USA > Ohio > Henry County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 6
USA > Ohio > Fulton County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 6
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One act of honor, however, must be credited to Simon Girty. He and Simon Kenton were scouts together during what was known as Dunmore's war, serving faithfully and efficiently under command of Lord Dunmore. Some years after this war Kenton was captured by the Indians, subjected to the most cruel torture, and finally condemned to death at the stake. About this time Girty, who was known among the savages as "Katepacomen," appeared, rec- ognized his friend and at once interceded in his behalf, but without avail ; for once the mighty influence of Katepacomen over his savage associates had no force. Kenton, however, was not burned, but through the power of "Logan," he was transferred to another quarter, and subsequently managed to escape.
It is not the purpose of this sketch to furnish a detail of the life of Simon Girty, but only to describe briefly the renegade, who, without friends, having antagonized the Indians and outraged the whites in every possible manner, found a place of refuge and concealment within the bounds of what is now
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Henry county. It was not that a price was set upon the head of the renegade that he was sought, but there were many hardy, determined men, sufferers through the loss of friends and relations, at the hands of Girty, who had deter- mined upon vengeance. It was these men who wanted Simon Girty and made his later life one of misery and remorse, hunted like a deer, yet he es- caped them.
Every part of the Northwest was well known to Girty, and in looking for a refuge of safety none more secure could be found than the famed " black swamp." It was in this, and opposite an island of some considerable extent, on the bank of the Maumee, that the renegade fixed his temporary abode. His cabin stood upon the bank of the river and here he lived, but in times of pursuit, for the scoundrel seemed to scent danger in the air, he would retire to the densely wooded island, where any attempt to find him was useless and only exposed the pursuers to the unerring aim of his deadly rifle. How long Girty remained in this place is not known accurately. Authorities seem to disagree and but few furnish information that can be relied upon on this point, and on the finale of Girty's career as well. Some affirm that he died of the infirmities of age, while others assert that his end was tragic. It is of no great moment, however, as to what his life's ending was, and the event did not occur here. The place of his habitation on the river is, of course, entirely obliterated, and the island, too, is, in part, cleared and in a state of cultivation ; a portion, however, remains something as it was in the days of Girty, densely wooded and covered with a thick and almost impenetrable undergrowth. The whole locality is so changed now by improvement and cultivation that were the ren- egade to return in person he would not recognize the place, A story is cur- rent that the ghost, or spirit, of Girty still haunts the island, and can be seen (but not interviewed) occasionally. Concerning this we may hope, charitably, that his spirit may find some respite from everlasting torment, and if it com- mits no greater offense than to occasionally visit the uncultivated part of the island, the quiet people of the vicinity will pardon such an intrusion. It is not thought, however, that any person will seriously maintain a belief that the redoubtable Simon still lingers about the place, even in spirit.
It has been said that none of the tragic scenes of the war were enacted within the limits of Henry county, but rather that this country bordering on the river was only the thoroughfare of travel between more important points The sev- eral Indian tribes living along the Maumee frequently passed up and down, as occasion prompted, either on errands of peace or war ; and it is true, too, that the army of General Wayne, and other forces of armed whites, passed through this locality. Wayne camped for a short time at the place formerly called " Prairie du Masque," but now known as " Damascus," yet there was no hostile meeting in these parts, unless verification be given the story as related and written by an old and respected resident of the country, whose annals this vol- 8
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ume contains. The story, or legend, or tradition, whichever it may be, was written for one of the county papers, and from that it is wholly taken, except the name of the writer. The scene of the contest was on, or very near, the site of the village of Napoleon.
It seems, as the story goes, that Logan's fidelity to the cause of the Amer- icans was seriously doubted by many persons, and the suspicion coming to the ears of that famous warrior, seriously mortified him, whereupon he determined to prove anew his loyalty and honor.
