USA > Ohio > Perry County > History of Perry County, Ohio > Part 5
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
George the Third was considered of such importance that in the Declaration of Independence it was made one of the grievances.
Boutetorst County.
Had your great-great-grandfather left Virginia in 1770 and settled where Glenford now stands, his friends at home would have said that he had gone to live on the Moxahala in Boutetorst County. Virginia would not abide by the Quebec Act. The part she had taken in the French and Indian war she thought ought at least prevent her from losing her land that she obtained by charter. In 1769 her Legislature passed an "Act," placing the territory north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi under her jurisdiction, as Boutetorst County. The next year George Washington floated down the Ohio to the mouth of the Great Kanawha to select 200,000 acres of land for his soldiers, or their widows, who had served with him in the French and Indian war. This is as near as he ever came to our county. It might be interesting to know that the Is- land of Blennerhasset, famous in history and story, was a part of this tract. While Virginia had, no doubt, the better claim to this territory, yet under this "Act" her jurisdiction was only nominal, for Great Britain still claimed it a part of the Province of Quebec. It was not until 1778 that she assumed complete control.
The County of Illinois in the State of Virginia.
As far as Land Grants were concerned, the land that is now Perry County belonged to Virginia. The old "sea to sea" grants to Virginia certainly included our county. That was why the authorities of Virginia took such an interest in keeping the French out of the
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
region north of the Ohio; why the Ohio Land Con- pany was formed ; why Christopher Gist was sent out with the "Compass and Pen ;" why Washington was. sent on his first public mission, and why Virginia troops composed a part of the ill-fated army of General Braddock. It has been seen that considerable diffi- culty was experienced as to who should have juris- diction over the territory northwest of the Ohio. Dur- ing the Revolutionary War, the land by the Quebec Act was a part of Canada. The forts were in the hands of the British. They incited the Indians against the colonists. George Rogers Clark, a Kentuckian, was sent with an army that captured the forts, drove the British beyond the Lakes, quieted the Indians and extended the control of the Commonwealth of Vir- ginia, and Perry County with the rest of the territory northwest of the Ohio again became a part of the "Old Dominion" under the name of the County of Illinois. This was in October, 1778. Patrick Henry was Gov- ernor of Virginia and John Todd was made Lieutenant Governor of the County of Illinois.
First White Man in Perry County.
In 1748 a company was formed in Virginia, entitled The Ohio Land Company. The object was to survey the lands and establish English Colonies beyond the Alleghenies. They sent an agent to explore the region. This agent we will recognize as no other than the friend and companion of Washington, when he carried the message from Governor Dinwiddie to the French commander in 1753-4. Christopher Gist traveled through leagues of almost unbroken forest, crossed the Muskingum and Scioto rivers, and was kindly re- ceived by the Shawnee Indians, who had a village on
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
the latter stream about seven miles south of Circle- ville, where the hamlet of Westfall now is. The name of their town was Chillicothe. Christopher Gist en- camped one night on the shore of "Big Swamp," which we now recognize as Buckeye Lake. No doubt he was the first white man within the limits of Perry County. Gist started from the forks of the Muskingum, where Coshocton now stands, on January 15, 1751. By draw- ing a straight line from Coshocton to Westfall, it will be seen that it touches Buckeye Lake, where the village of Thornport now stands.
Land Surveys.
On May the twentieth, 1785, the Continental Congress passed what is known as the " Land Ordi- nance of 1785." It provided for the survey of lands in the territory northwest of the river, Ohio. The surveys were made under the direction of the Geographer of the United States. The lands were to be surveyed into townships six miles square, bounded by east and west and north and south lines, crossing each other at right angles. The ranges of townships were to be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. from the Pennsyl- vania line westward, and the townships in the ranges 1, 2, 3, etc. from the Ohio river northward. Further- more, the townships should be cut up into lots one mile square, each numbered from one to thirty-six, beginning in the south east corner and running north to sixth ; then beginning the next range with seven and running to twelve, etc. The lines were to be suitably marked by blazed trees and notches cut into their trunks. In many of the woods of Perry county can yet be seen the marks of the original surveyors.
