USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 17
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To people who were born and raised along this stream, and to those who have lived here a long time, the present beauty and scenery, the splendid farms in high state of cultivation, the beautiful farm houses, large barns, and every improvement calculated to add to the comfort and enjoyment of life, may have very little attraction; but to people from abroad, strangers that visit this valley, there is not in all this northwestern Ohio anything equal to it.
There is an excellent spring near the left bank of Honey creek, about sixty rods below Koller's mill, in section nine, Bloom township. About one hundred and fifty yards from this spring, and in a direction west of south, the early settlers found ruins of ancient fortifications of
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very singular construction and workmanship. There was nothing about the works that would indicate the Indian, and the fort must have belonged to a people who preceded the Indians, and of whom the Indians themselves had no knowledge. The work was constructed of stone, some of which were dressed. The main buildings were in a circular form, about one hundred feet in diameter. At the side towards Honey creek there was attached to each of these circular walls a stone appendage of about twelve feet square, with an opening towards the spring. There was a space of about three hundred yards between these circular walls. Both buildings seemed to have been alike. As late as 1838, the walls were about five feet high, but crumbling down.
There was no sign of any mortar having been used in the erection of the buildings, and yet it seemed that the stones had once been held together by some cement, from the manner in which they rested upon each other. The stones had fallen down on both sides of the wall, and the piles on each side were as high as the wall itself.
RICHARD JAQUA.
The father of Richard Jaqua was a citizen of the state of Connecticut. Soon after the revolutionary war the family moved into Columbia county, in the state of New York, where, on the 9th day of April, 1787, Richard Jaqua was born. Some time thereafter the family moved to Canada West, and settled near Brockville.
On the 9th day of October, Richard Jaqua was married to Elizabeth Wilsee, a young Canadienne. When the war between England and the United States broke out, Jaqua was the owner of two hundred acres of land, and considerable personal property.
When he was drafted as a soldier to join the British army, his Amer- ican pride was stronger than the laws of Canada, and he at once determined that he would not take up arms against his native land, and that he would make his escape to it at the first opportunity. Soon after the draft, and on the last day of the year 1812, he and nine others crossed the St. Lawrence, about forty miles below Kingston.
One of these others was his friend, Ezra Brown, who, also, afterwards became one of the first settlers of Seneca county. Jaqua carried a small feather-bed and bed-clothes, and Brown carried the clothing for both. When the party arrived on American soil, they traveled on foot through the snow, and reached an American picket-fort late in the night. The next morning the whole party of run-aways were sent, under guard, to Ogdensburgh, in the state of New York, where Major
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Forsythe was in command. The Major examined each man separately, and being fully satisfied of the truth of their statements, gave each man a pass.
Jaqua then went over to his native county of Columbia, and on the 3d day of April, 1813, started back for Ogdensburgh. On his way he met his friend Brown at Morristown, New York. They were both experienced in the use of small boats, and intimately acquainted with the dangerous places in the channel of the St. Lawrence. Here they came to the conclusion that they would help other deserters to get over to the American side, and for that purpose procured a craft, by the means of which they helped a goodly number of the fugitives to get across the river to the American side.
This sort of employment was exceedingly dangerous, inasmuch as no crafts of any sort were allowed to touch the Canadian shore; yet these friends followed up this work during all the summer and fall of 1813. The Canadian authorities became fully informed of these operations, and sent a squad of men to a small island opposite Gibway Point, with instructions to capture both Jaqua and Brown as they were passing to and fro.
One night Jaqua, Brown, Patterson, and five others crossed over to Gibway Point and secreted themselves until morning. Patterson walked along the beach to attract the attention of the guard. Imme- diately three men were seen putting out from the island in a punt-boat, and landing on Gibway Point, pulled their boat on shore, and then made for Patterson. These men and Patterson, getting into sharp conversation, Patterson receded from the British and the shore, and when they were far enough away to be considered safe, Jaqua, Brown, and the other men, who were secreted with them, jumped up, and with cocked guns and the help of Patterson, took the men prisoners and handed them over to a militia captain at Rawsee. This captain detailed a guard, consisting of Sergeant Whipple, Jaqua, Brown, and several others, to take the prisoners to Sackett's Harbor, which they did.