Accordingly, on the 22d of November, 1812, accompanied by Captains John and Brighthorn, he started the second time for the Rapids, resolved to bring in a prisoner or scalp, or lose his own. Having proceeded down the north side of the Maumee about ten miles, the present site of Florida, they met a British officer-the eldest son of Captain Elliott- accompanied by Winne- mac, the celebrated Pottawattamie chief, and five Indians, four of them being on horseback and too strong for Logan's force, there being seven of the enemy to only three of his party. Seeing no chance of escape, Logan at once deter- mined to pass them under the pretense of friendship and a desire to communi- cate to the British certain information. With this determination he and his two men advanced to the party, and to the surprise of Logan he found one of them was his old enemy, Winnemac, who knew Logan well, and fully aware of his friendship for and adherence to the American cause. But nevertheless Logan still persisted in his first course, telling them he was on his way to com- municate with the British. After a conversation with them for some time, they moved towards the British lines, whereupon Winnemac and his com- panions turned and followed them, desiring to accompany them thither. As they traveled on together, says McCaffee, Winnemac and his party closely watched them, and when they had proceeded seven or eight miles to the mouth of a creek, which would bring them to a point between Trowbridge's stave factory and the river, as the old trail run at this point between the canal and river, Winnemac at this point proposed to the British officer that they seize Logan and his party and tie them. The officer replied that they were completely within his power, and that if they attempted to run the horses could easily run them down, or they could be shot. This conversation was over- heard by Logan. He previously intended to go on with them peaceably until night and then make his escape, but he now formed the bold design of extri- cating himself by a combat with more than double his number.
Having signified this determination to his men, Logan commenced the at- tack by shooting down Winnemac himself. The action lasted until they had fired three rounds apiece, during which time Logan and his brave companions drove the enemy nearly two miles, and separated them from their horses. By the first fire both Winnemac and Elliot fell ; by the second a young Ottawa chief lost his life, and another of the enemy was mortally wounded. About
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the conclusion of the combat, which must have been on or near the farm now owned by George Patrick, at which time Logan himself, while stooping down, received a ball just below the breast bone. It ranged downward and lodged under the skin on his back. In the mean time Brighthorn was also wounded by a ball that passed through his thigh. Another of the enemy also bit the dust at this time. As soon as Logan was wounded he ordered a retreat. Both he and Brighthorn jumped on horses of the enemy, and both rode to Winches- ter's camp at Defiance, a distance of about twenty miles, in five hours. Cap- tain John, after taking the scalp of the Ottawa chief, also retreated in safety and arrived in Defiance the next morning.
Logan had now vindicated his character as a brave and faithful soldier and friend to the American cause from the obloquy which had been unjustly thrown upon him ; but he preserved his honor at the expense of the next best gift of heaven-his life. His wound proved mortal. He lived days in agony, which he bore with uncommon fortitude, and died with the utmost composure and resignation. More firmness and consummate bravery has seldom ap- peared on the military theatre. Said Winchester in his letter to the command- ing general : "He was buried with all the honor due to his rank, and with sorrow as sincerely displayed as I ever witnessed." Said Major Hardin in a letter to Governor Shelly : "His physiognomy was formed on the best model, and exhibited the strongest marks of courage, good humor and sincerity." It was said by the Indians that the British offered one hundred and fifty dollars for his scalp. He had been very serviceable to our cause by acting as a guide and spy. He had gone with General Hull to Detroit, and with the first Ken- tucky troops who marched to the relief of Fort Wayne.
The foregoing story will not, in all respects, accord with the life and death of Logan, as it has been written by historians of recognized ability and re- search, nor will it fully harmonize, in some particulars, with statements made in this work relating to the Indian occupation and events of the territory un- der consideration; yet on the whole, the story is a good one and worthy of a place in these annals, and an earnest desire to portray the facts and incidents, and all of them, of the territory treated, impels its reproduction here.
