, just north of Greenville creek. On the north side of the same creek on the Judy tract, section thirty-six Greenville township, just east of Greenville, a very large cache was found in early days which contained probably four hundred specimens. Other instances of this kind might be cited but these suffice. It is unfortunate that the specimens thus found have been scattered far and wide and it is the writer's hope that the next large cache will find its way into the public museum in Greenville, where it may be safely kept and exhibited for its educational value.
Workshops.
Mention is made of an ancient camp site and workshop on the farm of Robert Downing, in section nine, Harrison town- ship, near the head of West Branch. Here, it seems, a spe- cialty was made of manufacturing stone axes, large numbers of which have been found in a partly finished condition. At this place an immense quantity of spawls and broken stone is encountered when turning up the soil, and a fine spring is near at hand. On the north bluff of Greenville creek, about a mile and a half east of Gettysburg, in section twenty- nine, Adams township, was apparently located a workshop
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DARKE COUNTY
where stone pestles were once made. Large numbers of small granitic, glacial boulders are found in this locality and the ancient craftsmen of the stone age had evidently used these to good purpose as shown by the quantity of pestles. finished and unfinished, which have been found here. In the opinion of Mr. Young the finding of such a large number of one kind of implement on a definite site would tend to indi- cate that the artist who located his workshop there was a specialist in the shaping and manufacturing of that particular tool or weapon, thereby becoming an expert in his line. The Indians had small, portable stone mortars in which to pul- verize and mix the pigments for decorating their bodies and others for grinding grain. They also used large stationary boulders for the latter purpose. One of these formerly stood on the old Rush farm, now belonging to R. E. O'Brien, in section three, just north of the site of Bunker Hill, formerly mentioned. This old stone mill has been badly defaced but is still exhibited by Mr. O'Brien. A skeleton was exhumed in the sand pit near this stone, which seems to have been located along an old trail leading diagonally across the prairie and joining the main trail near Oakwood. Another stone mill formerly stood near Beech Grove, and a third on the Jenkinson farm south of Fort Jefferson.
Fine specimens of pipes have been found in the following localities :
Stone Pipes and Implements.
A catlinite pipe was found on the south bank of Greenville creek, in section seventeen, Washington township, on the farm now owned by H. M. Oswalt. This is now in the Katzenber- ger collection. Another catlinite pipe was found in section five, German township, on the Clemens land at the head of Carnahan branch of Greenville creek. (Now in the collection of E. M. Thresher, Dayton, Ohio.) A dark bluish green pol- ished steatite pipe was found on the Wm. Rentz farm in section twenty-two, Greenville township. (Now in the pos- session of H. C. Shetrone, Columbus, Ohio.) A pipe carved after the form of a sitting man with a human face cut in the bowl was found in a mound. A carved stone tortoise was picked up near Fort Jefferson. It was about four inches long, three inches wide, and two inches high, and was of a peci- liar rock, mottled yellow and black. Effigy pipes, record pipes and common pipes have also been found in limited
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DARKE COUNTY
numbers. The list of implements and ornaments found at various times scattered over the county is a large one and includes flint and chert knives, spears, arrow heads, drills, slate stone discs, badges, gorges, axes, calling tubes, scrapers, record tablets, thread shapers, rubbing stones, granite mor- tars, pestles, celts, hammers, axes, balls, etc. Large numbers of these were secured in early days by Dr. Gabriel Miesse, and by Anthony and Charles Katzenberger, and many are now on exhibition in the public museum in Greenville.
Topography.
The surface of Darke county presents but few marked fea- tures. As before suggested it is known as a glacial plain and is crossed by three moraine belts slightly elevated above the adjoining lands. The great watershed, or summit ridge, di- viding the basins of the Wabash and Great Miami enters the northeastern part of the county in Patterson township and trends in a southwesterly direction, passing through the south- ern part of Wabash and Allen townships, and reaching the state line near the middle of the western line of Jackson township. The land slopes mostly in a southeasterly direc- tion from this ridge toward the Great Miami. The ridge itself presents a broad, rounded and comparatively regular outline. At a remote date it was probably somewhat higher and much more uneven, but the natural elements have eroded its original surface and the streams have carried down this loosened glacial material and mixed it with the black vege- table loam of the upper basins of the Mississinawa, Wabash and Stillwater streams, thus greatly enriching these bottom lands and reducing the rugged contour of the ridge. In the neighborhood of Rosehill the ridge reaches a height of eleven hundred feet above sea level while in its eastern lobe it is about a hundred feet lower.
