USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, Ohio; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Vo. I > Part 18
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William Raymond; born in Steuben county, N. Y., April 27, 1807; located at Reed, December, 1823.
R. W. Shawhan; born in Berkley county, Va., October 19, 1811; located at Tiffin, September 10, 1833.
Elijah Musgrove; born in Monongahela county, Va., March +, 1804; located at Scipio, October, 1824.
James McEwen; born in Northampton county, Pa., February 14, 1818; located at Clinton, August 6, 1823.
Henry Ebert; born in Fayette county, Pa., November 29, 1801; located at Tiffin November 15, 1830.
E. G. Bowe; born in Delaware, Ohio, April 5, 1818; located at Tiffin, June 7, 1818.
Mrs. Maria Rawson; born in Athens, Ohio, May 16, 1898; located at Fort Ball, May 4, 1824.
Inman Roby; born in Farquhar county, Va., December 1812; located at Seneca, November, 1832.
Levi Keller; born in Fairfield county, Ohio, September 26, 1806; located at Tiffin, September 20, 1820.
James M. Chamberlain; born in Columbiana county, Pa., August 26, 1806; located at Seneca, December, 1832.
A. B. McClelland; born in Center county, Pa., June 7, 1818; located at Bloom, November, 1830.
Thomas R. Ellis; born in Burlington county, N. J., August 8, 1795 ; located at Clinton, June, 1828.
Fred. Kishler; born in Mifflen county, Pa., October 22, 1805; located at Tiffin, April 20, 1830.
Mrs. Elizabeth Kishler; born in Franklin county, Pa., March 26, 1803; located at Tiffin, April 20, 1830.
Joseph Herrin ; born in Columbia county, Pa., July 20, 1810; located at Clinton, August, 1828.
Samuel Herrin; born in Columbia county, Pa., August 21, 1812; located at Clinton, August, 1828.
John Free; born in Berkley county, Va., September 1, 1819; located at Venice, October 25, 1823.
Mrs. Elizabeth Ebert; born in Bucks county, Pa., January 22, 1802; located at Tiffin, November 15, 1831.
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Mrs. Maria Shawhan; born in Frederick county, Md., Novem- ber 15, 1810; located at Hopewell, June 28, 1824.
Lyman White; born in Oneida county, N. Y., November 4, 1814; located at Reed, spring of 1838.
Dr. Henry Kuhn; born in Frederick county, Md., October 28, 1802, (dead) ; located at Tiffin, August, 1828.
Upton R. Flenner; born in Frederick county, Md., March 12, 1811; located at Tiffin, May, 1835.
Joseph Richards; born in Fayette county, Pa., April 7, 1792; located at Clinton, December 10, 1823.
Henry Davidson; born in Pickaway county, Ohio, October 18, 1818; located at Seneca, March, 1832.
Jacob M. Zahm; born in Palatinate, Bavaria, November 14, 1808; located at Thompson, September 24, 1832.
Hugh Welsh; born in Beaver county, Pa., February 18, 1801; located at Eden, spring of 1819.
Miron Sexton; born in Tollard county, Conn., June 1, 1803; located at Huron county, September 20, 1824.
Sylvester B. Clark; born in Monroe county, Va., February 2, 1802; located at Tiffin, August 1, 1833.
Mrs. Catharine F. Souder ; born in Jefferson county, Va., May 22, 1825; located at Hopewell, fall of 1830.
Nath. N. Spielman; born in Washington county, Md., March 25, 1815; located at Pleasant, April 20, 1830.
John Williams; born in Fairfield county, Ohio, April 21, 1818; located at Clinton, 1821.
Enos Cramer; born in Frederick county, Md., February 24, 1804; located at Clinton, 1831.
Dewit C. Pittenger ; born in Tiffin, January 24, 1836.
Alma H. Pittenger; born in Steuben county, N. Y., October 31, 1844; located at Eden, -
Mrs. Margaret Watson; born in Center county, Pa., June 25, 1823; located at Bloom, 1830.
Mrs. Elizabeth Dorsey; born in Fayette county, Pa., November 16, 1799; located at Tiffin, 1856.
Mrs. Hannah Herin; born in Maryland, December 9, 1813; located at Clinton, 1833.
Mrs. Mary P. Lang; born in Columbia county, Pa., July 10, 1818; located at Clinton, spring of 1829.
Louis Seewald; born in Palatinate, Bavaria, September 15, 1831; located at Tiffin, August 18, 1833.
James A. Sohn; born in Adams county, Pa., November 19, 1832; located at Tiffin, April 21, 1834.
Robert Nichols; born in Berkley county, Va., December 2, 1827; located at Eden, November, 1834.