In the fall of the same year, 1813, the American army, under Gen. Wilkerson, was in camp on the American side of the St. Lawrence, a short distance below Gravelly Point. Gen. Hamlin, with his troops, was also stationed at a point on the same side called French Mills. Hamlin was very anxious to have Wilkerson, with his men, join him, but to bring this about, it would require a long and tedious march by land, or to embark the whole force in boats and proceed down the St. Lawrence, through the Thousand Isles, which, all knew, was a dangerous undertaking.
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Hamlin sent two messengers with his orders for Wilkerson, and when these arrived at Morristown, where Jaqua and Brown then were, one of the messengers was taken sick, and became unable to proceed further. The other messenger employed Jaqua and Brown to take him to Gen. Wilkerson's headquarters. They took the punt-boat, and, traveling by night only, they reached Gen. Wilkerson's camp in two weeks after they left Morristown. In a few days thereafter, Brown and Jaqua were engaged by Gen. Wilkerson to pilot him and his forces down the river to Gen. Hamlin, through the Thousand Isles. Jaqua and Brown, with their punt-boat and a flag, took the lead, and the fleet, with Gen. Wilkerson and his forces, passed safely through the Thousand Isles, and reached a point about four miles above Fort Prescott, called Hog Point, where they landed. Here the army remained a few days, and then crossed the river into Canada. For about four weeks thereafter, Jaqua and Brown were constantly busy piloting parties down the river. For fear of trouble from the Canadian authorities, Mr. Jaqua kept his name, and the fact that he was drafted in Canada, a profound secret during all the time he was associated with the movements of the American troops along the St. Lawrence.
On the 14th day of May, 1814, Mr. Jaqua enrolled his name as a private in a company of minute men under Capt. Ellis, at Houndsfield, about five miles above Sackett's Harbor. During his service in that company, one Wolsey was in charge of a fleet of small boats loaded with stores belonging to the United States, and vessels then in process of construction. When the company arrived at a point off Big Sandy creek, near Sackett's Harbor, they were noticed by the British fleet, and Wolsey, to save his fleet, ran it into the mouth of Big Sandy. The bar at the mouth of the creek prevented the British vessels from passing in. Thereupon the British immediately embarked in small boats, and followed Wolsey. The alarm was given to the minute men, who arrived very soon at the scene, and, joining with a company already there on duty, gave the British battle. After a sharp fight for a short time, the British retreated, leaving ninety-six of their men dead on the field. Mr. Jaqua succeeded in having his family brought across in the fall of 1813, and now joined them. In 1815 he was engaged in hauling timber and lumber to Sackett's Harbor, where some seventy-four vessels were being built.
He moved to the western part of the state of New York, where he lived six years, and then moved to this county, in 1822, and settled in Eden township, where he lived to the time of his death. His friend Brown had preceded him as a pioneer to this county.
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Colonel Jaqua, as he was familiarly called, received neither com- pensation nor pension from the government for all his valuable services, until 1872. His property in Canada was all confiscated by the British authorities. Upon his petition to Congress, the Hon. C. Foster representing this district in Washington, Congress generously acknowl- edged and recognized Mr. Jaqua's merits, and granted him a pension, by special act, that tended very materially to gladden the few remaining years of the Colonel's life.