The highest altitude in the county, 1,225 feet, is in Harri- son township near School No. 7 on the ridge separating the basin of the Whitewater from that of the West Branch.
The following figures from the topographic survey of Ohio show the relative height at various points in the county. It will be noted that the difference between the highest and lowest points enumerated, viz .: Yankeetown, in Harrison township, and Versailles, in Wayne township, is two hundred
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DARKE COUNTY
and twenty-four feet, and that the elevation of the county seat is about ten hundred and fifty feet :
Yankeetown
1,192
Elroy 1,031
New Madison
1,113
Ithaca 1,032
Savona
1,106
Rossburg 1,030
Palestine
1,104
Pitsburg 1,028
Clark's Station 1,095
Woodington 1,023
Nashville
1,093
Dawn 1,022
Castine
1,079
New Weston
1,014
Near Rose Hill
1,078
North Star
1,006
Jaysville
1,054
Ansonia 1,005
Arcanum
1,053
New Harrison 1
987
Greenville
1,050
Yorkshire
987
Brock
1,048
Versailles
968
Streams and Drainage Systems.
The upper Stillwater rises in Jackson township, skirts the southern slope of the dividing ridge near Lightsville, and flows southeasterly in a shallow valley toward the Great Miami. It drains the plain lying between the Mississinawa and the Union moraines formerly noted.
Greenville creek, the largest stream in the county, arises in the Wabash divide a few miles across the state line south- west of Union City and flows in a southeastern direction along the Union moraine to Greenville and thence easterly to its junction with Stillwater at Covington, in Miami county. Its principal branches, Dismal creek, Crout creek, West Branch, Mud creek and Bridge creek, are received from the south and west. It drains a large part of the county lying between the Union moraine and the moraine passing through the southern part of the county. The Union moraine on the north and the glacial cairns along the central course break the monotony and give a romantic touch to its scenic effect. These two streams drain the most of the county, but are supplemented by other valuable water courses. The upper waters of the Mississinawa and the Wabash rise within about a mile of each other on the northern slope of the divide in the north- western part of the county. The former drains most of Mississinawa township and the western part of Jackson town- ship. The latter runs southeasterly into central Allen town- ship and thence northeasterly through the northwest corner of Wabash and into Mercer county. After continuing east-
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DARKE COUNTY
ward it takes a circuitous course and returns westward in Mercer county, so that when it arrives at Fort Recovery after traveling about sixty miles it is only about four miles from its source. Painter creek and Ludlow ereek rise in what used to be known as the swamp ash slashes in the southeastern part of the county and drain the rich level country now com- prised mostly in Franklin and Monroe townships, together with parts of Van Buren and Twin townships. Twin creek rises in the northern part of Butler township in what was formerly known as Maple Swamp, flows east of south and forms the main drainage system of that township. Miller's Fork of Twin creek rcaches up into Twin township and drains its western and southern portion. The East Fork of White Water drains the southwestern corner of the county. It reaches to the neighborhood of New Madison where its head- waters approach within half a mile of the source of Mud creek, forming a remarkable continuous prairie which has been utilized by the Panhandle railway from Greenville to Richmond to good effect. The main head of the White Wa- ter is in western German township within a mile of the head of Crout creek. This stream flows almost west of south, passing west of Hollansburg and crossing the state line about two miles below this place.
