History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 90

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Ohio > Licking County > History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present > Part 90

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The Indians remained some time after this, in the township, except a small number, who erected a few small huts on, or near, the Brushy fork, not far from the present boundary line between Mc-

Kean and Granville townships. These last named remained until after the commencement of the War of 1812.

George W. Evans, generally known as Washing- ton Evans, and Lucy, his wife, came from Green county, Pennsylvania, in 1806, and were the first settlers. Their daughter subsequently married Matthew Clark. Their son, John, ought to be considered the first white child born in the town- ship, but from the necessities of the case, was born at the house of John Evans, a brother of Wash- ington, who lived near St. Louisville.

The Greens who bought out the Wyandots, were Virginians, and accustomed to frontier life. Mahala Green, daughter of George and Diana Green, born in the autumn of 1807, was the first white child born in the township. She subsequently married Bazil Butt.

Mrs. George Green, yet living in this township at the age of ninety-two, is the mother of seven- teen children, and rejoices in one hundred grand- children, seventy great-grand children, and a num- ber of great-great-grandchildren.

A family named Steinmetz, was the fourth family in the township. Elisha Willison and Jacob Baker soon followed, and in 1815 there were about twenty-five families in the township.

In 1813 Dr. Oliver Bigelow, from New York State, who owned the southwest quarter of the township, laid out the town of Johnstown, which, however, until 1815, made little or no progress In the latter year N. Alden, Henry Hoover. William Sellers and, probably, others made im- provements in the town. From that time until 1830, the town and township increased rapidly in population. The town never grew, however, up to the expectation of its founders, and probably there

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are few if any more people there at the present time than in 1830. Although the houses are mostly strung along on either side of the main highway, the town was laid out in the form of a square with a large public square in the center, as were the towns generally in the county. This square, at present, looks like a vacant field. Trees have, however, been set out around it, which, if cared for, will one day beautify it. The census, just completed, makes the population two hundred and seventy-eight. There are five stores of differ- ent kinds, three wagon shops, two harness shops and three blacksmith shops.

The churches number three, and the union school building contains four rooms, and three teachers are, at present, employed.

More than two-thirds of a century this little town has lived without that great civilizer the rail- road, but it has come at last. The track was re- cently laid, and although no passenger train has yet made its appearance, construction trains are run- ning, and just now (September, 1880) a neat, little depot building is being completed.

Moses Foster, the first justice of the peace, died in 1815, and Dr. S. A. Bigelow, who died in 1821, was the second justice.

The first marriages were those of Ned Hatfield to Miss Timants, and Regnal Green to Sarah Willison.

There are six churches in this township. Among the first of these was the Monroe Baptist church, one mile north of Johnstown, organized in 1819, by Rev. George Evans. The original members of this organization were Jacob Baker, Richard Orpret, Washington Evans and wife, M. Hoover, John Clark and Abram Barlow. For ten years services were held in the private dwellings of the members and in the neighboring school- houses.

In 1830 the present brick church was erected at a cost of six hundred dollars. Rev. Eli Ash- brook was one of the earliest ministers in this church, serving five years. He was followed by Elders Darrow, Berry, Gildersleeve and Lyman. Rev. Hanover is present pastor. The present membership is twelve. ·

The Baptist church of Johnstown was organized in 1839, by F. R. Freeman. The original mem-

bers were William Beers, Eli Pratt, James Hoover, Simeon De Wolf, F. R. Freeman, John Clark, Julius Freeman, John French, William Gisesell, Mary Peck, Irene Baker, Eva Violet, Lucy Mor- gan, Anna Crosby, Betsey Morgan, Elizabeth Dolph, Lavina Beers, Rebecca Best, Mary Clark, Minerva Hoover, Mary Downing, Rachel Phillips, Barbara Shoemaker, and Annetta Baker.

The present church was erected in 1869, at a cost of four thousand dollars.

Among the early pastors of this church were Elders Griswold, Sedgwick, Macy and Miller. The present pastor is D. W. Fields; the present membership, thirty.

The Sunday-school, organized in 1869, has a membership of fifty. Mrs. Lenora Adams is present superintendent.

