History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 31

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

USA > Ohio > Stark County > History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 31

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[NOTE .- The geological features of the foregoing chapter have been compiled from the State Report. and the agricultural part has been largely drawn from an essay by M. Rayuokle, written in 1866 .- En. ]

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

1-3

CHAPTER II .*

THE EARLY INHABITANTS-PRE-HISTORIC OCCUPATION AND REMAINS OF STARK COUNTY CLASSIFICATION OF EARTHWORKS-SKETCHES OF THE INDIAN TREBES- STARK COUNTY INDIANS DURING THE BORDER WARS -INTERESTING INCIDENTS.

T THE development of all the branches of natural science within the last half-cen- tury has been so colossal that a flood of light has been thrown upon numberless subjects, that before were either wholly or partially unknown. New fields of instruction have been opened to the race in every department of science. and a vast fund of information that touches the springs of human life. and widens and elevates the sphere of social use- fulness, has been placed before overy true philomathean for his improvement. One of the most baffling undertakings for the un- promising research of scientific men, is to clear up the mystery enveloping the origin and early stages of human life. That all earnest efforts looking to this result have sig- nally and wholly failed, is not because mill- ions in money have not been expended. nor because unremitting research of splendid in- tellects has not been turned in this direction: but is probably because the subject lies beyond the limits of the circle in which the mind of man must move. The sedulons endeavors to clear up the mystery have disclosed many cir- cuinstances connected with the early history of the human race that are of vast social value. and are regarded with universal interest throughout the carth. Many of the factors which combine to form the wonderful organ- ism of society, many of the relations and forces compelling and controlling individual conduct, and many of the pre-existing. envi- roning conditions, which metamorphose the Jaws governing social intercourse, have been revealed by the persistent labor of scientific mon.

The general desire and inclination to sift all subjects of this character to the bottom, have Jed antiquarians to the study of the lives Contributed by W A. G odspeed.

of the ancient people, now universally known as Mound-Builders. That a strange and semi civilized people resided throughout all the country in times which antedate the Indians' occupaney of the soil is established by con- elusive evidence, aside from the almost univer- sal denial of the savage tribes of their having had any participation in the erection of the vast number of earthworks scattered through ont the continent. It is estimated that. in Ohio alone. there are 10,000 of these works. many of them being in a fair state of preser- vation. All that is known of this mysterious people has been discovered from the decaying remnants of their works: but their origin and final fate are enshrouded in hopeless obsenrity. Some authorities have suggested that they ultimately deteriorated into the ancestors of the Indian tribes, though the majority of in- telligent writers on the subject discourage such a view, and give evidence tending 'o show that an interval of many centuries elapsed between the reign of the two races. Others state the conviction that they were Mongolians, having reached the Western Con- tinent by way of Behring's Strait. Various antiquarians have referred their origin to the Hebrews, Tartars. Persians, Celts, Egyptians. Toltees. Aztecs and Peruvians; but in most cases the reference is largely speculative. From their works must be derived the solu tion of their modes of life: habits; customs; advancement in intelligence. morals, social intercourse, and the means of sustaining life; their degree of civilization; their knowledge of the arts of peace and war: their language, religion, and labor: and their final fate, whether by extinction through war, famine, or pestilence, or whether they became the ances. tors of the succeeding Indian tribes. Al- though the pre-historie remains of Stark

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

County are few in munber and comparatively uninteresting in detail; yet, since research has thrown so much light upon the subject, and aroused so much interest among scientists and lovers of science, a brief statement will here be given of the progress that has been made in this branch of archeology.