Col. Jaqua was a little more than six feet high, and well proportioned. He was blessed with an iron constitution, and great force of character. In his boyhood days his chances for education were not very good; but whatever he lacked in book-learning, he made up by his sound . sense and clear judgment. In stature and personal appearance, in his movements and tone of voice, he resembled Josiah Hedges, the proprietor of Tiffin, very much. He had a noble bearing, an open, frank, but sincere countenance; heavy lower jaw, clenched lips, dark eyes, nose not very large and a little of the Roman shape, and 'a fine forehead. His very looks would say: "I'll do as I agree, sir." He took a very active part in public affairs in Seneca county, and contrib- uted largely to the development of her resources, having lived here more than half a century. He was social in his nature, hospitable, generous, kind. He was a good neighbor, a good citizen, a good husband and father, and, above all, an honest man. He died, without a struggle, in peace with God and mankind, on the 26th of September, 1878, aged ninety-one years, five months and seventeen days. His wife had preceded him to the other world on the 7th of May, 1877, aged eighty-six years, seven months and four days. This venerable couple lived in happy wedlock nearly seventy years-more than two generations of time. The Colonel was buried with the plain, but impressive ritual of Masonry, having been an honored member of the order during the greater part of his life. Requiesce in pace.
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CHAPTER X.
FIRST MERIDIAN-BASE LINE - TOWNSHIPS - RANGES -- SECTIONS-QUARTER SECTIONS-GENERAL SURVEY - ORGANIZATION OF SENECA COUNTY-THE OLD COURT HOUSE-HOLDING THE FIRST COURT-FIRST ELECTION-FIRST MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS-APPOINTMENT OF FIRST TREASURER-COLLECTOR OF TAXES-SURVEYOR-PROSECUTING ATTORNEY - ORGANIZATION OF BLOOM, SCIPIO, CLINTON. HOPEWELL, SENECA AND ADAMS TOWNSHIPS-BUILDING THE FIRST JAIL-RUDOLPHUS DICKINSON - REED TOWNSHIP-SALE OF THE RESERVATIONS.
H ITHERTO, the cabins of the early settlers were near the forts of Seneca and Ball, with a few scattered along Rocky creek, Honey creek, Silver creek and in Thompson. The "Black Swamp" commenced immediately west of the river ; in fact, the Sandusky river was the eastern boundary of the Black Swamp.
These settlers were mere squatters. They could buy no land, be- cause there was none in market. Outside of the Indian reservation, the title to all the territory was in the United States; and this new purchase could not be offered for sale until after a survey thereof was made and reported, in order to enable the government to make proper descriptions of tracts, designating each in such manner and with such certainty as to avoid, if possible, all controversy as to boundary lines, etc.
During all this time the squatters explored and prospected, making selections of localities at or near which they intended to buy, as soon as the lands were offered for sale. They built their huts wherever they pleased; fished and hunted. Some made small openings to raise vege- tables, taking their chances for the improvements falling into the hands of somebody else ; others that lived near any of these reservations, farmed the lands of some of the Indians on shares. Thus the squatters were employed making themselves comfortable, raising stock and get- ting ready to open farms for themselves.
Let us now give some attention to the manner in which this new purchase was brought into market.
The survey of the Western Reserve was started at a point on the west line of Pennsylvania, where the forty-first degree of north latitude crosses the same. The surveyor then followed this parallel due west,
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measuring ranges of five miles each. At the end of the twenty-fourth range he reached the southwest corner of the Connecticut reserve, which is now also the southwest corner of Huron county. From this point a line was drawn north to the lake, and parallel with the west line of Pennsylvania, which formed the western boundary of the Western Reserve. So that all the territory north of this parallel to the lake, and all east of this north line to the state of Pennsylvania, constitutes the Western Reserve; sometimes called the "Connecticut Reserve," and sometimes "the Fire Lands." These lands were reserved by Connecti- cut for the purpose of paying with them debts the colony owed to revolutionary soldiers, to people who had their property burnt or otherwise destroyed by the British army, etc., war debts generally.
Let us remember now, that this parallel of forty-one degress north latitude is the southern boundary, and the base line of the Western Reserve ; that the ranges on that line are five miles ; that there are twenty-four ranges in all; and that the townships on the Western Re- serve are five miles square.
Soon after the treaty of the Miami of the Lake, already mentioned, the general government ordered all the lands thereby secured to be surveyed. This was then "the new purchase."