The Methodist Episcopal church, known as Monroe Chapel, was organized in 1837, in a school-house, in which the services were held un- til the erection of the present church, in 1840. The organization was effected principally through the influence of Uriah Heath, and the original members were Joseph B. Crammer, John Robi- son, Henry Heckathorn, Thomas Leitew, William Miller and Mr. Cole.

The church is a weak one at present, number- ing about six members; but a good Sabbath-school is sustained, with a membership of thirty-five; this was established about the time the church was erected.

The first Presbyterian church of Johnstown, was organized July 15, 1837, by Joseph Mat- thews. A few of the original members were David Conway, John Follett and Henry Le Duc. A church was erected in the same year in which the organization was effected, costing about one thousand two hundred dollars. The church is not a strong one, having, at present, but twelve members. The pastor is Edward Garland.

Methodist Episcopal church of Johnstown .-- This is among the oldest in the township, having been organized in 1820 by the well known Russel Bigelow, who, at that time, had charge of the Columbus circuit. Mr. Bigelow organized many of the early Methodist churches in Central Ohio.

The organization took place at the residence of George Green, who with his wife and Rignal, and

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Charles Green and their wives constituted the first members of this organization. The first Method- ist meeting was held in Peter Stephen's tavern, and for five years this society held meetings at private houses and the school-house. In 1825, their first church edifice was erected. It was a small frame, and cost about three hundred dollars. In 1842, a quarterly meeting was held in Jacob Foulk's new barn, at which thirty persons united with the church, and much interest was mani- tested. A new church was erected this year at a cost of about one thousand dollars. Both of these church buildings are yet standing; the first being used as a dwelling. Russel Bigelow minis- tered to this church during its early years. The present pastor is F. S. Thurston. The church records show a membership of fifty-four.

A Sunday-school has, for years, been connected with the church, and at present numbers about

forty, including scholars and teachers. George Foulk is superintendent. Jacob Foulk and wife, who are yet living, were very early members of this church. They are pioneers, and are now looking back through the mists of something more than eighty years.

The United Brethren in Christ .-- This church was organized in 1863, by Rev. William McDan- iels, assisted by Silas Priest, Benjamin Clouse, Benjamin Green, Joseph Smith and Elisha Green. They held meetings in what is known as the Kaw school-house, the first few years, and, in 1866, erected the present church edifice. It is a neat, substantial building, and cost one thousand one hundred dollars. At present the membership is sixty-seven. The organization of the Sunday- school was coeval with that of the church, and now embraces sixty-three members.

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CHAPTER LXV.

NEWARK TOWNSHIP.

MOUNDS, MOUND BUILDERS AND ANCIENT WORKS IN THIS TOWNSHIP.

"What is there new atop of this old world? Should e'er I come to write your books, why I Would search among the quaint and dusty tombs While the selfish world sought pleasure and repose." -Joaquin Miller.

W TITHIN the limits of this township are located some of the most astonishing, as well as the most complete and complicated works of the Mound Builders. The immediate vicinity of Newark seems to have been a sort of head- quarters, or great central city. Newark, indeed, is built upon the ruins of the works of this mysteri- ous people, many mounds having been leveled to make way for streets and buildings, and the city has extended into the great works, of which a cut is here given.

This drawing is taken from a survey by David Wyrick, in 1860, and gives a faithful outline of the Old Fort, and the connecting works within a radius of one mile. The outlying works are nearly obliterated, with the exception of some of the parallel lines and the Octagon fort and its con- necting circle. The larger circle in the drawing marked "thirty acres," represents the most promi- nent and best preserved of all this series of works, and is now owned and used by the Licking County Agricultural society; its preservation being thus as- sured.

The portions of the cut represented by a square, and parts of the lines of an oblong, are nearly obliterated by the growth of the city of Newark in that direction.

The octagon and circle marked respectively "fifty acres" and "thirty acres," have been par- tially subjected to the leveling processes. .

The whole plain between the South and Rac- coon forks of Licking river, and covering an area of several square miles, bears tracesof occupation

by the "lost race." It is evident from the remains here found, that this section was densely popu- lated, and the character of the works, too, bear out the assumption that this people passed through the different stages of existence that fall to the changing experience of nations at the present day.

