History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 7

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744

USA > Ohio > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions > Part 7

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PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

1800 it was the seat of the Northwest territorial government. It was in- corporated as a city in January, 1802. During the War of 1812, the city was a rendezvous for the United States troops. A large number of British were at one time guarded here. Adena is a beautiful place and the seat of Governor Worthington's mansion, which was built in 1806.

Richland was organized March 1, 1813. It was settled about 1809 on branches of the Mohican. Two block-houses were built in 1812. Mansfield, the county seat, is charmingly situated and was laid out in 1808 by Jacob Newman, James Hedges and Joseph H. Larwell. The county was at that period a vast wilderness, destitute of roads. From this year the settlement progressed rapidly.

Sandusky county was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Terri- tory. The soil is fertile and country generally level. Near Lower Sandusky lived a band of Wyandots, called the Neutral Nation. They preserved their peacemaking attributes through the Iroquois conflicts. Freemont, form- erly called Lower Sandusky, the county seat, is situated at the head of navi- gation on the Sandusky on the site of the old reservation grant to the Indians, at the Greenville treaty council. Fort Stephenson was erected in August, 1813, and was gallantly defended by Colonel Croghan.

Summit county was formed March 3, 1840, from Medina, Portage and Stark. The soil is fertile and produces excellent fruit, besides large crops of corn, wheat, hay, oats and potatoes. The first settlement made in the county was at Hudson in 1800. The old Indian portage-paths, extending through this county, between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas branch of the Musk- ingum. This was a part of the ancient boundary between the Six Nations and the Western Indians. Akron, the county seat, is situated on the portage sum- mit. It was laid out in 1825. In 1811 Paul Williams and Amos and Minor Spicer settled in this vicinity. Middlebury was laid out in 1818 by Norton and Hart.

Starke county was formed February 13, 1808. It is a rich agricultural county. It has large quantities of mineral coal and iron ore. Limestone and extensive beds of lime-marl exist. Frederick Post, the first Moravian missionary in Ohio, settled here in 1761. Canton is the county seat, situated in the forks of the Nimishillen, a tributary of the Muskingum. It was laid out in 1806, by Bezaleel Wells, who owned the land. Massillon was laid out in March, 1826, by John Duncan.

Shelby county was formed in 1819, from Miami. The southern por- tion is undulating, arising in some places to hills. Through the north it is a flat table-land. The first point of English settlement in Ohio was at the

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

mouth of Laramie's creek in this county as early as 1752. Fort Laramie was built in 1794 by Wayne. The first white family that settled in this county was that of James Thatcher in 1804. Sidney, the county seat, was laid out in 1819 on the farm of Charles Starrett.

Seneca county was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. Fort Seneca was built during the War of 1812. The Senecas owned forty thousand acres of land on the Sandusky river, mostly in Seneca county. Thirty thousand acres of this land was granted to them in 1817 at the treaty held at the foot of the Maumee Rapids. The remaining ten thousand was granted the following year. These Indians ceded this tract, however, to the government in 1831. It was asserted by an old chief that this band was the remnant of Logan's tribe. Tiffin, the county seat, was laid out by Josiah Hedges in the year 1821.

Scioto county was formed May I, 1803. It is a good agricultural sec- tion, besides producing iron ore, coal and freestone. It is said that a French fort stood at the mouth of the old Scioto as early as 1740. In 1785 four families settled where Portsmouth now stands. Thomas McDonald built the first cabin in the county. The French grant was located in this section-a tract comprising twenty-four thousand acres. The grant was made in March, 1795. Portsmouth, the county seat, is located upon the Ohio.