5 H. P. C.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
The first " Seven Ranges " were surveyed as above, but the remaining fifteen are different in the number- ing of the sections. Our section numbers begin in the north-east corner and run west to six; begin in the next row of sections and run east to twelve, etc.
The surveying began in 1786. The Ranges only extend to the Scioto River, for west of that stream Virginia had retained the land for her Revolutionary soldiers and it was never surveyed. The land in Perry county was not ordered platted till May 18, 1796. In 1799 General Rufus Putnam was made surveyor- general and the work began at once. The land of the Ohio Company had been surveyed before. None" of our county was in this Company's purchase. But their tract did extend to the southern boundary of Perry and joined the townships of Coal and Monroe.
In the first surveys, the variation of the needle, which at that time was about two degrees east, was seldom corrected. The result was that the north and south lines would deviate to the west in going south- ward. This would cause a section to be larger than its northern neighbor. By the time the survey reached Perry county, it was necessary to frequently correct by starting from new bases, that the sections might be kept something near the required size. The line between Hopewell and Reading, and Madison and Clayton was such a correction line as can be seen on the map. There is similar correction between Clayton and Pike and between Harrison and Bearfield. It is the most noticeable, however, between Jackson and Mondaycreek. The first five rows of sections in Mon- daycreek are each exactly a mile square, but the west- ern row contains over seven hundred acres in each sec- tion. This irregularity in the lines was corrected by
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
a " correctional meridian" running north from the Ohio river, to the northern boundary of Perry county. The line on the west of Thorn township is this meri- dian. But our county got none of its benefits. In Vinton county the correction amounted to a mile in many places.
The northern boundary of Perry county was the northern limit of Congress Land. Licking county belongs to the Military Bounty Lands, which was set aside for Revolutionary soldiers. This Congress Land was at once set up for sale. The most of it sold for $1.25 per acre in half or quarter sections. The Land Offices for the sale of land in this county were located at Zanesville and Chillicothe. The line separating Madison, Clayton, Pike, Saltlick and Coal from Hope- well, Reading, Jackson, and Mondaycreek divided the two Land Districts.
The Ordinance of 1785 further provided that, " There shall be reserved for the United States out of every township the four lots, being numbered 8, II, 26, 29 for future sale. There shall be reserved the lot No. 16 of every township, for the maintenance of public schools within the said township; also one- third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines, to be sold, or otherwise disposed of as Congress shall hereafter direct." In Perry county none of these reservations were made, with the exception of Section 16. In the Ohio Company's Purchase, Section 29 was kept for the support of a minister, and was known as Ministerial Lands.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
The Scioto Company Land Scheme.
When Dr. Manasseh Cutler was negotiating with Congress for the land now known as The Ohio Com- pany's Purchase, Col. William Duer of New York, ยท presented a land scheme to be worked in connection with it for purposes of speculation. Col. Duer was a man of influence and Dr. Cutler needed him to help secure the passage of his Ordinance. So it was that under the cover of the petition that the Ohio Company presented for the absolute purchase of 1,500,000 acres, between the 7th and 17th ranges of townships, there was also the option for the right of purchase, or pre-emption, on over 3.000,000 acres of land lying between the Scioto and Ohio Rivers, to the west and north of the Ohio Company's Tract. This would include all of Perry County. Not many persons living in the county perhaps know that the land upon which they are now living, was once inchided in a great land scheme, in which the hard earned francs of many French people. were lost in the very first financial whirlpool, that made itself felt within the confines of Wall Street. The Scioto Com- pany was formed and had its headquarters in Paris. Toel Barlow, author of the Columbiad, and later Min- ister of this country to France was sent to Paris by Col. Duer to prosecute the sale of land. He had with him a description of the country from Dr. Cutler and a map bearing the indorsement of the United States Geographer.
Paris and France were ripe for anything. The Revolution and the fall of the Bastile had turned the country topsy-turvey. The French people naturally
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
erratic, imbued with their new ideas of liberty and equal rights, grasped at any and every Quixotic project.