The following description of the Old Fort is probably the most accurate as to measurements and other particulars yet given, being the result of actual surveys made by Colonel Charles Whittle- sey, of Cleveland, and Isaac Smucker, esq., of Newark : .

"The Old Fort is situated a mile and a half in a southwest- erly direction from the court house in Newark, and belongs to the class of Mound Builders' works known as inclosures. It is not a true circle, the respective diameters being eleven hundred and fifty, and twelve hundred and fifty feet. Its banks, nearly a mile in length, were formed by throwing up the earth from the inside, which left a ditch of sloping sides, ten feet (in many places more) in depth, and ranges, in perpendicular height, measuring from bottom of ditch to top of bank, from twenty to thirty feet. This inclosure, which embraces within it about twenty-seven acres of land, was constructed on level ground. and the ditch above described was often seen, during the earlier decades of the present century, partially, and sometimes wholly, filled with water all around the circle. From some cause it has not held water of late years to any great extent. Viewed from the outside, the embankment does not rise more than ten to fifteen feet above the surface of the surrounding ground, but observed from its top, the eye taking in the depth of the ditch, it seems, of course, much higher, so as to corres- pond in height, at least, to the figures above given.

"The Old Fort has an entrance or gateway, which is flanked by a high bank or parapet on either side of it, running outward forty yards. The gateway and parallel walls or parapets are on the eastern side of the circle, and the ditch which follows it also extends to the termination of the parallel banks that cover the entrance. Here the banks are highest; the parallel walls, as well as those which form the circle immediately adjoining them at the gateway, reaching, for a short distance, a perpen- dicular height of at least thirty feet, measuring from the bottom of the ditch, or twenty feet, measuring on the outside. The gateway or entrance measures seventy-five feet between the ditches or moats, and between the parapets or banks of earth that flank the entrance, one hundred and thirty feet.

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"Trees of a large size are still growing upon the banks, all around the circle, as well as upon the parallel walls at the en- trance. They are equal in size to those that are yet found both on the outside of the inclosure and within it, and of the same varieties. Some of them measure ten feet in circumference and are still thrifty, giving no indications of decay. One of the largest trees that stood on this embankment was cut down in 1815, and its concentric circles showed that it had attained to the venerable age of five hundred and fifty years. Many others of its cotemporaries, too, are still flourishing and enjoying an equally vigorous 'green old age.' This fact may be borne in mind as indicating the antiquity of this wonderful work, espe- cially when taken in connection with the strong probability that this tree, of now more than six centuries ago, was more likely of the second or third growth of trees than of the first, after the Mound Builders had erected this inclosure, which is only one of the extensive series of labyrinthine works, whose em- bankments measure many miles in length, and which, by low parallel banks, were connected with others of similar character, as remote from them as are those of the Hock-Hocking and other distant places.

"In the middle of the Old Fort is an elevation, evidently artificial, which never fails to attract the attention of the observ- ing, and is generally designated as Eagle mound. It is full six feet high, and is in the form and shape of an eagle in flight, with wings outspread, measuring from tip to tip two hundred and forty feet, and from head to tail two hundred and ten feet, and is clearly of the effigy class of the works of the Mound Builders. It faces the entrance, and therefore lies in an east and west direction, its wings extending north and south. Ex- cavations made many years ago into the center of this earthen figure, where the elevation is greatest, developed an altar built of stone, upon which were found ashes, charcoal and calcined bones, showing that it had been used for sacrificial purposes.

"Many have held the opinion that the Old Fort was a mili- tary work, constructed for defence, but its location on a level plain, its symmetrical form and inside ditch, and the indications of the presence of fire, seen on the altar, and its sacrificial uses, so clearly suggested, all go to render this opinion to be erro- neous, or, to say the least, one highly improbable. All the known facts pertaining to it go to raise the presumption that within this inclosure were conducted by Mound Buiders, the rites and ceremonies of their religion, they having manifestly been a religious and superstitious race, given to the practice of offering up human as well as animal sacrifices.