Trumbull county was formed in 1800. The original Connecticut West- ern Reserve was within its limits. The county is well cultivated and very wealthy. Coal is found in its northern portion. Warren, the county seat, is situated on the Mahoning river. It was laid out by Ephraim Quinby in 1801. Mr. Quinby owned the soil. His cabin was built here in 1799. In August, 1800, while Mr. McMahon was away from home, a party of drunken Indians called at the house, abused the family, struck a child a severe blow with a tomahawk and threatened to kill the family. Mrs. McMahon could not send tidings which could reach her husband before noon the following day. The following Sunday morning, fourteen men and two boys, armed themselves and went to the Indian camp to settle the difficulty. Quinby advanced alone, leaving the remainder in concealment, as he was better ac- quainted with these people, to make inquiries and ascertain their intentions. He did not return at once and the party set out, marched into camp and found Quinby arguing with Captain George, the chief. Captain George snatched his tomahawk and declared war, rushing forward to kill McMahon. But a bullet from the frontiersman's gun killed him instantly, while Storey shot "Spotted John" at the same time. The Indians then fled. They joined the council at Sandusky. Quinby garrisoned his house. Fourteen days

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

thereafter the Indians returned with overtures of peace, which were, that McMahon and Storey be taken to Sandusky, tried by Indian laws, and if found guilty punished by them. This could not be done. McMahon was tried by General St. Clair and the matter was settled. The first missionary on the reserve was the Rev. Joseph Badger.

Tuscarawas county was formed February 15, 1808, from Muskingum It is well cultivated with abundant supplies of coal and iron. The first white settlers were Moravian missionaries, their first visits dating back to 1761. The first permanent settlement was made in 1803. Mary Heckewelder, the daughter of a missionary, was born in this county April 16, 1781. Fort Laurens was built during the Revolution. It was the scene of a fearful car- nage. It was established in the fall of 1778 and placed under the command of General McIntosh. New Philadelphia is the county seat, situated on the Tuscarawas. It was laid out in 1804 by John Knisely. A German colony settled in this county in 1817, driven from their native land by religious persecutions. They called themselves Separatists. They are good people, strictly moral and honest.

Union county was formed from Franklin, Delaware, Logan and Madi- son in 1820. Extensive limestone quarries are also valuable. The Ewing brothers made the first white settlement in 1798. Col. James Curry, a mem- ber of the State Legislature, was the chief instigator in the progress of this section. He located within its limits and remained until his death, which occurred in 1834. Marysville is the county seat.

Van Wert county was formed from the old Indian Territory April I, 1820. Van Wert, the county seat, was founded by James WV. Riley in 1837. An Indian town had formerly occupied its site. Captain Riley was the first white man who settled in the county, arriving in IS21. He founded Will- shire in 1822.

Vinton county was organized in 1850. It is drained by Raccoon and Salt creeks. The surface is undulating or hilly. Bituminous coal and iron ore are found. McArthur is the county seat.

Washington county was formed by proclamation of Governor St. Clair July 27, 1788, and was the first county founded within the limits of Ohio. The surface is broken with extensive tracts of level, fertile land. It was the first county settled in the state under the auspices of the Ohio Company. A detachment of United States troops, under the command of Major John Doughty, built Fort Harmar in 1785 and it was the first military post estab- lished in Ohio by Americans, with the exception of Fort Laurens, which was erected in 1778. It was occupied by United States troops until 1790,

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

when they were ordered to Connecticut. A company under Captain Haskell remained. In 1785 the directors of the Ohio Company began practical opera- tions and settlement went forward rapidly. Campus Martius, a stockade fort, was completed in 1791. This formed a sturdy stronghold during the war. During the Indian war there was much suffering in the county. Many settlers were killed and captured. Marietta is the county seat and the oldest town in Ohio. Marietta College was chartered in 1835. Herman Blenner -- hassett, whose unfortunate association with Aaron Burr proved fatal to him- self, was a resident of Marietta in 1796.

Warren county was formed May 1, 1803, from Hamilton. The soil is. very fertile and considerable water power is furnished by its streams. Mr. Bedell made the first settlement in 1795. Lebanon is the county seat. Henry Taylor settled in this vicinity in 1796. Union Village is a settlement of Shakers. They came here about 1805.

Wayne county was proclaimed by Governor St. Clair, August 15, 1796, and was the sixth county in the Northwest Territory. The settlement of this section has already been briefly delineated. Wooster is the county seat. It was laid out during the fall of 1808, by John Beaver, William Henry and Joseph H. Larwell, owners of the land. Its site is three hundred and thirty- seven feet above Lake Erie. The first mill was built by Joseph Stibbs in 1809, on Apple creek. In 1812 a block-house was erected in Wooster.

