History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 89

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 89

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A favorite winter sport was running upon skates. They would spread a blanket upon the ice, and jump

over it with skates on, trying to excel in the distance made beyond.

The Mohawks and Oncidas had some very well- educated people, and most of their tribe could read and write. They had religious services every Sun- day in the form of the Church of England, con- ducted by a minister of their own tribe. They were excellent singers, and were always pleased to see the whites at their meetings. The Senecas and Cayugas were more inclined to adhere to the worship of their forefathers. They held in reverence many gatherings. The green corn dance was prominent among them, but that most worthy of note was the dog dance. This was the great dance which took place about midwinter, and lasted three days, at the end of which they burned dogs.

The annual feasts and dances of the Senecas took place at their council house, which stood on the river bank in this township during the early settlement of our county, but was afterwards abandoned and a new council house built near Green Spring. Only particular friends were re- ceived on these occasions of hilarity, but the Indians being on good terms with their neighbors, respectable white people found little difficulty in gaining admis- sion. These occasions year after year were much the same, and a description of one will suffice for all. The religious ceremony consisted mainly in the sacrifice of two dogs to the Great Spirit. The fol- lowing description of the sacrifice and feast will be especially interesting in view of the fact that these people, of whom no trace is left, were, less than fifty years ago, an important element both in the trade and amusement of the white settlements. The following was first published in the Sidney Aurora :

We rose early and proceeded directly to the coun- cil house, and though we supposed we were early the Indians were already in advance of us. The first object which arrested our attention was a pair of the canine species, one of each gender, suspended on a cross, one on either side thereof. These animals had been recently strangled; not a bone was broken nor could a distorted hair be seen. They were of a beautiful cream color, except a few dark spots on one naturally, which same spots were put on the other artificially by the devotees. The Indians are

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

very partial in their selection of dogs, entirely white for this occasion, and for which they will give almost any price.

Now for the decorations to which I have already alluded, and a description of one will suffice for both. .A scarlet ribbon was tastefully tied just above the nose, and near the eyes another; next, around the neck was a white ribbon to which was attached some bulbous substance concealed by another white ribbon This was placed directly under the right ear, and I suppose was intended as an amulet or charm. These · ribbons were bound around the forelegs at the knees, and near the feet. These were red and white alter- nately. Round the body was a profuse decoration, and the hind legs were decorated as the fore ones. Thus were the victims prepared and thus ornamented for the burnt offering.

While minutely making this examination, I was almost unconscious of the collection of a large num- ber of Indians who were assembled for the purpose of offering their sacrifices.

Adjacent to the cross was a large fire built on a few logs, and though the snow was several inches deep, they had prepared a sufficient quantity of combustible material, removed the snow from the logs and placed thereon their fire. I have often re- gretted that I did not see them light this pilc. My own opinion is they did not use the fire from their council house, because they would have considered that as common, and as this was intended to be a holy service, they no doubt struck fire from a flint, this being deemed sacred .*

It was a clear, beautiful morning, and just as the first rays of the sun were seen in the tops of the towering forest and its reflection from the snowy surface, the Indians sumultaneously formed a scmi- circle enclosing the cross, each flank resting on the aforesaid pile of logs. Good Hunter, who officiated, now appeared and approached the cross; arrayed in his pontifical robes, he looked quite respectable. The Indians being all assembled-I say, Indians, for there was not a squaw present during all this ceremony-at a private signal given by the High Priest, two young chiefs sprang upon the cross, each taking off one of the victims, brought it down and presented it on his arms to the High Priest, who, receiving it in like manner, advanced to the fire and with a very grave and solemn air laid it thereon- this he did with the other, but to which, whether male or female he gave the preference, I did not learn. This done he retired to the cross.

In a devout manner he now commenced an ora- tion. The tone of his voice was audible and some- what chanting. At every pause in his discourse lie took from a white cloth which he held in his left hand a portion of dried odoriferous herbs, which he threw on the fire. This was intended as incense.

In the meantime his auditory, their eyes on the ground, with grave aspect, in solemn silence, stood motionless, listening attentively to every word he uttered.