"Others have believed that the Old Fort was the seat of government of the Mound Builders, and that their monarch re_ sided here; and still others have held that within this inclosure they practiced their national games and amusements, similar, possibly, to the Olympic, Nemean, Pythean, and Isthmian games that were so universally popular with the enlightened Greeks during the 'Lyrical age of Greece.' Others still, hold different opinions, but I think the weight of evidence is alto- gether in favor of the theory that the Old Fort, one of the most renowned of all the Mound Builders' works, was constructed for the uses of a sacred inclosure, and was, therefore, primarily built and used for purposes connected with their religion; albeit it may also have been their seat of government, and residence of their monarch; and may, possibly, also have been sometimes used for the practice of their national games. Least likely of all is the notion that it was constructed for military purposes, or was ever used as a defensive work.

"It was in October. 1800, when Isaac Stadden, a pioneer set- tler in the Licking valley, discovered it.

One of the most astonishing and incomprehen- sible things about this great earthwork is the ditch inside of it. This, as Mr. Smucker says, is yet ter feet deep, and is, probably, fifteen or twenty feet wide at the top. If it were not for the immense trees that yet stand on the embankment, one would be inclined to place the construction of this wort within the last century, from the fact that other- wise this ditch should have long since disappeared. having been filled, by the yearly drift of leaves, etc., to the surface of the ground. When the fact is considered that this ditch has stood in the midst of the forest for centuries, and has thus been a safe receptacle for the yearly fall of leaves that would naturally drift into it, that the storms of centuries have been washing its banks, that, as Mr. Smucker says, water once stood a good portion of the year in it, with its relaxing and dissolving tenden- cies, the absorbing questions are, how deep must this ditch have been at first, and what tools could the workmen have used to raise the dirt to such a height, and for what purpose was it constructed. why, especially, was it made so deep?

Supposing that from all the causes above enu- merated, the ditch had filled one inch per year for six hundred years; even that would give it a depth of fifty feet at first. It would seem more probable that it would fill five or six inches every year, in- stead of one inch; and it is thought these works are a thousand years old instead of six hundred This being true, would make this ditch very much deeper, and only increases the mystery that already surrounds these works. Here is an oppor- tunity for scientific investigation that should not be lost. A shaft sunk in the bottom of this ditch would probably reveal its original depth.

The immensity of these works is truly wonder- ful and awe-inspiring. The stranger visiting them for the first time can only look and wonder. The pyramids of Egypt are counted among the "seven wonders of the world," but in what particular are they so much more wonderful than this earthwork? Both are equally mysterious and incomprehensible.

The "Eagle Mound" in the center of this inclo sure, is somewhat disappointing at first sight, and does not appear to have much resemblence to an

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eagle. It more resembles the shape and form of a honey-bee, and might more appropriately have been called the "Honey-Bee mound." The wings are not pointed, like those of a bird, but circular, like those of a bee, and the body is shaped much like that of the bee. Samuel Park, esq., thus writes concerning these works:

"Mr. Atwater says that many of the writers on these antiqui- ties never saw the works themselves, or if they did, it was only from some public conveyance in hasty flight through the coun- try; and consequently they know nothing about them, and their representations are not reliable. This, no doubt, in some in- stances is true. But those newspaper correspondents, and other persons seeking literary renown, are not the only persons chargeable with having arrived at conclusions, and published opinions, based upon observations quite too superficial. Mr. At- water himself, with all his care, is not safe from this charge, for in his report on the antiquities of Licking county, though he made a personal survey of them, seems to have but little knowledge of their extent and diversity of character. He gives us very correct diagrams of a portion of the works in Cherry Valley, and speaks of one or two mounds, south of Newark, and some pits below Newark, and south of Licking river. These he calls the works in Licking county, while they constitute but a very small proportion of them. He also says these works are situated on an elevated plain, forty or fifty feet above the al- luvium or creek bottoms, and generally forty feet above the country around it, while in fact, they are situated on a low plain, not more than forty or fifty feet above the present worn channels of the stream, and nearly surrounded by high hills, on which are but little, if any, less than one hundred mounds that look down upon that valley, or plain, and its works, none of which does it appear that Mr. Atwater had any knowledge of. Besides this, those works extend nearly or quite all over the county, and east into Muskingum and Coshocton counties, south into Perry and Fairfield counties, and west into Franklin county; and I doubt not, if carefully examined, would be found in a continuous line to the Mississippi. If their builders did not constitute one great nation or kingdom, they constituted several large cities, with extensive country surroundings, and enjoyed such fraternal relations with each other as to leave no trace of the lines of divis- ion, or any marks of discord or bloody wars. But on the con- trary, they have left us an abundance of monumental testimony that there has been a well arranged and thoroughly organized civil government. I do not hesitate to express the opinion that the great mass of those antiquities are the monuments of peace, and not of war, as is generally supposed. My reason for this opinion is, their want of adaptation to military purposes.

