USA > Ohio > Huron County > History of Huron County, Ohio, Its Progress and Development, Volume I > Part 4
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Wooden pins in the walls supported shelves upon which were arranged the housewife's store of pewter and wooden dishes.
Poles overhead supported circles of dried pumpkins, strings of dried apples, ropes of onions, etc., at a time when these were raised. The ax, broad-ax, frow and auger were about the only tools required for building a house, and no nails were needed. The houses often had but a single room, unless the settler was a man of means and could afford the luxury of a double house which was the same as two houses joined together, end to end, with a covered passage way between them. A more pretentious house was built of hewed logs, with sawed clapboards for the gable ends, and glass windows. Many houses had two large doors op- posite each other so that the back logs could be hauled in by a horse.
The barns were necessarily made of logs, and the old log house was fre- quently turned into a barn when a new house was built. Those settlers who were not fortunate enough to get a location near a spring of water were obliged to dig wells. Instead of the handy pumps of these days the pioneer used a "well sweep," which consisted of an unright post with a fork at the top, placed at the side of the well. In this crotch was fastened a pole by means of a pin, with the small end up, and to the end of this a rope or smaller pole was fastened and the bucket suspended from it. The large end of the sweep was weighted so that it would balance a bucket of water.
The new settler found his land covered with a dense growth of huge trees and thick underbrush, unlike the rocky hills of New England or New York. He frequently had but little experience in chopping trees and found it slow work to chop the large trees, but there were expert choppers who could he hired to "slash" a piece of timber for four or five dollars an acre, and one man could chop an acre a week. For ten dollars an acre they would chop the trees and pile the brush, ready for burning. They planned their work with much skill and felled the trees so as to bring the bodies of several together, then piled the brush on top of them. After the brush was burned the trunks could be hauled around a little so as to bring them parallel and form a log heap with little labor. Others who were not so particular with their work would commence at one side of the place which was to be cleared and cut the trees partly off, in such a man- ner that they would fall toward the center of the strip cut over. When the other end of the strip was reached a tree was cut off, and in falling it broke another and that another, and so on until all the trees on the strip chopped over would be down in a huge winrow. The chopping was generally done in the winter and after harvest was the time for "burning the fallow." Fire was applied to the brush and the dry leaves and branches made a roaring bonfire in a few minutes. Such fires could be seen in all directions and the air was full of smoke. After the fire had burned out, the operation of "logging" began. The trunks of the trees were chopped into lengths convenient to handle. Sometimes the large logs were cut by "niggering off." A small log was laid across the large one at the point where it was to be cut in two, and set on fire at the point of intersection. As the small log was consumed it was shoved along so as to keep a fire at the one point, and in time the largest trunks were divided. Oxen hauled the logs and they were rolled together and piled high by the strong arms of the pioneers. The crevices were filled with smaller chunks, until the heap was as compact as
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it could be made. The fire brand was applied and in a short time the great heap would be nearly consumed.
It was necessary, at this time, to use handspikes and poles and roll the un- consumed portions of large logs together so as to keep the fire going. After a while there would be nothing but "brands" or small pieces left. Then began the operation of "branding," which was rolling these brands together, or if the fire had gone out, hauling them to another heap. Sometimes the settler called his neighbors together to his "logging bec." One man was chosen for a boss and he planned the heaps and divided the men into gangs who had certain work to perform. One set of men would take care of the logs as they were brought to the heaps and rolled them together, or used skids and levers when the heap was higher than one tier of logs. The oxen were broken to know what was wanted and as soon as they were hitched to a log would start for the heap with- out waiting for the word of command. The driver had to look out for himself for they would hardly wait for the chain to be hooked or unhooked before they were off. The logs were blackened by the previous fire and the men soon be- came as black as negroes, and if a man was not black enough to suit the fancy of the rest of the company he would be held while the charcoal was applied to his face in liberal quantities. The work of logging was laborious and the men needed no tonic to increase their appetites. The "boiled dinner" of potatoes and pork was heartily enjoyed. In some cases where the land was not immedi- ately needed for tilling. the trees were girdled and left to die. Such tracks afforded better pasture than the woods. The fire left the ground bare except for the stumps and heaps of ashes where the log heaps were burned. The ashes were carefully gathered and sold to go to the asheries where potash was made from them, or the settler made lye from them and boiled it down to "black salts" and sold it in that form. The sale of ashes or black salts was often about the only source of revenue for the pioneer, and the great "ash wagons" were as com- mnon as the "egg wagons" are at this day. Some of the ash wagons used to carry a few articles of dry goods or other goods for barter. After a piece of timber had been chopped over a dense growth of "fireweeds" sprang up and grew to the height of six or eight feet. The seeds of these weeds were covered with fibres like fine cotton and would blow like thistle down. There was an irritating substance about the seeds which caused sore eyes in those who worked in the "slashings."