Thus he proceeded until the victims were entirely consumed and the incense exhausted, when he con- cluded the service; the oblation now made, and the wrath of the Great Spirit appeased, as they believed, they again assembled in the council house for the purpose of performing a part in the festival different from any I had yet witnessed. Each Indian as he entered, seated himself on the floor, thus forming a large circle, when one old chief rose with that native (lignity, which some of the Indians possess in a great degree, recounted his exploits as a warrior; told in how many fights he had been the victor; the number of scalps he had taken from his enemies; and what, at the head of his braves, he intended to do at the "Rocky Mountains, " accompaning his remarks with energy, warmth and strong gesticulation, and at the conclusion received the unanimous applause of the assembled tribe.

This meed of praise was awarded by the chief by "three times three" articulations, which were pro- perly neither nasal, oral, guttural but rather abomin- able. Thus many others in the circle, old and young, rose in order and delivered a speech. Among these was Good Hunter, but he

Had laid his robes away, His mitre and his vest.

His remarks were not filled with such bombast as some of the others, but brief, modest, and appropri- ate; in fine, they were such as become a priest of one of the ten lost tribes of Israel. *

After all had spoken who wished to speak, the floor was cleared, and the dance commenced, in which Indian and squaw united with their wontcd hi- larity and zea !. Just as this dance was ended, an Ind- ian boy ran to me, with fear strongly depicted in his countenance, caught me by the arm, and drew me to the door, pointing with his other hand toward something he wished me to observe. I looked in that direction and saw the appearance of an Indian, running at full speed toward the council-house. In an instant he was in the house, and literally in the fire, which he took in his hands, and threw firc-coals and hot ashes in various directions through the house, and apparently all over himself. At his en- trance, the young Indians, much alarmed, had fled to the other end of the house, where they remained crowded, in great dread of this personification of the Evil Spirit. After diverting himself with the fire a few moments, at the expense of the young ones pres- ent, he, to their no small joy, disappeared. This was an Indian disguised with a hideous f.ilse face, having horns on his head, and his ha ids and fect pro-

l'he writer probably held to the theory no longer gen erally entertained that the Indians are descendants from " the ten lost tribes."

* Some tribes are in the habit of kindling their fire for sacrifices by the friction of two dry sticks.

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:HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

tected from the effects of the fire, and, though not a professed " fire king," he certainly performed his part to admiration.

During the continuance of the festival the hospi- tality of the Senecas was unbounded. At the coun- cil-house and at the residence of Tall Chief were a number of bucks and fat hogs hanging up and neat- ly dressed. There was bread also of both corn and wheat in abundance. Large kettles of soup already prepared, in which maple sugar profusely added m de a prominent ingredient, thus forming a very agreeable saccharine coalescence. All were invited, and all were made welcome; indeed, a refusal to par- take of their bounty was deemed disrespectful, if not unfriendly. I left them in the afternoon enjoying themselves to the fullest extent, and, so far as I could perceive, their pleasure was without alloy. They were eating and drinking, (but on this occasion no ardent spirits were permitted,) dancing, and rejoic- ing, not caring, and probably not thinking, of to- morrow.

The departure of the Senecas marks an epoch in the history of the south part of the county. They had become an ele- ment in the trade and life of the com- munity. A large tract of land was thrown on the market, and the white man's in- dustrious axe echoed in the forest which had previously known only the red-skin's rifle and hilarious shout. But the settlers on the other side of the river had, by as- sociation, become somewhat attached to their forest neighbors. While for many reasons they hailed with pleasure the pros- pect of a more advanced civilization, on the other side, there were yet demonstra- tions of profound sorrow when the day of parting came.

THE WHITE SETTLEMENT.

The land came into market in 1820, the first general sale being at Delaware. But the Indians here, as elsewhere, were disturbed by white intruders on the soil which for centuries had been the rightful possession of their race. They had learned by the experience of their neighbors on all sides, that the white man's axe and plow were the destroyers of their home and employment. It is not strange, therefore, that an attempt was made by them to en- 1

courage squatter settlers to leave. It would not have been strange under the circumstances had acts of actual violence been resorted to.

The first settlement was, however, in that part of the township adjacent to the two mile square reservation. Squatters in this part of the territory were quite numerous and changed residences with such frequency that only the names of a few of them can be given. There were, however, two classes of squatters,-a reck- less and indifferent class, who sought only temporary places to live and hunt, and those who came with a view to making this their permanent place of residence, and as soon as the lands came into the market, made permanent improvements.