Wood county was formed from the old Indian Territory in 1820. The soil is rich and large crops are produced. The county is situated within the Maumee valley. It was the arena of brilliant military exploits during early times. Bowling Green is the county seat.

Williams county was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Terri -- tory. Bryan is the county seat. It was laid out in 1840.

Wyandot county was formed February 3, 1845, from Marion, Hardin, Hancock and Crawford. The surface is level and the soil fertile. The Wyandot Indians frequented this section. It was the scene of Crawford's defeat in June, 1782, and his fearful death. By the treaty of 1817, Hon. Lewis Cass and Hon. Duncan McArthur, United States commissioners, granted to the Indians a reservation twelve miles square, the central point being Fort Ferree. The Delaware reserve was ceded to the United States in 1829. The Wyandots ceded theirs March 17, 1842. The United States commissioner was Col. John Johnson, who thus made the last Indian treaty in Ohio. Every foot of this state was fairly purchased by treaties. The Wyandots were ex- ceedingly brave and several of their chiefs were men of exalted moral. principles.

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

Upper Sandusky is the county seat and was laid out in 1843. General Harrison had built Ferree on this spot during the War of 1812. Governor Meigs, in 1813, encamped near the river with several thousand of the Ohio militia. The Indian village of Crane Town was originally called Upper Sandusky. The Indians transferred their town, after the death of Tarhe, to Upper Sandusky.

HIGH-WATER MARK ON BLANCHARD RIVER. AT OTTAWA.

CHAPTER II.

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY.

The topography of the land embraced within the county of Putnam is different in some respects from that of the other counties in this part of the state. Although it is uniformly flat, its numerous rivers and streams af- ford excellent drainage, while a complex system of artificial drainage has brought practically all of the county under cultivation. The rivers and streams are bordered in many cases with high bluffs on one side or the other and these elevations serve to break the monotony of the prairies.

Most of the soil of the county is alluvial in formation and is, in many cases, composed of muck, which, in some townships, is mixed with sand and, in others, with clay. The soil is generally very prolific of all kinds of agricultural products peculiar to this section of Ohio, and in very few instances is it necessary to use fertilizers in order to secure excellent crops. In many places in the county the land was once covered with water and dense aquatic vegetation. Such land has been termed muck land and, after being well drained, makes very productive soil. Early in the history of the county much of the land was covered with swamps and it was many years before the county was brought to its present high state of cultivation.

At the present time about all the land of the county which is not under cultivation is in the beds of the rivers and streams and in that which makes up the public highways. Most of the first settlers located along the streams, not only because they afforded an easy access to the outside world, but also because the land bordering them was easier to cultivate. During the past half century thousands of miles of ditches have been put into operation within the county and the once impenetrable swamps now comprise as fine farming land as may be found in any part of the United States.

Throughout the county, moraines, or ridges of earth higher than the ad- jacent land, are found in abundance. These moraines are composed of sand and are covered with an alluvial soil, which is black in appearance, but fre- quently heavily mixed with clay. These moraines are supposed to have been formed during the glacial period by the receding waters of the lake, which, geologists claim, covered the entire northwestern part of Ohio. As this

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

theory of the formation of the moraines has never been questioned, it may be taken as a fact.

The various rivers and creeks throughout the county have a trend toward the north and all drainage of the county eventually finds its way into the Maumee river. The several streams of the county may be briefly men- tioned as follows :

The Auglaize river, or All Glaise or Gaud Glaise, is one of the largest tributaries of the Maumee river. With its many tributaries, the Auglaize drains the greater part of the county. The name of the river betrays its French origin and may be traced back to the time of the occupancy by that nation.