The Black Swamp .- Here was, many years ago, an extensive tract of land, lying in part within the county of Henry. It has its history, and like all other parts of this comparatively new country, that history has been made in its transformation from swamp lands into broad and well cultivated fields, no bet- ter than which lies within the State of Ohio.
In the year 1846, when this county was in a comparatively unimproved condition, Henry Howe, with assistants, made a tour of the State, gathering data for his "Historical Collections" of Ohio. In his journeyings Mr. Howe visited the famous "Black Swamp," and at a time when the same existed in its "full force and virtue." In describing it in his sketch of Henry county, he
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
says: "A greater part of this county is covered by the famous 'Black Swamp.' This tract reaches over an extent of country of one hundred and twenty miles in length, with an average breadth of forty miles, about equaling, in area, the State of Connecticut. It is, at present, thinly settled and has a population of about fifty thousand; but probably in less than a century, when it shall be cleared and drained, it will be the garden of Ohio, and support half a million of people. The surface is generally high and level, and sustains a dense growth of forest trees, among which beech, ash, elm and oak, cotton-wood, and poplar most abound. The branches and foliage of this magnificent forest are almost impenetrable to the rays of the sun, and its gloomy silence remained unbroken until disturbed by the restless emigrants of the west. It is an inter- esting country to travel through. The perfect uniformity of the soil, the level surface of the ground alike retaining and alike absorbing water, has given to the forest a homogeneous character; the trees are all generally of the same height, so that when viewed at a distance through the haze, the forests appear like an immense blue wall stretched across the horizon. It is yet the abode of wild animals: flocks of deer are occasionally seen bounding through its labyrinths, flowers and flowering shrubs bloom in its midst and beautiful birds make it vocal with melody.
"Throughout the swamp, a mile or two apart, are slight ridges of limestone, from forty rods to a mile wide, running usually in a westerly direction, and covered with black walnut, butternut, red elm and maple. The top soil of the swamp is about a foot thick and composed of black, decayed, vegetable matter, extremely fertile. Beneath this and extending several feet, is a rich, yellow clay having large quantities of fertilizing substances of lime and silex. Lower still is a stratum of black clay of great depth. The water of the swamp is un- pleasant to the taste from containing a large quantity of sulphur; it is, how- ever, healthy and peculiarly beneficial to persons of a costive habit, or having diseases of the blood. The soil is excellent for grain and almost all produc- tions."
Such, then, was the " Black Swamp," forty and more years ago. It is true, as the historian states, that it covered a major portion of Henry county, but from its vast extent, this county lay on the margin of the swamp, the Maumee being practically its northern boundary. It is frequently understood that the swamp occupied the territory on both sides of the river, but this theory seems hardly well founded. The lands generally throughout the county were, be- fore being drained, swampy or marshy, and the soil in many places partook of the peculiar distinguishing character of the swamp lands proper, but they formed no part of what has properly been termed the "Black Swamp." The speculations, too, of the worthy historian have proved true, wherein he says : "But probably in less than a century, when it shall be cleared and drained, it will be the garden of Ohio." There is to-day no more fertile land, or more
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productive land within the State than can be found within the old "Black Swamp." While its fertility was quite well known during the early days of the county, there were but few of the pioneers that had the hardihood to at- tempt the development of it; its locality was exceedingly unhealthy and it abounded in agues and fevers and other kindred diseases. For these reasons the development of this section was delayed and the struggling pioneer sought other lands which were less difficult of improvement, and wherein health and life were not endangered.
It was in the year 1835, soon after the civil organization of the county was completed and its officers chosen, that one Brown was charged with hav ing murdered an Indian. The culprit was arraigned before "Squire" Strong, but for a lack of evidence sufficient to hold him, he was discharged. He im- mediately left the vicinity, fearing that the companions of the Indian would enforce the law according to their own "primitive custom."