Samuel and Margaret Cochran, natives of Massachusetts, after their marriage, re- moved to Vermont and from Vermont to Buffalo, New York, where Mr. Cochran built a half-deck vessel and transported his family, in 1816, to the mouth of the Huron, where the family remained about three years, during which time, in 1818, Mrs. Cochran died. In 1819 General Cass, then Indian agent, employed Mr. Cochran to assist the mail-carriers at the mouth of Wolf Creek when the water was high. This necessitated the removal of the family to the heart of the forest. The Indians, who at that time held title to the soil, tried to persuade him to leave, but resorted to no acts of violence. He cleared a small tract and built a cabin. This was the first white man's cabin in the upper part of the township. By the time the land came into market, after the Indian title became extinguished, he had cleared twenty acres, part of which had been planted in corn. But like many other squatter settlers, he lost his improvements in consequence of being overbid at the Government sales. A Mr. Henninger purchased the property, but did not move

Mas Harriet Seager.

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY

to the county for several years after. Mr. Cochran afterwards purchased land on the river about seven miles below Lower San- dusky, where he lived from 1822 until his death, in 1825. He left surviving him nine children, viz: Elizabeth (Johnson), Minerva (Smith), Cynthia (Sherman), David, Samuel, Henry, Fannie (Court- right), Harriet (Seager), and Nancy (Frary). Phineas Frary (husband of Nancy Coch- ran) was one of the early settlers at the mouth of Wolf Creek. Their daughter, Margaret, was probably the first white child born in the township. Harriet first marriedThomas Miller, October 23, 1826. After her father died and until the time of her marriage she lived with her sister, Mrs. Frary, and assisted in clearing the farm. Mr. Miller settled on Portage River, where Woodville has since been laid out. Here he died in 1828. His widow remained and kept tavern, which is noticed more fully in the chapter on that township. She purchased land after the Seneca Reserve came into market, where the council-house of the Senecas had stood. In 1835 she married Charles Seager and removed to her farm. Mrs. Seager is one of the oldest persons in the county and the only sur- vivor of the original settlers of Ballville. By her first husband she had two children, both of whom died young. Charles L. Seager, her second husband, was a native of New York. He came to Ohio and settled in this township in 1835. He cleared a large tract of land, and was an extensive farmer until his death, in 1843. Charles D. Seager, the only son, was born in 1843. He married, in 1858, Caroline Hoover.

Among the settlers of 1818 in the north part of the township were David Moore, Asa B. Gavit, John Wolcutt, Mr. Rexford, Mr. Chaffee, and perhaps a few others. In 1819, the first family, Samuel Coch- ran's, located above the bend of the river.

This year added to the inhabitants of township number four several families, among them being John Fitch, John Cus- tard, and the Prior family. In 1820 per- manent settlement began. The squatters, most of them, made purchases at the sales at Delaware, and the country rapidly filled up with emigrants from New York, Pennsylvania, and Southern Ohio. Many had made purchases before visiting the county, and their first realization of the swamps and forest to be contended with was upon their arrival in covered wagons with household goods, farming utensils and families. In another chapter is given a general idea of the log-cabin life of the period. The surroundings and homes in one locality were much similar to those of another. This fact is a clear illustration of the important influence of natural sur- roundings and conditions upon the habits and character of a people.

The Prior family came from Virginia to Ohio in 1816. There were at that time but few white families in this county. The fam- ily consisted of three sons and two daugh- ters. The second son had his eyes picked out in a most shocking manner. Before coming to Ohio he was engaged in a fight with a ruffian who got the better of him, and endeavored to force him "to give up." Prior's father arrived on the scene of ac- tion and charged the son not to yield. The ruffian's threat that he would pick his eyes out called from the father another charge not to give up, with the assurance that if he lost his eyesight he would take care of him all his life. The boy lost both his eyes, thus paying the penalty of his father's foolish vanity. When the first sale of land occurred the blind boy ap: peared as a bidder, and his condition commanded so much symathy that no one appeared to bid against him. He thus be- came the possessor of a good farm. This family suffered another shocking accident

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

while living in Ballville. Foxes were plenty at that time and frequently made raids on chickens, and even sometimes on young pigs. Their frequent visits at the Prior homestead caused the gun to be always standing ready for the shy thieves. It happened that Henry Prior, one even- ing about dark, was doing some work in the pig pen, and his red hair, just visible in the dusk of evening was mistaken for a fox by his uncle, Wilkinson Prior, who, with steady aim, fired a fatal shot. It is not surprising that a suspicion should go forth that the mistake was feigned, but there are in the circumstances no ground for such a suspicion.