The Ottawa river, familiarly known as Hog creek, was named in honor of the Ottawa Indians who formerly lived within the present limits of this county. The name, Hog creek, seems to have been applied as the result of an interesting incident which happened many years ago. In the Putnam county history by George Skinner, the author explains the origin of the name Hog creek as follows: "While the English had possession of Fort Miami in the Maumee river, parties on that river undertook to supply them with pork. In driving a lot of hogs to the fort they were compelled to cross the Ottawa river, which, at that particular time, was unfortunately very high. The men driving the hogs became frightened at the hostile demonstrations of some Indians whom they encountered along the Ottawa, and, evidently thinking that the Indians were about to attempt to capture some of the hogs, drove part of the porkers into the river. Some of the hogs reached the other side safely, others swam back to the shore from which they started, while still others were drowned in the river. The owners finally abandoned the hogs to their fate, returned home, and from that day forward the Ottawa river has often been called Hog creek."

Blanchard river was formerly known as the North Fork of the Auglaize. It was renamed the Blanchard in honor of a man by that name who is said to have been the first white man to have traded with the Indians up and down the river. He bought their furs and other articles which they had to dis- pose of and in return doled out to the savages meager portions of powder, beads and such trinkets as were usually handled by the early traders.

Sugar creek derives its name from the fact that in its early history its banks were lined with sugar maple trees. The Indians were wont to repair to the banks of this beautiful little stream every spring for the purpose of making maple sugar, and, after the Indians left, the white men made good use of the many thousands of trees along the river bank.

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

Riley creek was originally called Deer creek, from the fact that deer abounded in great numbers along its banks in the early history of the county. It was a favorite hunting ground for the Indians, who knew it as Deer creek long before the white man ever saw it. The surveyors who worked in this county in 1820 designated it as Deer creek. The name Riley was applied to the creek in later years, in honor of James Watson Riley, one of the early surveyors of Putnam county. The story is handed down through the years that Riley once nearly lost his life in trying to ford the creek and did actually lose his surveying instruments. His tripod was never found and it is doubt- less resting quietly in the bottom of the stream to this day.

Jennings creek received its name in honor of Colonel Jennings, who, in 1812, built a stockade on the Auglaize where the prosperous little village of Ft. Jennings now stands. This same sterling old pioneer left his name on the township in which the town of Ft. Jennings is situated.

Plum creek, as the name indicates, was so named because of the abun- dance of plum trees which formerly grew along its banks. Fruit of any kind was very scarce in the early days and a wild plum was much better than no plum at all. The Indians were fond of this fruit and every fall visited the creek in order to feast on the delicacy.

Leatherwood creek was named by some of the early surveyors from the fact that its banks were lined with this bush. The pioneers had occa- sion to resort to the banks of Leatherwood creek frequently for their har- ness equipment. The tough bark of this bush made an excellent substitute for leather and many an acre of Putnam county land has been plowed the first time by teams using leatherwood harness.

Cranberry creek derived its name from the bush of that name. The succulent cranberry once grew in profusion along the banks of this creek, but has long since disappeared, with the beaver, its best friend.

MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTY.

Putnam county is pre-eminently an agricultural county and finds its greatest wealth in its thousands of fertile acres. While the greater portion of the county is a black loam, there are parts of the county where there are fine clay deposits. As a result there are found many tile and brick factories in the county and the swampy character of the county has made the tile in- dustry a very profitable one.

In many parts of the county limestone deposits occur and a number of

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

quarries have been opened, which furnish excellent macadamizing material, as well as stone for many other purposes.

In Sugar Creek and Pleasant townships there is a small deposit of yellow clay, but not enough to make it of any commercial value. Through- out the county there are numerous springs of white sulphur, yellow sulphur and limestone water. The medicinal qualities of some of these springs make them of undoubted therapeutic value and in the coming years some enter- prising man will find a fortune in this medicine prepared by Dame Nature.

In almost every township in the county wells have been driven for oil and gas, but, while both have been found in limited quantities, the yield has not been sufficient to make the operation of wells a profitable venture.

CHAPTER III.

INDIANS IN PUTNAM COUNTY. ,

INDIAN MOUNDS.