Arthur Morrison; born in Jefferson county, Ohio, August 8, 1817; located at Clinton, March 21, 1828.
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Mrs. Jane Dildine; born in Columbia county, Pa., November 29, 1806; located at Clinton, May 10, 1829.
James Griffin ; born in Berkley county Va., April 16, 1796; located in Eden, fall of 1831.
S. A. Myers; born in Perry county, Ohio, December 4, 1830; located at Seneca, September, 1835.
Hezekiah Searles; born in Fairfield county, Ohio, December 4. 1810.
Mrs. Eliza A. Searles; born in Northampton county, Pa .. July 14, 1817 ; located at Clinton, 1825.
R. M. C. Martin; born in Perry county, Ohio, September 18, 1822; located at Eden, May, 1830.
Mrs. Barbara Martin; born in Seneca county, Ohio, February 19, 1831; located in Eden township.
Jacob Price; born in Rockingham county, Va., Decentber 18, 1796 ; located at Eden, 1822.
Mrs. Nancy Price ; born in Northampton county, Pa., Septem- ber 14, 1804; located at Venice, September, 1830.
Henry H. Schock; born in York county, Pa., November 2, 1800, (dead) ; located in Eden, 1833.
Mrs. Margaret Schock; born in Frederick county, Md., Decem- ber 10, 1804; located in Eden, 1833.
Mrs. Elizabeth Jaqua; born in Schenectady county, N. Y., October 2, 1798; located in Eden, 1822.
John Wax; born in Perry county, Ohio, September 13, 1813; located at Eden, 1835.
Mrs. Sarah Wax; born in Franklin county, Ohio, March 17, 1811 ; located at Eden, 1822.
Jacob Hossler; born in Adams county, Pa., January 28, 1800; located at Bloom, 1834.
Mrs. Ann Hossler; born in Stark county, Ohio, June 19, 1814; located at Bloom, 1834.
Mrs. E. J. Watson; born in Washington county, Ohio, March 9, 1815; located at Eden, 1845.
Mrs. Eva Kirshner; born in Franklin county, Pa., September, 1802; located at Eden, 1827.
Henry Geiger; born in Baden, Germany, March 18, 1812; located at Eden, 1835.
Thomas West; born in Brown county, N. Y., September 15, 1801; located at Bloom, 1822.
Nancy West; born in Center county, Pa., May 15, 1806; located at Bloom, 1822.
George Mclaughlin ; born in Juniata county, Pa., October 15, 1798; located at Seneca co., September 22, 1825.
Joseph Miller; born in Cumberland county, Pa., March 26, 1807; located at Seneca co., September 18, 1834.
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Archibald Stewart; born in Lycoming county, Pa., June 3, 1797 ; located at Scipio, 1825.
William Davis; born in Perry county, Ohio, January 18, 1819; located in Seneca county, November 12, 1825.
Later, the pioneer society of Crawford, Seneca and Wyandot counties took the place of the old association of Seneca county, and at the annual meeting held near Melmore, in 1885, Dr. Kagy, of Eden township, made the address of the occasion, saying: "It was the original purpose of the institution of these picnics to show our respect, and to testify our appreciative regard for the bold hearted pioneers of this country. The events of their useful lives, collated and recorded, constitute the history of our country. To locate a home in an American forest, inhabited by savage beasts and by a still more savage human race, and unbroken for miles around by the sturdy woodsman's blow, was an act of moral heroism that equals the most daring exploits of the battle field. His dangers, his privations, his arduous labors and his unflagging courage entitle him to be hailed the hero of the forest. But when dangers threatened and enemies environed his glorious country the hero of the forest became, also, the hero of the field. When we follow his line of march and chronicle his successsive achievements, we find his labors combined the matters and facts of history; the ex- pansion of communities; the institution of schools and other educa- tional agencies; the planting of churches, developing the arts and resources of peaceful industry; the processes of manufacture, and the means and methods of commerce." Gen. W. H. Gibson, ex- Governor Foster and others dwelt on the importance of local his- tory, and related many stories of pioneer days.
This Tri-County Pioneer Association continues to hold annual meetings at Schock's grove, near Melmore, in September .. The meeting last September was a large and interesting one.