It was but a short time after the event just narrated happened, that three Wyandot Indians were found murdered in the south part of the county, whither they had come to hunt and trap game. Two young men named Lyons and Anderson were arrested and charged with the crime. They stoutly protested innocence, however, but were confined in the old log jail awaiting trial. They managed to escape and made themselves scarce in these parts. One was sub- sequently re-captured, tried and acquitted. The Indians were quite inoffen- sive creatures, named Summadewat, Canwaan and Nancy, the wife of Canwaan. One of them was a minister of the gospel among the Wyandot Indians.
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
CHAPTER IX.
A GENERAL TOPOGRAPHICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL VIEW OF HENRY COUNTY ; ITS CIVIL DIVISIONS.
H ENRY county occupies a position in that portion of the State of Ohio, that is generally termed the Northwest, and in northwestern Ohio its position is nearly central ; it is removed but the width of a single county, Ful- ton, from the Michigan State line on the north, and but a single tier of coun- ties intervene between its west boundary and the State of Indiana. It is bounded on the north by Fulton, east by Wood, south by Putnam, and west by Defiance county. The county seat, Napoleon, is of latitude north forty- one degrees and twenty-two minutes, and longitude west eighty-four degrees and seven minutes.
The geographical location, in the county, of the county-seat is in the northwest part, perhaps some eight or ten miles from the central part of the county, and was established by the commissioners appointed by the Legislature, at variance with the usual custom of locating the seat of justice as near as pos- sible to the geographical center of the county. But in justice to the worthy commissioners who fixed the county seat, it must be said that their duties were as faithfully and conscientiously performed as could be done. The county seat must be situate on the beautiful and historic Maumee, and no more avail- able, appropriate, or central location could be designated than the then little settlement in Napoleon township. The commissioners could not, of course, foresee the reduction of the county's territory in the erection of Defiance and Fulton counties, but by these formations, and the surrender of Henry county's territory for them, the county seat was left in a position still further removed from the geographical center of the county, as now constituted.
As originally laid out by the act of the Legislature creating it, the county was embraced in a substantially square, solid block of land, containing near five hundred and seventy-five square miles of territory ; but the erection of Defiance county took three townships from the west side, or some one hundred and eight square miles, leaving to the county its extreme northwest township, Ridgeville, projecting westward from this, between the counties of Defiance and Fulton.
Again, in the erection of Fulton county, Henry was called upon to yield her lands therefor, and, although no whole townships were taken, the town- ships of Ridgeville, Freedom, Liberty and Washington lost each at least eight square miles, or a. total of thirty two. It is not deemed necessary for the pur-
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poses of this chapter to recite the erection of Lucas county, and a description of the lands of this county that were taken therefor.
By far the most important of the natural characteristics, or features of Henry county, is the presence and existence of the Maumee River. This stream enters the county from the west, at a point abont two miles south of the boundary line, between the townships of Flatrock and Napolcon, thence it flows in a course generally east by north, until section two, of Flatrock town- ship is reached, at which point the course of the river bears north with a slight inclination west, and so holds for a distance of about three miles, when it bears to the northeast, and passes from Napoleon township into the northern part of Harrison, which it crosses in a generally east direction, until Damascus town- ship is reached. Its course across the latter is also about due cast, with a slight bend in the vicinity of Texas; and it leaves the county at the northeast part of the last named township, nearly between sections one and twelve. On the north side of the river and bearing substantially the same course, is the Miami and Erie Canal ; and, while the latter is by no means one of the natural characteristics of the county, it is, nevertheless, an important factor in conncc- tion with the drainage system of the county. This canal was projected dur- ing the "thirties; " the contracts for construction, in this neighborhood, at least, were let in or about the year 1837, but the highway proper was not opened for traffic until the year 1843. Old settlers, who have watched the events of the past, will recall this memorable occasion, upon which Lewis Cass made the opening address. The event, however, did not take place within this county or State, but in the State of Indiana, on the west.