The artificial mounds in Putnam county are few in number and much smaller than those in the counties in the southern part of the state, where such mounds are numerous, large in circumference and much greater in height. In fact, throughout the northern part of the state there are no mounds of great altitude. The reason of this may be explained by the fact that the surface of the ground is level and the purposes for which the mounds were built did not exist to an extent requiring greater height in their construction. While this difference exists between the northern and south- ern parts of this state, there are many features connected with them which are very similar in the matter of construction, location and the contents un- earthed by excavation. In this county only five of these mounds are known to be in existence and in investigating the contents, obtained by tunneling and digging to their base, the same features are demonstrated as have char- acterized such investigations of many of the larger and smaller mounds in the southern half of the state. Here, as well as in southern Ohio, the mounds were not all constructed of the same soil as immediately surrounds them. The soil constituting the interior of these mounds is usually of an alluvial nature and was in some manner conveyed to the place at which the mound was erected. In some instances the soil used was the same as only to be found a thousand feet from the mound. The inside of these mounds was usually constructed of sand and loam, while the outside was covered with clay to the depth of nearly two feet. This clay was so impervious to frost and water that the elements, for ages, have made but little impression on the clay soil. In tunneling these mounds the same features existed in all of them. In the center of each mound, about eighteen inches deeper than the surrounding surface of the ground, there was found charred wood, frag- ments of calcined stone and bones of animals, all of which had been subject to fire upon being placed there. In no instance were human bones found in

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

the mounds at this depth below what is now the natural surface of the ground surrounding. The only perceptible rise of the ground for several feet from these mounds may be attributed to the natural wash of rains fol- lowing the frozen and thawing conditions of the soil. The fact of finding charred wood, animal bones, etc., at such a depth below the surrounding surface may also be explained by the accumulation of soil for ages past. The finding of charred wood, bones, etc., in the center, may be explained by the supposition that, before constructed, a sacrifice or burned offering was a part of a ceremony connected with their building. Another feature connected with these mounds is that in the vicinity where they exist many pieces of broken pottery, arrow heads, stone axes, etc., have been found, and nearly every year now the earth gives up many such things.

Numerous theories have been advanced in regard to these artificial mounds-who built them, for what purposes were they built and as to the period of time at which they were built, but these questions yet remain as a sealed book and may never be satisfactorily answered. While it is con- ceded that the race of people who constructed these mounds were numerous, intelligent and industrious, yet where these people came from and the time of their activities on earth are also unsolved questions.

If these mounds were built in commemoration of religious events, then their builders were a people who had a religion. If they were built, as some writers claim, for military purposes, then their builders were warriors. If for the latter purpose, then who were the foes they were protecting them- selves against? At what period of time did they occupy this portion of the earth or at what time they disappeared from it, no historian has yet at- tempted to fix, but students who have given the matter consideration agree that the period of time was after the Glacial period or Ice Age. The riddle of the Sphinx still remains unsolved, so does that of the artificial mounds, which exist in about every state of our Union, and in almost every county of Ohio.

While these mounds are commonly designated as "Indian mounds," there is nothing to confirm such designation. It is well known that our American Indians, as a class of people, were indolent and lazy and would never do manual labor except by compulsion, and that they possibly never deviated from their habits in this respect by carrying the dirt from the dis- tance required.

Many writers have expressed opinions about the builders of these mounds, and plausible theories have been advanced, yet these theories are but conjectures and unsustained by absolute facts. Some writers claim

PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO.

that the people who built them came from southern countries, and that at one time they were inhabitants of Phoenicia, and worked their way north- ward. Other writers, in trying to explain the disappearance of these people from this country, state that they were destroyed or driven from here by a race of Asiatic Indians, who came to this country by the way of Bering Strait. It is also stated by writers on the subject that when this continent was first discovered the Indians were its only inhabitants and that these In- dians had no tradition as to any other people or any wars with any other race of people. But, as we are not an archaeologist, we will not attempt to solve such problems. Yet, in time to come, research by students of the question may result in something tangible in regard to the matter.

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History of Putnam County, Ohio : its peoples, industries, and institutions, Part 7

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1744

Author: Kinder, George D., 1836-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1744