Mr. Sylvanus Bourne, under instructions from the general land office of the United States, started a survey from the east line of the state of Indiana on the forty-first parallel N. L. This state line, which of course is also the west line of Ohio, he called the first meridian. Running his line on this parallel east, he planted a stake where the end of the sixth mile was reached. This made one range, and the first range in his survey. The end of the seventeenth range brought him within fifty-two chains and seven links of the southwest corner of the Western Reserve. A line drawn due north, by his compass, cut the west line of the Western Reserve exactly at the northeast corner of ยท Seneca county. There is therefore a strip of land lying all along and east of the seventeenth range, that is not in any range, 52.07 long on the south end, running to a point just eighteen miles north. This tract is called "the gore." The ranges in the new purchase are six miles wide-17x6-102. The ranges on the Western Reserve being five miles wide-24x5-120 ; 102 plus 120-222. Therefore the distance from the state line of Pennsylvania to the state line of Indiana is two hund- red and twenty-two miles and this gore 52.07.
From these six mile posts, lines were drawn due north to the north line of Ohio and to Lake Erie, and south to the Virginia military land dis- tricts. This line thus drawn along the forty-first parallel north latitude,
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being the base of operation for all future surveys, is called the base line. The territory between these six-mile posts is called a range, and runs north and south from the base line, as above indicated.
Parallel with this base line, and six miles distant therefrom, other lines were surveyed, starting from this meridian north and south of the base line, and running east until other surveys were met. The north and south lines, or range lines, thus cut at right angles by the east and west lines, or township lines, formed tracts of territory, each six miles square, called townships. Each additional east and west, six mile line, from the base line, adds another township to the number. The town- ships, therefore, are numbered from the base line north and south; and townships one north or south means all the townships along the entire length of the base line, having the base line for the northern or south- ern boundary. The next townships north or south are numbered two, and so on, until Michigan or lake Erie on the north, or some other' survey on the south is reached.
In describing a piece of land, therefore, we say, for example, "Town- ship two (2) north, range fifteen (15) east"; because this is the second township north of the base line, lying north and in range fifteen, count- ing the ranges from the meridian as above.
A Mr. Holmes assisted Mr. Bourne in the survey of the range and township lines.
Four gentlemen were appointed by the Commissioner of the general land office, to survey and sub;divide Seneca county into sections, quar- ter and half quarter sections. They were J. Glasgow, Price F. Kellogg, James T. Worthington and Sylvanus Bourne.
Seneca county has five ranges, from the thirteenth to the seventeenth, both inclusive, and three townships north-one, two and three. There are therefore fifteen townships in the county, the Sandusky river cutting it from the south to the north into two parts nearly equal ; and the county seat being near the center of the county, makes Seneca county almost unequalled in shape and beauty by any other county in the state.
Mr. Glasgow surveyed the townships north of range thirteen-Big Spring, Loudon and Jackson.
Mr. Worthington surveyed the townships north of range fourteen, viz: Seneca, Hopewell and Liberty; also, those north of range fifteen, viz: Eden, Clinton and Pleasant. Mr. Bourne surveyed those north of range sixteen, viz: Bloom, Scipio and Adams. Mr. Kellogg surveyed those north of range seventeen, viz: Venice, Reed and Thompson, and the gore. It is to be understood here, that the townships as here
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named are the same as they are now known, and not as established from time to time by county commissioners. The geographical lines of the townships were established by these surveys. It is also to be understood that the Indian reservations were not included in these surveys.
Each township being six miles square, makes just thirty-six sections, each one mile square, and containing six hundred and forty acres each. The sections are numbered by commencing at the northeast corner of the township; running west, brings section six into the north- west corner; the next section south of this is section seven, and running east, brings section twelve immediately south of section one; then calling the section south of twelve number thirteen, running west and so on, brings section thirty-one into the southwest corner, and section thirty-six into the southeast corner of the township.
The sections were again sub-divided into quarters and half quarters, with lines at right angles, making it very easy to describe the quarter of a quarter.
It is scarcely possible to conceive of a plan for the description of land for the purposes of purchase, sale or taxation, more beautiful, geographically, or for business more convenient.
In the survey of the entire northwest, this order was strictly adhered to.