In addition to the utility of the canal as a thoroughfare for boat navigation, and as a receptacle for drainage water in many parts of the county, its waters also are utilized as a source of powers for many mills and manufactories in the county that are situate between it and the river. That, by drawing off of this water for mill and factory purposes, the supply for regular navigation purposes may not be exhausted, the river has been dammed at convenient points, and its water used to replenish and keep up the canal supply, which process and erection necessary for the purpose are termed as " feeders."
In the county, on the north side of the river, the canal receives nearly all of the drainage water, both natural and artificial, while on the south side the river alone carries off the surplus. None, however, of the streams of the county, except the river, is of any considerable magnitude, and few, if any, can be relied upon to furnish power at any time except during the winter and early spring ; for this reason, therefore, there are found no water-mills away from the channel of the Maumee.
Another of the natural characteristics of Henry county (now a thing of the past) was the existence of the famous Black Swamp, which originally cov-
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
ered the larger part of the county's area, and struck terror to the heart of the early pioneer. The vast body of land that was formerly a part of this swamp, is now counted among the richest and most productive farming lands to be found within the borders of the county. Being the subject of special mention in another chapter of this work, no repetition of it is here needed.
In the year 1820, by an act of the State Legislature, the county of Henry was given a life. At that time, and for several years afterward, there were but very few residents within its borders, as defined by the act. For the purpose of perfecting some system of organization, and exercising some sort of civil jurisdiction over it, it was, with other counties, consolidated, thereby including a sufficient population within the whole of them to warrant municipal control subordinate to the civil control of the State.
In the year 1821 the county was surveyed and townships established, not however, established, or formed to the extent of having a local civil organi- zation, but in accordance with the necessity and order for sub-division into convenient bodies of land for purposes of designation, and in contemplation of future settlement, growth, and development. In the year 1823 the county entire was organized into a township, or election district, and called Damascus. There has been, and still is, some speculation as to the origin, or derivation of the name Damascus, as applied in this connection. There did exist, at a point down the river some miles, many years ago, a trading post, or village, known by the French name of "Prairie du Mask," or " Prairie du Masque," and it is thought, and with much show of reason, that the prefix word "Prairie" had been dropped, and the remainder corrupted, or transformed into the name Da- mascus, changing its original character entirely and adding the last syllable to give euphony. However this may be, it is a question quite impossible to solve at this day, as difficult at least as it is to determine why the county seat was named " Napoleon." In regard to each of these, and the reason of it we must be content with the old and familiar saying : " It was done because it was done, and that's the end on't."
In the year 1835, by virtue of an act of the Legislature, passed at the last preceding session, the civil organization of Henry county was perfected, and from that time dates the separate organization of her several townships, al- though they were not so organized at the same time. It seems, unfortunately, that in the disastrous fire of 1847, the court-house, together with all the county records, was destroyed, and with that loss was also destroyed the posi- tion and exact date of the formation of the several townships previously erected, leaving only the imperfect township records, and the " memory of man " to be relied upon. The former have, to say the least, been carelessly kept, in most instances, thus placing them on the same level with the memory of man, not confidently to be relied upon. Such records, however, as have been preserved
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concerning the formation of the townships, and dates thereof, will be found in connection with the history of each, which appears elsewhere in this volume.
There are, in Henry county, thirteen separate township organizations, each of which, with the exception of the four constituting the north tier, contains, or at their original survey did contain, thirty-six square miles (sections) of land. The four townships excepted from the above statement are Ridgeville, Free- dom, Liberty and Washington. Liberty and Washington, however, since their original survey, have been extended so as to embrace all the land lying be- tween their then south boundary and the Maumee River. For this extension the townships of Harrison and Damascus surrendered territory, the former to Liberty, and the latter to Washington.
The several townships of the county, naming them promiscuously, are as follows : Ridgeville, Freedom, Liberty, Washington, Napoleon, Ilarrison, Da- mascus, Flat Rock, Monroe, Richfield, Pleasant, Marion and Bartlow, concern- ing each of which a detailed chapter will be found elsewhere in this work.
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