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CHAPTER VIII
FARM AND ORCHARD
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RISE OF WESTERN AGRICULTURE-LIVE STOCK INTRODUCED TO OHIO-THE SHEEP INDUSTRY-FIRST IMPORTED HOGS- PLANTING OF FIRST ORCHARDS --- ISRAEL PUTNAM, THE HORTICULTURIST- JOHNNY APPLESEED-THE KIRTLANDS-LONGWORTH, FATHER OF WESTERN VINEYARDS-CEREAL CULTIVATION-COMING OF THE POTATO-FARMING IMPLEMENTS-FIRST OHIO THRESHERS -- PIONEER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES-POMOLOGY AND HORTICULTURE -COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY-ORIGIN OF THE GRANGE- SENECA COUNTY GRANGES-JOHNNY APPLESEED AGAIN-THE JOHNNY APPLESEED MONUMENT.
Doubtless many readers of the Seneca 'county history are farm- ers; hence, a resume of agriculture in the state will be appropriate and valuable as a matter of history. Agriculture is the true basis of national wealth and prosperity, and therefore justly occupies a prominent place in Seneca county history.
In the year 1800, the territory of Ohio contained a population of 45,365 inhabitants, or a little more than one person to the square mile. At this date, the admission of the territory into the Union as a state began to be agitated. When the census was made to as- certain the legality of the act, in conformity to the "compact of 1787," no endeavor was made to ascertain additional statistics, as now; hence, the cultivated land was not returned, and no account remains to tell how much existed. In 1805, three years after the admission of the state into the Union, 7,252,856 acres had been pur- chased from the general government. Still no returns of the culti- vated lands were made. In 1810, the population of Ohio was 230,760, and the land purchased from the government amounted to 9,933,150 acres, of which amount, however, 3,569,314 acres, or more than one-third, was held by non-residents. Of the lands occupied by resident land owners, there appear to have been 100,968 acres of first-rate, 1,929,600 of second, and 1,538,745 acres of third-rate lands. At this period there were very few exports from the farm, loom or shop. The people still needed all they produced to sus- tain themselves, and were yet in that pioneer period where they
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were obliged to produce all they wanted, and vet were opening new farms, and bringing the old ones to a productive state.
Kentucky, and the country on the Monongahela, lying along the western slopes of the Alleghany mountains, having been much longer settled, had begun, as early as 1795, to send considerable quantities of flour, whisky, bacon and tobacco to the lower towns on the Mississippi, at that time in the possession of the Spaniards. At the French settlements on the Illinois, and at Detroit, were being raised much more than could be used, and these were exporting also large quantities of these materials, as well as peltries and such commodities as their nomadic lives furnished. As the Mississippi was the natural outlet of the west, any attempt to impede its free navigation by the various powers at times controlling its outlet, would lead at once to violent outbreaks among the western settlers, some of whom were aided by unscrupulous persons, who thought to form an independent western country. Providence seems to have had a watchful eve over all these events, and to have so guided them that the attempts with such objects in view, invariably ended in disgrace to their perpetrators. This outlet to the west was thought to be the only one that could carry their produce to market, for none of the westerners then dreamed of the immense system of railways now covering that part of the Union. As soon as ship building commenced at Marietta, in the year 1800, the farm- ers along the borders of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers turned their attention to the cultivation of hemp, in addition to their other crops. In a few years sufficient was raised, not only to furnish cordage to the ships in the west, but large quantities were worked up in the various rope walks and sent to the Atlantic cities. Iron had been discovered, and forges on the Juniata were busy converting that necessary and valued material into implements of industry.
By the year 1805, two ships, seven brigs and three schooners had been built and rigged by the citizens of Marietta. Their construction gave a fresh impetus to agriculture, as by means of them the surplus products could be carried away to a foreign mar- ket, where, if it did not bring money, it could be exchanged for merchandise equally valuable. Captain David Devoll was one of the earliest of Ohio's shipwrights. He settled on the fertile Muskingum bottom, about five miles above Marietta, soon after the Indian war. Here he built a "floating mill," for making flour, and, in 1801, a ship of two hundred and fifty tons, called the Muskingum, and the brig Eliza Greene, of one hundred and fifty tons. In 1804, he built a schooner on his own account, and in the spring of the next year, it was finished and loaded for a voyage down the Mississippi. It was small. only of seventy tons burden,
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of a light draft, and intended to run on the lakes east of New Orleans. In shape and model. it fully sustained its name, Nonpa- reil. Its complement of sails, small at first, was completed when it arrived in New Orleans. It had a large cabin to accomodate passengers, was well and finely painted. and sat gracefully on the water. Its load was of assorted articles. and shows very well the nature of exports of the day. It consisted of two hundred barrels of flour, fifty barrels of kiln-dried corn meal, four thousand pounds of cheese, six thousand of bacon, one hundred sets of rum puncheon shooks, and a few grindstones. The flour and meal were made at Captain Devoll's floating mill. and the cheese made in Belpre, at that date one of Ohio's most flourishing agricultural districts. The captain and others carried on boating as well as the circumstances of the days permitted. fearing only the hostility of the Indians. and the duty the Spaniards were liable to levy on boats going down to New Orleans, even if they did not take it into their erratic heads to stop the entire navigation of the great river by vessels other than their own. By such means, merchandise was carried on al- most entirely until the construction of canals. and even then. until modern times, the flat-boat was the main-stay of the shipper inhabit- ing the country adjoining the upper Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Commonly, very little stock was kept beyond what was neces- sary for the use of the family and to perform the labor on the farm. The Scioto valley was perhaps the only exception in Ohio to this general condition. Horses were brought by the emigrants from the east and were characteristic of that region. In the French settlements in Illinois and about Detroit. French ponies. marvels of endurance, were chiefly used. They were impracticable in haul- ing the immense emigrant wagons over the mountains and hence were comparatively unknown in Ohio. Until 1828, draft horses were chiefly used here. the best strains being brought by the "Tunkers," "Mennonites." and "Ormish."-three religious sects. whose members were invariably agriculturists. In Stark, Wayne. Holmes and Richland counties. as a general thing, they congre- gated in communties, where the neatness of their farms. the excel- lent condition of their stock, and the primitive simplicity of their manners, made them conspicuous.