In the fall a crop of wheat was sown. The seed was covered by a clumsy "A" drag made of three poles and nine heavy teeth. This implement was drawn by a yoke of oxen or a team of horses and went bounding over the stumps and roots, endangering the limbs of the driver if he did not keep his distance. Much of the wheat would be left uncovered and great flocks of wild pigeons and wild turkeys would feast on it. Notwithstanding these drawbacks large crops were the rule.
Homer's descriptionn of the sounds of the forest would aptly describe the sounds during the days mentioned above:
"Loud sounds the axe, redoubling strokes on strokes,
On all sides 'round, the forest hurls her oaks
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Headlong. Deep echoing groans the thickets brown:
Then rattling, crackling, crashing, thunder down."
Gen. Franklin Sawyer says: "Such scenes were the order of the day. Every- where the woods resounded with the stroke of the axe. The old pioneer 'let in the daylight,' built his cabin, garnished its walls with dried pumpkin and venison, danced on his puncheon floor in his moccasins or with bare feet, got jolly over an ox sleigh ride, went to church at the toot of a dinner horn and knew and loved his heighbors from one end of the county to the other." In clearing off a piece of land enough oak or black walnut trees would be saved to make rails for fencing it. Cattle and hogs could be kept out, but raccoon, woodchucks, squirrels, deer and turkeys could not be kept out and they took heavy tribute from the growing crop.
The wheat was cut with a sickle or cradle, raked by hand, threshed with a flail and winnowed by hand. A winnow was made like a basket, only shallow, perhaps three feet in diameter, with a handle at each side. The mingled chaff and grain was put into this and was tossed into the air, the chaff being blown away and the grain caught again. By repeating this several times the grain was left quite clean. A windy day was necessary for the best success at the work. After the country was cleared more and larger quantities of wheat were raised, the flail was too slow for threshing and machines were invented to do the work. The first ones used in the Firelands were made at Monroeville in 1834. Fan- ning mills came into use before this time. Wheat raising grew to be a great industry in this part of the state and Milan was the principal market. The grain was hauled for fifty, sixty or even more miles, and no town near had a larger trade or brighter prospects than Milan until the advent of railroads changed the scene.
Frequently the first crop of corn would be planted by striking an axe into the ground and dropping the seed into the opening and covering it with the foot. The ground was so full of roots that no effort was made to till the crop beyond chopping out the fireweeds and other weeds and sprouts from the tree roots. The native fertility of this virgin soil was such that a good crop was assured, even by this rude method of cultivation. Pumpkins, squashes and melons grew lux- uriantly in the new soil and were a very welcome addition to the bill of fare of the pioneer and his growing children.