Barlow, assisted by an Englishman, named Play- fair, who is described as a man with a "good imagina- tion," succeeded, by a glowing description, and many other embellishments, in setting Paris aglow with the craze. They told how delightful the climate was ; how winters were unknown; how there were trees from which sugar yielded itself spontaneously ; and how another tree yielded ready-made candles. They said that venison was in abundance. And they told the truth when they stated that there were neither lions nor tigers to molest them.
The French seemed to have had quite as "good imagination" as the Englishman, Playfair. They pic- tured the new land on the banks of the River, Beauti- ful. and the Scioto, as a veritable "milk and honey" region. Nothing else was talked of in either social or political circles. A man named Brissot came to this country, and wrote a series of letters in such a manner as to complete the popular delusion. He corroborated the previous statements of Barlow and Playfair. The people became wild with excitement. Buyers were numerous. The thrifty middle class were especially importunate. Many disposed of their entire property that they might invest in the Promised Land.
But the Scioto Company could not give a perfect title. They themselves had nothing but an option. Bar- low as agent expected from the sale of lands they would be able to make the title good. The "imag- inative" Playfair, belying his name, had the money. Barlow was himself duped. The result was that Col. Duer and the Scioto Company failed and their land
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
reverted to the government. The only thing that the Scioto Company did, was the settling of Gallipolis, with French immigrants in 1790. In 1795 the United States Government gave 25,000 acres of land in the south-eastern part of Scioto county for such persons that had lost their property at Gallipolis by insecure title. This is known in Ohio history as "The French Grant."
Zane's Trace.
When Ohio was settled, the only highways were the streams and the Indian trails. After the Revolution- ary War the rich Ohio valleys became the goal of im- migrants. It was likewise the Paradise of the red men, who contested every acre of the soil. General St. Clair having met defeat at their hands, reported that the greatest hindrance to military operations was the ab- sence of roads, that their presence would be an incen- tive to immigration, that it would hasten the settlement of the country and be the best means of quieting the Indians.
Congress at once acted upon the suggestion. The President was authorized to contract with a responsible party, for the opening of a road from Wheeling on the Ohio, to Limestone, Kentucky, on the Ohio. This road would pass through the best agricultural land that was then open for settlement in the Northwest. Virginians were flocking to the Military Lands, west of the Scioto, to locate their claims. The valleys of the upper Hocking and Muskingum were ideal places for the settler's clearing and cabin.
The work of laying out this road was entrusted to Colonel Ebenezer Zane of Wheeling. Colonel Zane was a man of considerable force of character and played no small part in the settlement of the North-
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
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west. He was an ideal frontiersman. He was thor- oughly acquainted with the western wilds from the Po- tomac to the Ohio. His brothers were men like unto him and assisted him greatly in his undertakings. President Washington could have found no better man. As early as 1769 he came to the present site of Wheel- ing, recognizing at once its important geographical po- sition. The next year he brought his family. Lord Dunmore, then Governor of Virginia, had the great- est confidence in Colonel Zane, and made him dis- bursing agent at Wheeling. A fort was erected and named Fort Finncastle in honor of the titled Governor of the "Old Dominion." Zane was familiar with the events that led to Dunmore's War, his sympathy be- ing with Logan. Chief of the Mingoes, but he took an active part in putting down that war.
When the Revolutionary War clouds hung heavy over the land, true patriot that he was, he did every- thing in his power for the establishment of the new nation. While he was never in the Continental army, vet he served his country in a no less eminent degree. Living as he did on the very edge of the frontier, he saw that it was as important, that the territory North- west of the Ohio should be held by the colonies as it was to obtain their independence. For the latter with- out the former would have crippled them and there would have been no room for growth. The struggling nation had no army to protect their frontier. It was left for the most part to such men as Ebenezer Zane, who voluntarily took it upon themselves to protect their homes from the ravages of the red-men, incited by British cupidity and revenge.
The very last battle of the Revolution was fought at Wheeling. The name Fort Finncastle had been
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
changed to Fort Henry in honor of Patrick Henry the first governor of the Commonwealth. Here on the eleventh of September, 1782, the Indians and British made an attack. Colonel Zane's house stood about fifty yards from the fort. The people took refuge in the fort but Zane and his family remained in their house. It was at this battle that Elizabeth Zane, a sister, performed her heroic act. The defenders of the fort suddenly discovered that the powder was ex- hausted. There was a sufficient amount in Colonel Zane's house, but how to get it was the question. At this juncture, the girl volunteered to go, saying that her death would not mean so much as a man's. The gates were opened. The Indians saw her hurrying across the open space, but their chivalry forbade them
firing on a "squaw." Hastily filling a tablecloth, which she tied about her, she returned to the fort. She had almost reached it when her purpose dawned upon the Indians and amid a shower of bullets, she passed through the gates. The fort was saved.