We must also remember that in all these surveys, the Sandusky river having been, by act of Congress, declared a navigable stream, is not included. The surveys run only to low water mark of the stream, and therefore necessarily and unavoidably create many fractional sections. These surveyors finished their work in 1820.
There were then, also, several other Indian reservations, aside from the Seneca reservation, viz: The Armstrong reservation; the McCul- loch reservation; the Van Meter reservation; the Walker reservations, and a reservation of about twelve square miles occupying the southwest corner of the county, belonging to the Wyandots. These reserves were not surveyed, and not offered for sale until after the last Indian had gone, when, in 1832, a Mr. J. W. Christmas surveyed them all. Thereupon these reserve lands were brought into market also.
The field notes in the General Land Office at Washington show the time when these surveys were made and the persons who made them, as above given. How Mr. Butterfield, in his history of Seneca, can lay the time in 1819, and say that Alex. Holmes ran off the sections, etc., is not very clear.
This new purchase thereupon was laid off and divided into two land
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districts-the Delaware and the Piqua land districts, by a line drawn north and south through and near the center of the new purchase. This placed Seneca county in the Delaware land district.
On the 3d day of August, 1821, the lands in the Delaware land district north of the base line, were first offered for sale at Delaware at a minimum price of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Large quantities of land in this county were purchased at these first sales, but very little of it above the minimum price.
Before the subject is dismissed, it may be well to state another fact in connection with these surveys, that should be generally understood: "The boundaries of the general surveys can not be changed."
Congress, as early as the year 1805, laid down certain general prin- ciples in regard to the unchangeableness of the lines and corners established by government surveyors, which have been continued operative down to the present time, and are still in full force. These principles are contained in the second section of an act entitled "An act concerning the mode of surveying the public lands of the United States," approved February 11, 1805, and are as follows, to-wit:
Ist. All the corners marked in the surveys returned by Surveyor-Generals, shall be established as the proper corners of sections or sub-divisions of sections which they were intended to designate ; and the corners of half and quarter sections, not marked on said surveys, shall be placed as nearly as possible, equally distant from those two corners which stand on the same line.
The Boundary Lines actually run and marked in the surveys returned by the Surveyor-General, shall be established as the proper boundary lines of the sections or sub-divisions for which they were intended ; and the length of such lines as returned by the Surveyor-General aforesaid, shall be held and considered as the true length thereof.
Experience has demonstrated the wisdom of this enactment. No law ever passed by Congress has contributed so much to prevent disputes in regard to boundaries of the public lands. Considering the extent of the territory over which the public surveys have been extended, embracing whole states, now thickly settled with people, and affecting interests involving many thousands of dollars, cases of litigation growing out of disputed boundaries, are surprisingly rare. "System of Rectangular Surveying," by J. H. Haws, p. 119.
Although this law may in some instances work a hardship to individ- uals, giving to one party more land than to another, yet it is one of the conditions under which the land was acquired, and the evil in these cases is measurably small compared with the great benefit derived from these fixed and unchangeable lines and corners of the public lands.
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Whenever, therefore, questions should arise as to the correct corners and lines of lands, with this knowledge of the law before us, and proper examination of the field notes, where the same are established, great annoyance, heartaches and money may be saved.
If any of the old land-marks of early life in Seneca county shall be omitted or overlooked in this book, it will not be because the writer has not been sufficiently industrious in his efforts to look them up for record. Indeed, sometimes I fear that my persistent inquiries about affairs of former days among my old pioneer friends, have been bur- densome to many of them, and I have no other apology to offer but my earnest purpose to preserve, for the use of their children, a full and faithful record of Seneca county's past.
Very many people in Seneca county perhaps never knew, and others have forgotten, the fact that there was an Indian reservation, containing about twelve square miles, belonging to the Wyandots, in the southwest corner of Big Spring township. This reservation, and another piece of the same lying south of the same and adjoining it, was procured by the United States and brought into market with the Seneca reservation, long before the Wyandots sold their large reservation to the general government. (See chap. III.)
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