The pioneer had to contend with many difficulties in the way of wild animals. Bears and wolves were eager to taste of his sheep, hogs and calves. The sheep had to be penned up every night to keep them out of reach of wolves which were their special enemies. The wolves were shy and hard to shoot, but could often be caught in "wolf pens." These were built of rails or poles laid up so as to slope in- ward at the top and so high that a wolf could not jump over, but could easily clam- ber up from the outside, but could not escape when inside. A sheep or two was put inside the pen for bait. After a wolf was inside he would not touch a sheep unless he knew he could get out again, and the sheep was left unharmed except for the fright. The great grey wolves were arrant cowards in the daylight and when alone, but were dangerous to meet when roaming the forest in packs of twenty or thirty. More than one belated traveler has been obliged to rely on his speed for safety or has been obliged to climb a covenient tree and remain until daylight drove
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them to their lair in some dense swamp, or help came otherwise. Many stories are told of races with wolves, and some of them have a ludicrous side. One man re- lates a tale of being pursued by a pack of wolves and climbing a tree for safety and sitting on a limb all night, while kept awake by their howling. At break of day, when they had left him, he put down his feet preparatory for a descent of the tree and was thoroughly disgusted with himself when he discovered that in his fright he had not progressed upward when climbing and had remained all night perched on a projection of a root a couple of feet from the ground. The how ling of a wolf was a most unearthly sound. One man says that it was like the discord produced by a brass band when each player makes the most discordant sounds possible. Mul- tiply that by the number of animals in the pack and you have an idea of what it sounds like. There used to be a bounty of several dollars on each wolf scalp and many a pioneer has felt rich when he was lucky enough to kill a wolf and get the bounty to pay his taxes. The last wolf in this county was killed about 1844 or '45. William Stiles says that the last wolf heard of in this vicinity crossed the Stiles mill dam at the present village of West Clarksfield and went into the "Buckley swamp" in the northeast part of Hartland township. His tracks were seen in the snow at different places between here and Medina county. A hunt was organized and the swamp surrounded by some five hundred men. The wolf was not within the inner line of men, but attempted to get back into the swamp when he heard the noise made by another line outside. He attempted to come through near where William and Samuel Stiles were posted. A well known hunter from Townsend by the name of Mingus saw him and brought him down at the first shot. He was a very large animal, but very thin. After the wolf was killed the most of the men went to Minor's tavern and had a celebration at which the crack marksmen tried their skill by shooting at a target, the prize being a gallon of whiskey. Wil- liam Bissell carried Squire Wood's old flint lock rifle and secured one of the prizes.
Bears were not so plentiful, but would make a raid on the hog pen occasionally, even in daylight. Levi Barnum was once hunting cattle and treed a young bear. He shot at him and wounded him so that he fell to the ground, but was not disabled. A hot fight ensued in which the gun was broken, but the young bruin was finally killed. Mr. Barnum removed the entrails and shouldered the carcass and went home with the pieces of his gun in his hand. Some of the regular hunters caught bears in traps. One kind was a very large spring trap. like the common rat traps in shape, with a piece of log chain to hold it. Another kind of trap was a pen made of logs with a heavy door so arranged that when the bait was disturbed it would fall and the bear was shut in. Panthers, painters or catamounts, (different names for the same animal) were heard and seen occasionally. Deer were plenty and were a convenient source of food and raiment for the pioneers. Fresh veni- son was worth four cents a pound, salt venison eight cents and dried vension a shilling. Venison hans were worth twenty-five cents each. Deer skins were worth about two dollars and a half each.
Deer licks were places where some salty substance was in the soil and the deer would go there and lick it. These licks were favorite places for erecting "deer blinds" of bushes, from which the hunter could easily get a shot. Rattlesnakes were numerous, but we believe only one death has occurred in this township from the bite of one. The snakes had a den in the rocks on the bank of Vermillion river
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LAST LOG HOUSE IN CLARKSFIELD
BARRETT CHAPEL AND SCHOOLHOUSE, CLARKSFIELD
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HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
a short distance north of the Methodist church at the "Hollow," to which they re- treated when cold weather came. In April, 1819, before the snakes had emerged from their winter quarters the settlers turned out with bars and picks and pro- ceeded to unearth the reptiles. Stones were overturned and the snakes killed until they had a pile of more than sixty of the bodies. One opening could not be fol- lowed, so it was plugged. Years afterward a quarry was opened at that place and the skeletons of scores of snakes were found. This raid greatly reduced the num- ber of the pests, but did not exterminate them entirely. Various entries in Captain Husted's account book show that the men who took part in this raid were supplied with that popular antidote for snake bite, "Spiritus Frumenti."