During these years, Col. Zane had come into posses- sion of considerable property. He owned the land where Wheeling now is, Wheeling Island in the Ohio river, the present site of Bridgeport and Martins Ferry and a tract extending a considerable distance up Wheel- ing Creek on the Ohio side.
Jonathan Zane, a brotlier, was a scout. In 1774 he guided an expedition against the Indians on the upper Muskingum. He served in like capacity on the ill- fated expedition of Governor St. Clair. It is said that if St. Clair had taken his advice. the result of the ex- pedition might have been somewhat different. It is but natural. therefore, that when Ebenezer Zane con- tracted to cut the road through Ohio, that he should
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
have left it to his brother who was better acquainted with wilderness ways. Jonathan Zane was assisted in the work by John McIntire who had married his sister. For this work Col. Zane was to receive a tract of land, one mile square for every navigable stream he should cross, provided he should maintain a ferry. The work was begun early in 1797. The road was nothing more than a blazed bridle path, with some of the undergrowth and fallen timber removed. This "trace" left Wheel- ing, followed Wheeling Creek on the Ohio side, to its source, and climbed to the high ridges of Belmont county. Following this divide into Guernsey county, it passed through Cambridge, and then headed for the falls of the Muskingum at Zanesville. This was the first navigable stream. Zane gave the tract of land here to his brother. Jonathan and his brother-in-law, McIntire. This was to recompense them for their services in opening the road. They in turn leased it to William McCullough and Henry Crook for five years. These men kept the ferry and thus became the first settlers of Zanesville. John McIntire is really the founder of Zanesville. He died in 1815 and is buried beneath the shadows of the McIntire Children's Home, which he founded. This was established as a school for poor children of Zanesville. But upon the organi- zation of the free school system, it was changed to an asylum for unfortunate children, who here find a home and an education. This home derives its revenue from the McIntire estate, which originally was the mile square given to Zane by the United States Govern- ment.
This trace struck Perry county as indicated on the map. There is considerable conjecture as to where it . really did pass through the county. The writer has
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
been for three years gathering data on this first "high- way" and he has found in Perry county more uncer- tainty about the actual route, than in any same dis- tance between Wheeling and Maysville. By many it is supposed to be the same as the Maysville pike. Others confuse it with the Old State Road surveyed in 1809. And still others think that the old Drove Road was the original Zane Trace. From such a di- versity of opinion it is diffcult to ascertain the ex- act truth. The route as shown on the map does not pretend to be infallibly true, but as far as can be learned, it is approximately correct. The prevailing idea that Fink's tavern, the nucleus of Somerset, was on Zane's Trace, is hardly correct. And yet, the most of the travel may have gone by way of Somerset. The men who blazed the trail were not particular in hunt- ing the best ground, although they usually aimed to follow the ridges. The last statement would justify the conclusion that Somerset was on the "Trace." But on the other hand the streams served as their guides. No white man had ever traveled the route before. They knew the general directions only. There is no doubt that the Somerset route would have been the better one, and travelers soon found it out. It is the opinion of the writer that the Zane men were trying to find the headwaters of another stream, flow- ing south, after they left Jonathan's Creek. They passed through the neighborhood of what is now known as Dead Man's School. Striking a branch of Rushereek in southwestern Hopewell, they might have continued along it but for the fact that there is con- siderable swampy land in that section. This would cause them to change their course and take to the hills. This trace passed over Rushcreek at the Rushvilles and
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
following a southwest course, crossed the Hocking at Lancaster. Here Zane established another section of land. The little creek winding up through the alluvial meadows of Fairfield county was considered navig- able for "small boats." The town of Lancaster was laid out in 1800, by John and Noah Zane, sons of Col. Zane. From here the Trace continued toward Chilli- cothe by passing near the present village of Amanda and through Tarlton and the Pickaway Plains, crossing the Scioto at Chillicothe. Here they were obliged to locate their land on the west side of the river. Zane sold it to Humphrey Fullerton. Caleb Atwater says in his history of Ohio (1838) that Fullerton's widow yet owned it. From Chillicothe, the road ran southwest, crossing Paint Creek near the junction of the North Fork and the Yocatangee, followed the latter stream a distance and crossed Black Run, where it intersectd Todd's Trace, which it followed to Maysville by way of Manchester. In 1799 a post office was established at Chillicothe. Mail was brought over the Trace once a week. Gen. Sanderson of Lancaster was post-boy between Chillicothe and Lancaster.
