History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 28

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014

USA > Ohio > Medina County > History of Medina county and Ohio > Part 28

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During the legislative session of 1832-33, the subject of agriculture seems to lrave agitated the minds of the people through their representatives, for the records of that session show the first laws passed for their benefit. The aets of that body seem to have been productive of some good, for, though no records of the number of societies or- ganized at that date exist, yet the record shows that " many societies have been organized in con- formity to this act," ete. No doubt many societies held fairs from this time, for a greater or less

number of years. Agricultural journals* were, at this period, rare in the State, and the subject of agricultural improvement did not receive that at- tention from the press it does at this time ; and, for want of public spirit and attention to sustain these fairs, they were gradually discontinued until the new act respeeting their organization was passed in 1846. However, records of several county societies of the years between 1832 and 1846 yet exist, showing that in some parts of the State, the interest in these fairs was by no means diminished. The Delaware County Society re- ports for the year 1833-it was organized in June of that year-good progress for a beginning, and that much interest was manifested by the citizens of the county.

Ross County held its first exhibition in the autumn of that year, and the report of the mana- gers is quite cheerful. Nearly all of the exhibited artieles were sold at auction, at greatly advanced prices from the current ones of the day. The en- try seems to have been free, in an open inclosure, and but little revenue was derived. Little was ex- pected, hence no one was disappointed.

Washington County reports an excellent cattle show for that year, and a number of premiums awarded to the successful exhibitors. This same year the Ohio Importation Company was organ- ized at the Ross County fair. The Company began the next season the importation of fine cattle from England, and, in a few years, did inealeulable good in this respect, as well as make considerable money in the enterprise.

These societies were re-organized when the law of 1846 went into effect, and, with those that had gone down and the new ones started, gave an im- petus to agriculture that to this day is felt. Now every county has a society, while district, State and inter-State societies are annually held; all promotive in their tendency, and all a benefit to every one.

The Ohio State Board of Agriculture was organ- ized by an act of the Legislature, passed February 27, 1846. Since then various amendments to the organie law have been passed from time to time as

* The Western Tiller was published in Cincinnati, in 1826. It was "miscellaneous," but contained many excellent articles on agri- culture.

The Farmers' Record was published in Cincinnati, in 1831, and constinned for several years.

The Ohio Farmer was published at Batavia, Clermont County, in 1833, by llon. Samuel Medary.

These were tho early agricultural journals, somo of which yet survive, though in new names, and under new management. Others have, also, since been added, some of which have an exceedingly large circulation, and are an influence for much good in the State.

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HISTORY OF OHIO.

the necessities of the Board and of agriculture in the State demanded. The same day that the act was passed creating the State Board, au act was also passed providing for the crection of county and district societies, under which law, with subsequent amendments, the present county and district agri- cultural societies are managed. During the years from 1846 down to the present time, great improve- ments have been made in the manner of conduct- ing these societies, resulting in exhibitions unsur- passed in any other State.

Pomology and horticulture are branches of in- dustry so closely allied with agriculture that a brief resume of their operations in Ohio will be eminently adapted to these pages. The early planting and care of fruit in Ohio has already been noticed. Among the carliest pioneers were men of fine tastes, who not only desired to benefit them- selves and their country, but who were possessed with a laudable ambition to produce the best fruits and vegetables the State could raise. For this end they studied carefully the topography of the coun- try, its soil, climate, and various influences upon such culture, and by careful experiments with fruit and vegetables, produced the excellent varieties now in use. Mention has been made of Mr. Longworth and Mr. Ernst, of Cincinnati; and Israel and Aaron W. Putnam, on the Muskingum River ; Mr. Dille,

Judges Fuller and Whittlesey, Dr. Jared Kirtland and his sons, and others-all practical enthusiasts in these departments. At first, individual efforts alone, owing to the conditiou- of the country, could be made. As the State filled with settlers, and means of communication became better, a desire for an in- terchange of views became apparent, resulting in the establishment of periodicals devoted to these subjects, and societies where different ones could meet and discuss these things.