The tracks of otters were sometimes seen, but these animals were so wary that they were rarely seen or captured. Beavers, wildcats and porcupines were found, as well as the wild animals of the present day. Wild turkeys were very numerous and were shot and trapped. The traps were pens made of poles or rails, cov- ered over the top. Trenches were dug under the bottom poles, so that turkeys could creep under. A lot of corn or wheat was scattered in the pen and trails of the bait laid in different directions through the woods. When the turkeys found the bait they would be led to the pen and would follow the line of bait into the pen, through the trenches. After the bait in the pen was eaten or something alarmed them they would raise their heads and try to get out of the trap, but did not know enough to look down and creep out the way they went in. Sometimes eight or ten would be taken at once. The wild turkey disappeared from this section about thirty years ago.
Owls were numerous and their hooting would frighten a "greenhorn." This parody is quite appropriate for the times:
"Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber, Wolves and panthers guard thy bed; Bats and screech owls without number Flit and scream around thy head !"
Cows were allowed to run in the woods and found plenty to eat in the summer in the way of coarse marsh grass, young shoots of trees, leeks, etc. Sometimes the scanty supply of hay or cornstalks provided for winter use would be exhausted be- fore spring and the cattle would be obliged to browse the twigs of trees and bushes, which would be cut for the purpose. To assist in finding the cows in the woods bells were hung on their necks. These were made by the local blacksmiths and gave forth tones which were far from musical, although far-reaching, and each one would have some peculiarity of tone which distinguished it to the ear of the boy or girl who was sent to bring the cows home for the night.
Hogs were frequently turned out in the woods in the fall to fatten upon the acorns and other kinds of "mast." They became quite wild and could be secured only by shooting. Many a quarrel and law suit between neighbors has been caused by two men laying claim to the same hog. Cattle, horses, hogs and sheep often strayed away and it was hard to track them through the dense woods. The town- ship records contain many notices of strays being taken up and advertised. If no owner appeared the strays were sold and the finder received pay for his trouble and the balance went into the township treasury. For the purpose of identifying stock each man in the township had the privilege of having his mark or brand re-
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HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
corded in the township record, so as to prevent two men claiming the same mark. The marks were made by cutting the ears of stock in various ingenious ways, such as "holes." "swallow forks," "crops," "half pennies," "slopes," "spades," "slits." "nitches." etc.
In the early times the settlers suffered much from the loss of cows and oxen by the "bloody murrain." It was a grievous loss when one of the yoke of oxen lay down and died.
The earliest settlers on the Firelands were obliged to subsist almost entirely upon wild meat until a crop of vegetables could be grown. If the settler came early enough to get a little patch of ground cleared in time to plant he could have some the first season. The meat diet was not a good one and did not satisfy hunger. Wild leeks came up in early spring in the woods and were eagerly eaten by the pioneers for they made a small change in the diet of corn bread and meat, but the breath of the eaters! It "smelled to heaven." The children, especially, narrowly watched the growth of the potato tops, pumpkin and squash vines and blades of corn, hoping from day to day to get something to answer the place of meat. How delicious was the taste of the first young potatoes! What a jubilee they had when they were permitted to pull roasting ears. Still more so when the corn was hard enough to be grated and made into johnny cake. The family then became healthy and vigorous and contented with the situation, poor as it might be. They suffered much inconvenience from the absence of mills to grind their corn and wheat. They used to go long distances to Cold Creek or Richland county. When the corn was not fully ripe it could be shaved off with a plane, but when ripe and hard it must be ground or pounded in some way. Some men had hand mills, but more of them used the mortar and pestle or a tin grater. The mortar was a hard wood stump with a cavity in the top made by boring holes and burning, then scraping the surface smooth. The pestle was a log of wood, perhaps with an iron wedge, driven into the lower end. suspended from a limb of a tree, or a spring pole or an arrangement like a well sweep. The grain was put into the mortar and pounded until fine enough. The man or boy who operated this primitive mill truly "earned his bread by the sweat of his brow." Sometimes the corn was converted into samp or hom- iny which made a very palatable dish. Wheat was sometimes toiled whole. The most primitive way of preparing food was to take some corn meal, mix it with water to make a batter, spread it on a chip and set it before the fire to bake. In ad- dition to corn bread, venison, turkey, squirrel, raccoon, bear or hog meat was eaten. The ravenous appetites of growing children, tired wood choppers and hunters sup- plied the sauce to make this rude meal a feast. When milk could be obtained a dish of mush and milk made a healthful and nutritious diet. Sugar could be ob- tained from the maple trees. Salt was scarce and high, and a dollar and a quarter a peck has been paid for it. "Store tea" was too expensive for the pioneer, so he used blackberry leaves, sassafras or spicebush bark, or parched corn. On special occasions, such as weddings, raisings, logging bees and the like, whisky was sup- plied. Captain Husted once went ten miles after a barrel of pork, but when it was opened it was found to be too lean to fry itself. A deputation of neighbors was sent to the lake after catfish, and that remedied the difficulty to a certain extent.