In 1828, the French began to settle in Stark county, where they introduced the stock of horses known as "Selim." "Florizel." "Post Boy" and "Timolen." These, crossed upon the descents of the Norman and Conestoga. produced an excellent stock of farm horses, now largely used.
In the Western Reserve, blooded horses were introduced as early as 1825. John I. Van Meter brought fine horses into the Scioto valley in 1815, or thereabouts. Soon after, fine horses were brought to Steubenville from Virginia and Pennsylvania. In
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northern Ohio the stock was more miscellaneous, until the introduc- tion of improved breeds from 1815 to 1835. By the latter date the strains of horses had greatly improved. The same could be said of other parts of the state. Until after 1825, only farm and
road horses were required. That year a race course-the first in the state-was established in Cincinnati, shortly followed by others at Chillicothe, Dayton and Hamilton. From that date the race horse steadily improved. Until 1838, however, all race courses were rather irregular, and, of those named, it is difficult to deter- mine which one has priority of date over the others. To Cincin- nati, the precedence is, however, generally given. In 1838, the Buckeye course was established in Cincinnati, and before a year had elapsed, it is stated, there were fifteen regular race courses in Ohio. The effect of these courses was to greatly stimulate the stock of racers, and rather detract from draft and road horses. The organization of companies to import blooded horses has again revived the interest in this class. and now, at annual stock sales, these strains of horses are eagerly sought after by those having occasion to use them.
Cattle were brought over the mountains, and, for several years, were kept entirely for domestic uses. By 1805, the country had so far settled that the surplus stock was fattened on corn and fodder, and a drove was driven to Baltimore. The drove was owned by George Renick, of Chillicothe, and the feat was looked upon as one of great importance. The drove arrived in Baltimore in excellent condition. The impetus given by this movement of Mr. Renick stimulated greatly the feeding of cattle, and led to the improvement of the breed, heretofore only of an ordinary kind.
Until the advent of railroads and the shipment of cattle there- on, the number of cattle driven to eastern markets from Ohio alone, was estimated at over fifteen thousand annually, whose value was placed at $600,000. Besides this. large numbers were driven from Indiana and Illinois, whose boundless prairies gave free seope to the herding of cattle. Improved breeds, "Short Horns." "Long Horns" and others, were introduced into Ohio as early as 1810 and 1815. Since then the stock has been gradually improved and acclimated, until now Ohio produces as fine cattle as any state in the Union. In some localities, especially in the Western Re- serve, cheese making and dairy interests are the chief occupations of whole neighborhoods, where may be found men who have grown wealthy in this business.