A Horticultural and Pomological Society was organized in Ohio in 1866. Before the organiza- tion of State societies, however, several distinct or independent socicties existed ; in fact, out of these grew the State Society, which in turn produced good by stimulating the creation of county societies. All these socicties, aids to agriculture, have pro- gressed as the State developed, and have doue much in advancing fine fruit, and a taste for æsthetic cul- ture. In all parts of the West, their influence is seen in better and improved fruit ; its culture and its demand.

To-day, Ohio stands in the van of the Western States in agriculture and all its kindred associa- tions. It only needs the active energy of her citizens to keep her in this place, advancing as time advances, until the goal of her ambition is reached.

CHAPTER XVI.

CLIMATOLOGY-OUTLINE-VARIATION IN OHIO-ESTIMATE IN DEGREES-RAINFALL-AMOUNT -VARIABILITY.

T HE climate of Ohio varies about four degrees. Though originally liable to malaria in many districts whcu first settled, in consequence of a dense vegetation induced by summer heats and rains, it has became very healthful, owing to clear- ing away this vegetation, and proper drainage. The State is as favorable in its sanitary char- acteristics as any other in its locality. Ohio is re- markable for its high productive capacity, almost every thing grown in the temperate climates being within its range. Its extremes of heat and eold are less than almost any other State in or near the same latitude, hence Ohio suffers less from the ex- treme dry or wet seasons which affect all adjoining States. These modifications are mainly due to the influence of the Lake Eric waters. These not

only modify the heat of summer and the cold of winter, but apparently reduce the profusion of rainfall in summer, and favor moisture in dry pe- riods. No finer climate exists, all couditions cousid- ered, for delicate vegetable growths, than that por- tion of Ohio bordering on Lake Erie. This is abundantly attested by the recent extensive devel- opment there of grape culture.

Mr. Lorin Blodget, author of "American Clima- tology," in the agricultural report of 1853, says ; "A district bordering on the Southern and West- ern portions of Lake Eric is more favorable in this respect (grape cultivation) than any other on the Atlantic side of the Rocky Mountains, and it will ultimately prove capable of a very liberal extension of vine culture."

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HISTORY OF OHIO.

Experience has proven Mr. Blodget correct in his theory. Now extensive fields of grapes are everywhere found on the Lake Erie Slope, while other small fruits find a sure footing on its soil.

"Considering the climate of Ohio by isother- mal lines and rain shadings, it must be borne in mind," says Mr. Blodget, in his description of Ohio's clituate, from which these facts are drawn, " that local influences often require to be considered. At the South, from Cincinnati to Steubenville, the deep river valleys are two degrees warmer than the hilly districts of the same vicinity. The lines are drawn intermediate between the two extremes. Thus, Cincinnati, on the plain, is 2° warmer than at the Observatory, and 4° warmer for cach ycar than ITillsboro, Highland County-the one being 500, the other 1,000, fect above sca-level. The immediate valley of the Ohio, from Cincinnati to Gallipolis, is about 75° for the summer, and 54° for the year; while the adjacent hilly districts, 300 to 500 feet higher, are not above 73° and 52º respectively. For the summer, generally, the river valleys are 73° to 75°; the level and central portions 72° to 73°, aud the lake border 70° to 72° A peculiar mildness of climate belongs to the vicinity of Kelley's Island, Saudusky and Toledo. Here, both winter and summer, the cli- mate is 2° warmer than on the highland ridge cx- tending from Norwalk and Oberlin to Hudson and the northeastern border. This ridge varies from 500 to 750 fect above the lake, or 850 to 1,200 fect above sea level. This high belt has a summer temperature of 70°, 27° for the winter, and 49° for the year; while at Sandusky and Kelley's Island the summer is 72º, the winter 29º, and the ycar 50°. In the central and eastern parts of the State, the winters arc comparatively cold, the average falling to 32° over the inore level districts, and to 29° on the highlands. The Ohio River valley is about 35°, but the highlands ncar it fall to 31° and 32° for the winter."

As carly as 1824, several persons in the State began taking the temperature in their respective localities, for the spring, summer, autumn and win- ter, averaging them for the entire ycar. From time to time, these were gathered and published, inducing others to take a step in the same direction. Not long since, a general table, from about forty local-

ities, was gathered and compiled, covering a period of more than a quarter of a century. This table, when avcraged, showed an average temperature of 52.4°, an evenness of temperature not equaled in many bordering States.