Zane's trace became the great highway of emigra- tion. Droves of pack horses were driven across it. Many of the settlers of south central Ohio found their way through the primeval forest by means of this blazed path. The first settler of Pickaway county, Caleb Evans, came through from Kentucky on Zane's Trail. The first settlement in Highland county was about half a mile north of Sinking Springs, on Zane's or rather Todd's Trace. Rude taverns were erected for the accomodation of the guests. At Lancaster there was one and at Zanesville, McIntire's tavern became famous for having once entertained Louis Philippe.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
In 1798, a Mr. Graham located upon the site of Cam- bridge, Guernsey county. His was the only dwelling between Zanesville and Wheeling. Along this road the itinerant preacher came with saddle bags and "pious mien." By degrees the road was widened in part and in many places it was changed altogether, until it is almost lost. The Wheeling and Maysville pike only follows the Trace approximately. There are variations of three miles and over. The Trace followed the high ridges mostly and in many places went down precip- itous bluffs. The pike goes around the hills. Zane's road may well be said to be the initial step in the policy of "internal improvements." It served its purpose well and had much to do with the developement of the cen- tral west. Along it sprang up the settlers' cabin and the little clearing's testified that the "white man's foot" had come. It opened up the most fertile portion, that was then accessible in Ohio. It was the connecting link between the east and the settlements made in the southwest.
Ebenezer Zane certainly deserves the credit of be- ing one of the Founders of the Northwest. He died in 1812 and his body lies on Ohio soil. In the village of Martins Ferry, Belmont county, is the Zane burying ground surrounded by a brick wall. In this neglected inclosure, situated on a terrace overlooking the Ohio, as it begins to bend around the state, is a slab upon which are these words :
IN MEMORY OF EBENEZER ZANE who died 19th November, 1812, in the 66th year of his age. He was the first permanent inhabitant of this part of the Western World, having first begun to reside here in the year 1769. He died as lie lived, an honest man.
WHERE EBENEZER ZANE IS BURIED. MARTIN'S FERRY, OHIO.
THE NEW HOME IN THE WOODS OF PERRY COUNTY.
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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY.
The Refugee Tract.
During the Revolutionary War many of the people living in Canada and other British Provinces, sym- pathized with the American patriots in their efforts to throw off the British yoke. For this "crime" of sym- pathy their presence became obnoxious to such of their neighbors as swore by the "divine right of kings." Things became so intolerable that they were obliged to abandon their homes and take refuge among their friends in the colonies. Their lands were confiscated. They were thus rendered homeless. Many of them entered the patriot army.
When the war clouds had blown away and the in- dependence of the colonies was assured, it was no more than a matter of justice, that some means be inaug- urated for the reimbursement of these faithful friends.
As early as April 23, 1783, and again on April 13, 1785, Congress passed resolutions, that as soon as they consistently could, ample grants of land would be made to remunerate the Refugees for their sacrifices in the cause of the colonies.
Congress, however, had no land at its disposal, till after the organization of the Northwest Territory in 1787. It was not till eleven years later that final ac- tion was taken in the matter. On the 17th of April, 1798, Congress invited all "refugees" to file their claims with the Secretary of War and give a true and full account of their services and losses. Two years were given in which to file them. At the expiration of that time there were sixty-nine applicants. On the report of the Secretary of War Congress on February 18, 1801, appropriated about 100,000 acres. The land selected was a tract four and one-half miles wide, ex-
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