Sheep were kept by almost every family. in pioneer times. in order to be supplied with wool for clothing. The wool was carded by hand, spun in the cabin, and frequently dyed and woven as well as shaped into garments there, too. All emigrants brought the best household and farming implements their limited means would
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allow, so also did they bring the best strains of horses, cattle and sheep they could obtain. About the year 1809. Mr. Thomas Roteh, a Quaker, emigrated to Stark county, and brought with him a small flock of Merino sheep. They were good. and a part of them were from the original flock brought over from Spain, in 1801, by Col. Humphrey, United States minister to that country. He had brought 200 of these sheep and hoped, in time, to see every part of the United States stocked with Merinos. In this he partially
succeeded only, owing to the prejudice against then. In 1816, Messrs. Wells & Dickenson, who were, for the day. extensive woolen manufacturers in Steubenville, drove their fine floeks out on the Stark county plains for the summer, and brought them back for the winter. This course was pursued for several years, until farms were prepared, when they were permanently kept in Stark county. This flock was originally derived from the Humphrey importation. The failure of Wells & Dickenson. in 1824, placed a good portion of this flock in the hands of Adam Hildebrand, and became the basis
. of his celebrated flock. Mr. T. S. Humrickhouse, of Coshocton, in a communication regarding sheep, writes as follows:
"The first merinos brought to Ohio were doubtless by Seth Adams, of Zanesville. They were Humphrey's Merinos-un- doubtedly the best ever imported into the United States, by what- ever name called. He kept them part of the time in Washington, and afterward in Muskingum county. He had a sort of partner- ship agency from General Humphrey for keeping and selling them. They were scattered. and, had they been taken care of and appre- ciated, would have laid a better foundation of flocks in Ohio than any sheep brought into it from that time till 1852. The precise date at which Adams brought them cannot now be ascertained ; but it was prior to 1813, perhaps as early as 1804."
"The first Southdowns," continues Mr. Humrickhouse, "New Leicester, Lincolnshire and Cotswold sheep I -ever saw, were brought into Coshocton county from England by Isaac Maynard, nephew of the famous Sir John, in 1834. There were about ten Southdowns and a trio of each of the other kinds. He was offered $500 for his Lincolnshire ram, in Buffalo, as he passed through, but refused. He was selfish, and unwilling to put them into other hands when he went on a farm, all in the woods, and, in about three years, most of them had perished."
The raising and improvement of sheep has kept steady tread with the growth of the state, and now Ohio wool is known the world over. In quantity it is equal to any state in America, while its quality is unequaled.
The first stock of hogs brought to Ohio were rather poor, scrawny creatures, and, in a short time, when left to themselves to pick a livelihood from the beech mast and other nuts in the woods.
10元
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degenerated into a wild condition. almost akin to their originators. As the country settled. however. they were gathered from their lairs, and by feeding them corn. the farmers soon brought them out of their semi-barbarous state. Improved breeds were intro- duced. The laws for their protection and guarding were made, and now the hog of today shows what improvement and civiliza- tion can do for any wild animal. The chief city of the state has became famous as a slaughtering place ; her bacon and sides being known in all the civilized world.
Other domestic animals, mules, asses, etc., have been brought to the state as occasion required. Wherever their use has been demanded. they have been obtained, until the state has her com- plement of all animals her citizens can use in their daily labors.
Most of the early emigrants brought with them young fruit trees or grafts of some favorite variety from the "old homestead." Hence, on the Western Reserve are to be found chiefly-especially in old orchards-New England varieties, while, in the localities immediately south of the reserve, Pennsylvania and Maryland , varieties predominate; but at Marietta, New England fruits are again found, as well as throughout southeastern Ohio. One of the oldest of these orchards was on a Mr. Dana's farm, near Cincin- nati, on the Ohio river bank. It consisted of five acres, in which apple seeds and seedlings were planted as early as 1790. Part of the old orchard is yet to be seen, though the trees are almost past their usefulness. Peaches, pears, cherries and apples were planted by all the pioneers in their gardens. As soon as the seed produced seedlings, these were transplanted to some hillside, and the orchard, in a few years, was a productive unit in the life of the settler. The first fruit brought, was like-everything else of the pioneers, rather inferior, and admitted of much cultivation. Soon steps were taken by the more enterprising settlers to obtain better varieties.
Israel Putnam, as early as 1796, returned to the east, partly to get scions of the choicest apples, and partly, on other business. He obtained quite a quantity of choice apples. of some forty or fifty varieties, and set them out. A portion of them were dis- tributed to the settlers who had trees, to ingraft. From these old grafts are yet to be traced some of the best orchards in Ohio. Israel Putnam was one of the most prominent men in early Ohio days. He was always active in promoting the interests of the settlers. Among his earliest efforts, that of improving the fruit may well be mentioned. Hle and his brother, Aaron W. Putnam, lived at Belpre, opposite Blennerhasset's island, began the nursery busi- ness soon after their arrival in the west. The apples brought by them from their Connecticut home were used to commence the busi- ness. These, and the apples obtained from trees planted in their
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gardens, gave them a beginning. They were the only two men in Ohio engaged in the business till 1817.
In early times, in the central part of Ohio, there existed a curious character known as "Johnny Appleseed." Ilis real name was John Chapman. He received his name from his habit of planting, along all the streams in that part of the state, apple seeds from which sprang many of the old orchards. He did this
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