Very imperfect observations have been made of the amount of rainfall in the State. Until lately, only an individual here and there through- out the State took enough interest in this matter to faithfully observe and record the averages of several years in succession. In consequence of this fact, the illustration of that feature of Ohio's climate is less satisfactory than that of the temperature. "The actual raiufall of different months and years varies greatly," says Mr. Blod- get. "There may be more in a month, and, again, the quantity may rise to 12 or 15 inches in a single month. For a year, the variation may be from a minimum of 22 or 25 inches, to a maxi- mum of 50 or cven 60 inches in the southern part of the State, and 45 to 48 inches along the lake border. The average is a fixed quantity, and, although requiring a period of twenty or twenty- five years to fix it absolutely, it is entirely certain and unchangeable wlien known. On charts, these average quantities are represented by depths of shading. At Cincinnati, thic last fifteen years of observation somewhat reduce the average of 48 inches, of former ycars, to 46 or 47 inches."

Spring and summer generally give the most rain, there being, in general, 10 to 12 inches in the spring, 10 to 14 iuches in the summer, and 8 to 10 inches in the autumn. The winter is the most variable of all the seasons, the southern part of the State having 10 inches, and the northern part 7 inches or less-an average of 8 or 9 inches.

The charts of rainfall, compiled for the State, show a fall of 30 inches on the lake, and 46 inches at the Ohio River. Between these two points, the fall is marked, beginning at the north, 32, 34, 36 and 38 inches, all near the lake. Farther down, in the latitude of Tuscarawas, Monroe and Mercer Countics, the fall is 40 inches, while the south- western part is 42 and 44 inches.

The clearing away of forests, the draiuage of the land, and other causes, have lessened the rain- fall, making considerable difference since the days of the aborigines.

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HISTORY OF OHIO.

CHAPTER XVII .*

PUBLIC LANDS OF OHIO-THR MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY SURVEYS-THE NEW CONNECTICUT- ITS ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION.

TO the inexperienced student of the history of Ohio, nothing is more perplexing and un- satisfactory, than the account of its public lands. Held theoretically by the conflicting claims of col- onies, each jealous of the other's prestige, and prac- tically controlled by the determined assertion of his claim by the Indian, its territory came under the acknowledged control of the General Government in a fragmentary way, and in the early surveys it lacks that regular arrangement which marks the larger part of the old Northwestern Territory. But, to the early colonist, Ohio was the land of promise. The reports of the early explorers who had been sent to spy out the land were such as to stimulate the rapacity of greedy adventurers to the highest pitch, and Ohio became at once the center of at- traction, not only to that class, but also to the pio- ncer settlements of the East. The spirit of land speculation was fostered by the system of royal charters and favoritism, and colonial officials were rapidly acquiring titles to large tracts of the fertile lands of the Northwest. Lord Dunmore, who rep- resented the crown in Virginia, had made arrange- ments to secure a large portion of this territory, which were only frustrated by the precipitation of the Revolutionary struggle. In all these operations the rights or interests of the Indians were ignored. Might was the measure of the white man's right, and, in the face of formal treaties very favorable to the whites, the lands reserved to the natives were shamelessly bought and sold. Titles thus secured were obviously of no value if the integrity of sol- emn treaties were to be respected, but, so generally had the public mind been corrupted by the greed for gain, that this consideration offered no hindrance whatever to this sort of traffic in land titles. In 1776, however, the colonies having renounced their allegiance to the mother country, and having assumed a position as sovereign and independent States, a summary end was put to this speculation, and all persons were forbidden to locate in this ter- ritory, until its ownership and jurisdiction should

*Compiled from Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio, and a pamphlet by Judge W. W. Boynton, of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

be determined. Each State claimed the right of soil, the jurisdiction over the district of country embraced by the provisions of its charter, and the privilege of disposing of the land to subserve its own interests. The States, on the contrary, which had no such charter, insisted that that these lands ought to be appropriated for the benefit of all the States, as the title to them, if secured at all, would be by the expenditure of the blood and moneys of all alike. The treaty of peace with England was signed at Paris, September 3, 1783, and Congress at once became urgent in seconding this demand of the non charter-holding States. Under the char- ters held by the individual State, the General Gov- ernment was powerless to fulfill its agreement with the troops, to grant land to each soldier of the war, and the general dissatisfaction occasioned by this state of things, formed a powerful influence which finally brought about a general cession of these unappropriated lands, held by the different States. In March, 1784, Virginia ceded her terri- tory situated northwest of the River Ohio, reserving the tract now known as the Virginia Military Lands. In 1786, Connecticut ceded her territory, save the " Western Reserve ;" reserved cessions were made by Massachusetts in 1785, and by New York in 1780.