"Nearly all the circumvallations, or forts, so called, are con- structed with the moat, or ditch, inside of the wall, and many of them are very small, ranging from one to two hundred feet in diameter, and of easy approach at any and all points on the outside. Now to call such works military fortifications, is not only absurd, but supremely ridiculous. I care not what princi- ple of warfare you may assign to these Mound Builders, or what weapons they may have used, whether the primitive sling, the bow and arrow, the javelin, the dart, the sword, or cutlass, or any kind of explosive weapons. For any, or all of these, they were useless, as places of security, or for defence. It was a common custom, among the ancient nations of the earth, to

carefully guard the lives and dignity of their rulers, by prohib- iting the promiscuous approach of their subjects. This is still the case with some nations; it is done in various ways; the most common is by military guards, who were chosen with reference to their good will and attachment to the person or thing to be guarded. But in the great city of the Assyrian empire (Baby- lon) the palace of the ruling prince, though protected from the approach of enemies by the great wall of the city, was also pro- tected from the near approach of his own people by three ad- ditional strong walls surrounding the palace within the city. It was much the same with the Jews, although they were the chosen people of God, and reputed to be the righteous nation of the earth, and were entrusted with the secrets of Jehovah, which when unfolded by the fullness of time were to become a blessing to the world, still they could not be trusted to govern themselves by their moral sensibilities, but were limited in their approaches to their own sacred tabernacle and their Great temple, by the outer courts which surrounded them. But we need not name isolated cases, for the principle has been common to all ages. If any of us to-day were to attempt to visit St. Peter's at Rome; the Mosque of Omar, at Jerusalem; the Palace of Napoleon, in France, or of Victoria, in England, we should find them all strictly guarded. Just so with the ancient people that erected these American antiquities, they understood human nature well enough, to know that it was better to spend money, and labor to maintain the peace and dignity of their government, by guarding against trouble, than to spend it to quell insurrection. Hence these numerous monuments of their wisdom and great- ness spread all over our lands. And it is left for us, without the aid of letters to study the theory of their government from these mute relics of a pre-historic age.

"My own theory in regard to these strange works has been shadowed forth in what I have already said. I have told you I looked upon them as the morluments of peace and not of war. The circumvallations, or inclosures of what ever form are the outer-courts of seals of royalty, and of temples of worship, and inclosures of magazines or public stores, of public parks, or pleas- ure grounds while others were for athletic exercises and other public games. We find the works varied in their character, and well adapted to these several uses. Those whose nature indi- cate the location of seals of royalty, or of temples of worship, are so constructed that the outside multitude could easily ap- proach to within a suitable distance to offer their adulation to the princes, or their adoration to the gods, and witness the sac- rificial offerings of the priests in the temples, yet the deep moat inside of the wall guarded those sacred precincts from the press of an enthusiastic or a sacreligious multitude. The same may be said as to the adaptation of those whose nature and location indicate other uses, whether for pleasure or for the protection o public stores. In some places these works are numerous and expensive, and indicate a crowded state of society, or rather a large city population. The works gradually grow more sparse as they recede from these apparently central points, but with occasional minor clusters that indicate the location and protec- tion of subordinate rulers, the location of magazines, etc., yet we find no signs of discord or of separate independence. Such a great central city do we think once occupied the hills and val- leys of Licking, and centered on Cherry valley.

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History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 90

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr. Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 826

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826