David Moore moved from Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, to Ross county, Ohio, in 1814, and from Ross to Sandusky county in 1818. He was a son of Samuel Moore, who emigrated from Dalkeith, Scotland, about the year 1760, and settled in New Jersey. He built a double log cabin on the bank of the river, opposite the residence of Mrs. Eliza Moore, in the village of Ballville. A little below that he built a grist-mill, and ground the grain of the pioneers until his death, December 24 1829, which was caused by an accident in falling at night from the attic in the mill to a lower story. He was sixty-three years old. A small freestone monument marks his resting place near the centre of the old cemetery. The old settlers in those days did not all use patent flour. The follow- ing is a copy of one of many orders for meal, which are still in the possession of Mrs. Eliza Moore, in Ballville:

PORTAGE RIVER, July 20, 1825. David Moore :

DEAR SIR : Please send by the bearer two bush- els of corn meal, and charge to me.

EZEKIEL RICE.

David Moore's wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Davis, remained on a farm in Ross county, where she died July I, 1826. The children of David Moore

were Eliza (Justice), Sarah (Fields), George, James, and John Moore, all of whom came to Sandusky county. George Moore returned to Ross county in 1830, and set- tled on Paint Creek, Light miles south of Chillicothe, where he died October I, 1850, leaving a widow, Mrs. Rachel Moore, still living,and four children- David, Eliza, Morris, and William-all of whom are dead but Eliza, who is a widow -having married Philip Rhodes. George's son, David, left four daughters-Georgia, Ella, Kate, and Willie. James Moore died December 20, 1873, from an acci- dent that happened to him in his mill, aged sixty-seven. John Moore died May 31, 1876, aged seventy-eight. Eliza Justice died October 17, 1876, aged seventy-six. Sarah Fields, the only living child of David Moore, is aged seventy-seven.

J. D. Moore, son of John and Eliza Moore, was born in Ballville in 1844. His parents were among the first settlers of the county. John Moore died in 1876. He was a mille y trade, and also carried on farming This widow, Mrs. Elizabeth (Rutter) Moore, still survives him. They had eleven children, seven of whom are living. J. D. Moore married Ellen Dean, and has three children living-Guy, Philip, and Daisv. Freddie, the eldest, died, aged ten years. Mr. Moore was in business as a merchant in Fremont from 1866 to 1873. Since the latter date he has been engaged in milling in Ballville.

Asa B. Gavit, a native of New York, settled on the west bank of the river about 1818. He married, in this county, a Miss Strawn, whose family settled further up the river, near the mouth of Wolf Creek. Gavit was one of the shrewdest and most progressive men in the settlement. He had the reputation of being an excellent trader. He died, his wife and one son surviving him. She married for her sec- ond husband Charles Blinn, and for her

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

third Stephen Emerson. Mr. Gavit's connection with the famous lawsuit re- garding the ownership of the bed of the river, is given in this chapter.

William and David Chard came as squatters in 1819, and when the land came into market they made permanent settlement on section twenty-one. Their · reputation was by no means enviable.

Morris Nichols came to the township in 1820. He constructed a tannery on the river road just outside the limits of the mile square reservation.

John Wolcott was known in early times as a hunter, which was a profitable employment, in fact it was the only em- ployment; which brought in ready cash; labor and farm products were paid for in trade. He was a native of Pennsyl- vania, and lived with his mother after coming here.

We have already spoken of the first settlement at the mouth of Wolf Creek, between here and the village of Ballville. By 1824 nearly every farm on the west side of the river had been improved.

Elizabeth Tindall kept the only public house along this road. She came to the township with her family, consisting of five sons, -Samuel, Daniel, William, John, and Edward, and two daughters-Eliza (Lovejoy) and Amy (Bond). J. L. Tindall, the oldest son of Edward Tindall, still re- sides in the township. He was born May 4, 1838, and in 1860 married Martha J. Fields, of Sandusky township.