When Ohio was admitted into the Federal Union in 1803, as an independent State, one of the terms of admission was, that the fee simple to all the lands within its limits, excepting those pre- viously granted or sold, should vest in the United States. A large portion of the State, however, had been granted or sold to various individuals, compa- nies and bodies politic before this, and subsequent dispositions of Ohio public lands have generally been in aid of some public State enterprise. The following are the names by which the principal bodies of land are designated, taking their titles from the different forms of transfer:

1. Congress Lands.

2. United States Military Lands.

3. Ohio Company's Purchase.

4. Donation Tract.

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HISTORY OF OHIO.

5. Symmes' Purchase.

6. Refugee Traet.

7. French Grant.

8. Dohrman's Grant.

9. Moravian Lands.

10. Zane's Gran'.

11. Maumee Road Lands.

12. Turnpike Lands.

13. Ohio Canal Lands.

14. School Lands.

15. College Lands.

16. Ministerial Lands.

17. Salt Sections.

18. Virginia Military Lands.

19. Western Reserve.

20. Fire Lands.

These grants, however, may properly be di- vided into three general classes -- Congress Lands, the Virginia Reserve and the Connectieut Reserve ; the former including all lands of the State, not known as the Virginia Military Land or the Western Reserve. Previous to any grants of this territory, the Indian title had to be acquired. Al- though the United States has succeeded to the rights acquired by the English from the Iroquois, there were numerous tribes that disputed the right of the dominant nation to cede this territory, and a treaty was accordingly made at Fort Stanwix, in 1784, and in the following year at Fort McIn- tosh, by which the Indians granted all east of a line drawn from the mouth of the Cuyahoga River to the Ohio, and all south of what subse- quently became known as the Greenville Treaty line, or Indian boundary line. By this treaty, this line extended from the Portage, between the Cuya- hoga and the Tusearawas Branch of the Muskingum, " thence down that branch, to the crossing above Fort Laurens, then westerly to the Portage of the Big Miami, which runs into the Ohio, at the mouth of which the fort stood, which was taken by the French in 1752; thenee along said Portage to the Great Miami, or Omee River," whence the line was extended westward, by the treaty of Greenville, in 1795, to Fort Recovery, and thenee southwest to the mouth of the Kentucky River.

Congress Lands are so called because they are sold to purchasers by the immediate officers of the General Government, conformably to such laws as are, or may be, from time to time, enacted by Congress. They are all regularly surveyed into townships of six miles square each, under the au- thority and at the expense of the National Govern-

ment. All these lands, except Marietta and a part of Steubenville districts, are numbered as follows :

The seven Ranges, Ohio Company's Purchase, and Symmes' Purchase are numbered as here ex- hibited :

The townships are again subdivided into see- tions of one mile square. each containing 640 aeres, by lines running parallel with the township and range lines. The seetions are numbered in two different modes, as exhibited in the preceding fig- ures or diagrams.

In addition to the foregoing division, the see- tions are again subdivided into four equal parts, ealled the northeast quarter-seetion, southeast quarter section, etc. And again by a law of Con- gress, which went into effect July, 1820, these quarter-seetions are also divided by a north-and-

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HISTORY OF OHIO.

sonth line into two equal parts, called the east half quarter-section No. - , and west half quarter-scc- tion No. - , which contain eighty acres each. The minimum price was reduced by the same law from $2 to $1.25 per acre, cash down.

In establishing the township and sectional cor- ners, a post was first planted at the point of inter- section ; then on the tree nearest the post, and standing within the section intended to be desig- nated, was numbered with the marking iron the range, township, and number of the section, thus : R 21 T 4 T 4 S 304

- R 20 1 S 31 The quarter corners are marked

1-4 south, merely.