Thus it will be seen that Darke county is covered with a veritable network of streams radiating in various directions and belonging mostly to the Miami and Wabash drainage basins. There is not a single township without an adequate drainage system. These streams and brooks are fed by numberless springs bubbling from the loamy soil, and furnishing refreshment to man and beast. Probably the fin- est springs are found in the southwestern part of the county, where they bubble up from the underlying limestone freighted with carbonate of lime and magnesia and having properties similar to the famous Cedar Springs in the adjoining section of Preble county. On account of the extensive drainage op- erations and the destruction of the forest in the county most of the surface springs have disappeared from sight and water is supplied by wells obtained from the sand and gravel de- posits overlying the glacial elays at a depth of from twenty to fifty feet below the surface. Many wells have been drilled deep in the underlying limestone and prove an unfailing source of fine drinking water. On the Tillman farm in sec- tion 20, Brown township, water was encountered at a depth
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DARKE COUNTY
of about 180 feet while drilling for oil or gas in 1899. Water has continued to pour from this hole ever since, making one of the finest artesian wells in the county. Some fine surface springs are found in this same neighborhood which feed the upper Stillwater.
This abundant supply of good water and excellent drainage system have contributed materially to the rapid development of the county, making it one of the most desirable places of residence within the state.
Forests.
This abundance of moisture explains, also, the presence of the grand forests which covered primitive Darke county. Rooted in a naturally rich soil the trees were fed by an un- failing supply of moisture from the springs and streams. Judging from the accounts of the pioneers and from the groves of timber still standing one would be inclined to the opinion that the primeval forest of old Darke county was one of the finest encountered in temperate climes in variety of species, development of body, beauty of foliage and commercial value. It seems that there were few natural meadows or prairies and that an almost unbroken forest stretched over the entire face of the county. Sometimes one encountered beautiful groves of fine oaks, as along the ridges skirting the Mud Creek prairie. In level wet places soft maple perhaps prevailed as in the extensive maple swamp in Butler township. Again the hard sugar maple predominated to the delight of the Indian and the pioneer as in the Hiller settlement. Beech groves were found in a few places, mostly in the southern and western part of the county, and on the ridge in the northern part. Along the streams grew the white boled sycamore, the stately American elm, the graceful linden and the verdant willow. For the most part, however, the predominating trees were interspersed with others scarcely less common and a remark- able variety was encountered on a comparatively small tract of land. Besides those mentioned, the ash, shagbark, hickory and black walnut were quite common. While the following variety were encountered with more or less frequency : yellow poplar, buckeye, locust, cottonwood, slippery elm, butternut, black cherry, mulberry, coffee berry, silver maple. While among the smaller varieties were noted the dogwood, red bud, black-haw, red-haw, sassafras, wild crab, wild plum, persim- mon, papaw and a large variety of ornamental and flowering
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DARKE COUNTY
shrubbery which often made an almost impenetrable growth of underbrush, such as the spice bush, wahoo, sumac, hazel- nut, blackberry, raspberry.
It should be noted also that the predominating trees were found in large variety. For instance, the oak which appeared in black, red, white, burr and pin. Individual specimens at- tained a remarkable size as shown by the following notable instances mentioned by Mr. Calvin Young. "In the year 1883 there was cut down in German township an oak that had a history. It measured over six feet across the stump, contain- ing over five hundred annual rings of growth. It was in its most thrifty condition between two and three hundred years of age, from the fact of those annual growths were much larger and faster of growth than it was at the heart or bark of the trec. It was tall and symmetrical, with a broad and branch- ing top. It was one hundred and nine years old when Columbus discovered America. It was three hundred and ninety-three years old when our fathers signed the Dec- laration of Independence. * * ",
"On Thursday, January 16, 1902, at one o'clock p. m., one of the largest poplar trees in western Ohio fell to the ground. It was bought by E. L. Fields, of Union City, Ind., for which he paid $160, also $11 more for extra timber to place under the same to prevent it from splitting or breaking in falling to the ground. It belonged to Jacob Ware, section 10, Ger- man township, Darke county, Ohio. It stood about two hun- dred yards east of Crout creek, which is a branch of Green- ville creek, noted by Judge Wharry in his early surveys as one of the finest and most fertile tracts of land from its source to its mouth to be found in Darke county. The tree was six feet across the stump, 18 feet in circumference, 74 feet to the first limb, attained a height of about 144 feet. By a careful count of the annual rings it was found to be over 400 years old."
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