Between the Tindall estate and the Gavit farm were a number of improve- ments made about 1822, among the set- ders being Mr. Woodruff and John Cus- tard.

David Chambers purchased a tract of land in section eight, with a view to en- gaging in milling. His location, although naturally good, was unfortunate as the re- sult of a long course of litigation detailed

in this chapter will show. Mr. Chambers was highly respected in the community, and it was a matter of regret on the part of many that circumstances compelled him to sell his property and seek a home elsewhere. His son, Benjamin Chambers, moved west. His daughter married John Custard.

Mr. John Rhidout, father of William Rhidout, was one of the first settlers in the northwest part of the township. He was a shoemaker, and came west for the pur- pose of engaging at his trade at the Ind- ian missionary posts on the Maumee. After settling here in 1824 he engaged in farming.

The settlement in the upper part of the township, on the east side of the river, began in 1832, after the Senecas had been removed to their western home, and the reservation which they had occupied thrown upon the market. There were, however, earlier settlements further down.

On the east side of the river, on section twenty, had been an Indian sugar-camp of considerable size, which was purchased at the Government sales by John Sherrard. Thomas Sherrard, a brother of John, re- moved from Jefferson county, Ohio, to Lower Sandusky in the summer of 1823, with the intention of building a mill on Green Creek, where he owned a tract of land, but after his arrival concluded to set- tle on a farm near the site of Oakwood cemetery, in Ballville township, where he built a cabin and made a clearing. His family was highly esteemed in the neigh- borhood, and the untimely termination of his life was the occasion of great sadness. John Sherrard, who owned the sugar-camp, was afraid the Indians would destroy the trees, and requested his brother to rent it to some one who would live on the prop- erty. Mr. Sherrard effected a contract with William Chard, by which he was to give a stipulated amount of sugar for the

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

use of the camp. But during the first season a disagreement arose, and Mr. Sherrard began to suspect the honesty of bis tenant. He was prevented by high water from crossing the river until March 26, when he came to Colonel Chambers' house on his way to the camp. After tell- ing the object of his errand, he inquired the best place to ford the river. Colonel Chambers says, in a memorandum of the affair, that Mr. Sherrard looked melan- choly, and seemed to be apprehensive of something about to happen. He crossed the river, but it was the last time. The Chambers family became uneasy regarding his safety in the evening, and Mrs. Sher- rard's appearance on the following morn- ing, with the announcement that he had not returned, increased their apprehen- sions, which noontime confirmed when James Chard appeared on the other side of the river with the horse, and made the announcement that Sherrard had left their house in the afternoon for home, and the horse had returned alone. The river was searched for nearly a month, but to no effect, and a high freshet at length de- stroyed all hopes of recovering the body. Mrs. Sherrard was greatly affected, and left the cabin home, being kindly received in the family of Colonel Chambers. It is worthy of remark in this connection that on the day following the misfortune all the cattle and horses forsook the home and came to the Chambers residence. On April II the saddle was found below Moore's mill-dam. His hat was found on the previous day, and bore evidence of having been in the water but a short time. On April 21 Joseph Prior saw a white, fleshy form in the water about half a mile below the Chambers ford, and supposed it the body of a skinned animal, but that same evening the body was carried down to Moore's mill-dam, and discovered be. tween the breast of the dam and the spill !

of water. It was impossible to recover the body that night, there being no water craft at hand; but on the following day the body was removed from the lower mill- dam. When Mr. Sherrard left home he had on an overcoat, light under-coat, vest, and two shirts; the body was found naked. The bridge of his nose was broken, one of his eyes bruised out, and his right jaw- bore broken, as if done by the stroke of a club. The fore teeth were broken and the mouth bruised, and the throat callous. All these wounds bore evidence of having been inflicted before the extinguishment of life. The place and time of the dis- covery of the body, and its condition, are circumstances almost conclusive of a most brutal murder. The whole affair naturally caused intense excitement throughout the neighborhood, and suspicion condemned the family supposed to be guilty, but suf- ficient proof could not be found to war- rant an arrest.

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History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 89

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040