R 21 3

2 R 20

T 3 S 1 T S 6

Section No. 16 of every township is perpet- ually reserved for the use of schools, aud leased or sold out, for the benefit of schools, under the State government. All the others may be taken up either in sections, fractions, halves, quarters, or half-quarters.

For the purpose of selling out these lands, they were divided into cight several land districts, called after the names of the towns in which the laud of- fices are kept, viz., Wooster, Steubenville, Zancs- ville, Marietta, Chillicothe, etc., etc.

In May, 1785, Congress passed an ordinance for ascertaining the mode of disposing of these lands. Under that ordinance, the first seven ranges, bounded on the north by a line drawn due west from the Pennsylvania State line, where it crosses the Ohio River, to the United States Military Lands, forty-two miles; and, on the west, by the same line drawn thence south to the Ohio River, at the southeast corner of Marietta Township, and on the east and south by the Ohio River, were surveyed in 1786-87, and in the latter year, and sales were effected at New York, to the amount of $72,974. In 1796, further portions of these lands were disposed of at Pittsburgh, to the amount of 843,446, and at Philadelphia, amounting to $5,- 120. A portion of these lands were located under United States Military land warrants, and the rest was disposed of at the Steubenville Land Office, which was opened July 1, 1801.

United States Military Lands are so called from the circumstance of their having been appropriat- ed, by an act of Congress of the 1st of June, 1796, to satisfy certain claims of the officers and

soldiers of the Revolutionary war. This tract of country, embracing these lands, is bounded as fol- lows : Beginning at the northwest corner of the original seven ranges of townships, thence south fifty miles, thence west to the Scioto River, tlience up said river to the Greenville treaty line, theucc northeasterly with said line to old Fort Laurens, on the Tuscarawas River, thencc due east to the place of beginning, including a tract of about 4,000 square miles, or 2,560,000 acres of land. It is, of course, bounded on the north by the Green- ville treaty line, east by the " seven ranges of town- ships," south by the Congress and Refugee lands, and west by the Scioto River.

These lauds are surveyed into townships of five miles square ; these townships were then again, originally, surveyed into quarter townships, of two and a half miles square, containing 4,000 acres each; and, subsequently, some of these quarter- townships were subdivided into forty lots, of 100 acres each, for the accommodation of those soldiers holding warrants for only 100 acres each. Aud again, after the time originally assigned for the location of these warrants had expired, certain quarter-townships, which had not tlicn bcen loca- ted, were divided into sections of one mile square cach, and sold by the General Government, like the main body of Congress lands.

The quarter-townships are numbered as exhib- ited in the accompanying figure, the top being considered north. 2 1 The place of cach township is ascer- 4 3 tained by numbers and ranges, the same as Congress lands; the ranges being numbered from cast to west, and the numbers from south to north.

Ohio Company's Purchase is a body of land containing about 1,500,000 acres ; including, how- ever, the donation tract, school lands, etc., lying along the Ohio River ; and including Meigs, nearly all of Athens, and a considerable part of Wash- ington and Gallia Counties. This tract was pur- chased by the General Government in the year 1787, by Manassch Cutler and Winthrop Sar- geant, from the neighborhood of Salem, in Massa- chusetts, agents for the "Ohio Company," so called, which had then been formed in Massachu- sctts, for the purpose of a settlement in the Ohio country. Only 964,285 acres were ultimately paid for, and, of course, patented. This body of land was then apportioned out into 817 shares, of 1,173 acres each, and a town lot of one-third of an acre to each share. These shares were made

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HISTORY OF OHIO.

up to each proprietor in traets, one of 640 aeres, one of 262, one of 160, one of 100, one of 8, and another of 3 acres, besides the before-mentioned town lot. Besides every section 16, set apart, as elsewhere, for the support of schools, every Section 20 is appropriated for the support of religious institutions. In addition to which were also granted two six-wile square townships for the use of a college. But, unfortunately for the Ohio Company, owing to their want of topographical knowledge of the country, the body of land selected by them, with some partial exceptions, is the most hilly and sterile of any traet of similar ex- tent in the State.

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History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 28

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1014

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014