The first section of this township was not settled as early as the other portions and the settlers lived in a primitive way as late as 1841. an:l we may judge from the
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way they lived as to the customs of the first settlers in the rest of the town. There are people living who tell us that they lived on corn and buckwheat, with no wheat flour. Fat pork swimming in its own grease was the meat. For a Christmas din- ner wild turkey roasted before the fire place and stuffed with buckwheat pancakes, wild honey, sauce made from wild crab apples or plums, and tea made from black- berry leaves was a menu good enough for the best. One lady says that she passed through Norwalk in 1818, at the time the first court held there was in session. The lawyers and others put up at David Underhill's. They had for supper wild crabapples stewed, corn cakes, wild honey and crabapple pie. Seth Jennings of Milan said that in 1819 a grand Thanksgiving dinner consisted of roasted turkey, venison, pork and other meats, baked Indian pudding, pumpkin and first rate mince pies. The latter were made without wine, cider, sugar or molasses, apples or beef. For sweetening pumpkins were boiled down to a syrup, for apples cran- berries and pumpkins were used, and for beef, venison.
When the clothing brought here by the pioneer was used up it had to be renewed in some way. After the land had been cleared long enough a crop of flax was raised and garments were made of flax and wool. The flax was rotted. broken, swingled, hetcheled, spun, woven and made into garments by the set- tler's own family, perhaps although not every woman had a loom or could weave, but she need not go out of the neighborhood to get her weaving done. The garments made from this homespun linen or tow were durable, but not fine. The long fibres obtained by hetcheling was linen, and could be spun into finer yarn. It was woven with wool and called "linsey woolsey." It could be colored with butternut bark, or similar dye stuffs, and woven in checks or stripes, according to the fancy of the weaver. This was made into shirts and dresses, bed clothing, etc. The short fibres which were combed out by the hetchel made tow which was spun into coarse yarn for coats, vests, pants and coarse cloth and twisted into cords and ropes for domestic use.
The very carliest settlers used deer skin for pants and coat. It was well suited for rough usage, but had a fashion of stretching marvelously when wet. If the wearer sat before the fire and allowed the pantaloons to dry upon him he had no easy task to get out of them at bedtime, for they were hard and stiff when dried after being soaked. They would shrink back to their former size or a little smaller. A man who did not understand this properly once went to Norwalk at the time two Indians were hung there. He traveled through the bushes and swamps on his way there and got his trousers wet. When they first began to hang down to his heels he cut off a piece of the legs instead of rolling them up. After a while he cut off another piece. When he arrived at Nor- walk the sun was shining hot and it was not long until his pants were up to his knees and he attracted almost as much attention as the Indians. When the pants were wet by the snow in winter and dried it required a good degree of resolution to crawl out from the bed in some loft where the floor was covered with an inch or so of snow and stick one's legs into a pair of these garments, which were like stove pipes, and it also required no little skill to get into them or bend after they were once on. It is related of one of the earliest settlers in this county that his old buckskin trousers were beginning to show signs of passing away. He had a deer skin which would do for one leg. but the deer which was to
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