The ancient earthworks. conceived to have been erected by the Mound-Builders, have been divided from the theory of their special nses into mounds. effigies and inclosures. Mounds are subdivided into sepulchral, sacri- ficial, templar, observative and memorial. Etfigies are animal, emblematic, symbolical and religious. Inclosures are military, cov- ered, sacred and festival. Earth was the usual material used in the construction of these works. Some are found built wholly of stone, and some of earth and stone in varying proportions. Sepulchral mounds are ordina- rily conical in form, are of all sizes, varying in height from a foot to seventy feet, and are more numerous than any other elass. Within them, and usually at the center of the base, there are always found bones, which some- times are hard and sound, but usually are brittle or in a crumbled condition. The uni- versal presence of human bones renders the view plausible, that these mounds were used as sepulchers. They always contain one or more skeletons, together with implements and ornaments, supposed to have been placed there when the individual was buried, for use in the Spirit Land. It is thought that the size of the mound bears some relation to the illus- trious character of the person, in whose honor it was erected. Others infer from the quan- tity of bones often found in the larger ones, that they were the tombs of many individuals. Igneous stones, ashes, and charcoal are often found in proximity with the skeletons, under conditions which render it probable that fires were used in the burial ceremony. With the skeletons are also found specimens of mica, pottery, bone and copper beads, and animal bones. Ordinarily these mounds contain but one skeleton, though in Licking County seven- teen were found. The most noteworthy of this elass was one in Hardin County, which contained 300 crumbling skeletons. Col. Whittlesey and others, however, entertain the

opinion that they belong to the Indians, who had used the mounds for burial purposes. Templar mounds are few in number, and are ordinarily circular. They are invariably truncated, and are often surrounded with em- bankments, inclined planes, or spiral path- ways or steps, leading to the summit. They are found roun'l, square, oblong, oval and octangular, and generally rest upon a large base, but have a limited altitude. It is sup- posed that these elevations were surmounted with wooden temples, all traces of which have been removed by the ravages of time. These mounds and the buildings at their summits, are thought to have been erected for religious purposes. Sacrificial mounds are ordinarily stratified. with convex layers of clay and loam above a stratium of sand. They generally contain ashes, charcoal, igneous stones, cal- cined animal bones, beads, stone implements, pottery, and specimens of rude sculpture. They are often found within inclosures, which are supposed to have been associated with the religious ceremonies of the Mound-Builders. Altars of igneous elay or stone are often found. Evidences of fire upon the altars yet remain, showing that various animals and probably human beings were immolated to secure the favor of the Great Spirit. These mounds in- frequently contain skeletons, together with implements of war; mica from the Alleghe- nies: shells from the Gulf of Mexico; differ- ently colored varieties of obsidian: red, pur- ple, and green specimens of porphyry; and silver, copper and other metallic ornaments and utensils. Observative mounds were ap- parently designed for alarm-towers, or signal stations. Some writers have fancied that they "occur in chains, or regular systems, and that many of them still bear traces of the beacon fires that were once burning upon them." They are often found built like tow- ers from the summits of embankments sur- rounding the inelosures. One of the latter, in Licking County, has a height of twenty-five feet. "Along the Miami River," says Judge Force, " are dotted small mounds or projecting highland which seem to have been built to carry intelligence by signals along the valley." Memorial mounds are of that class of tumuli intended to commemorate some important

HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

event, or to perpetuate the memory of some distinguished character. Most of the stone mounds belong to this class, and usually con- tain no bones, for the supposed reason that they were not used as sepulchers. They are thought to have been monuments over the ilhistrious dead of the Mound-Builders.

Effigies are elevations of earth in the form of men, beasts, birds, reptiles, and, occasion- ally, of inanimate objects, varying in height from one foot to six feet above the surround- ing soil. and often covering many acres of land. Mr. Schoolcraft expresses the belief that this class of works were designed for " totems," or " tribular symbols;" while Prof. Daniel Wilson and other writers of distinc- tion entertain the opinion that they were erected in accordance with the religions belief of the various tribes of Mound-Builders, who worshiped or in some way venerated the ani- mals or objects represented by the elevations. A large work near Newark represents a bird of enormous size, with its wings ontspread in the act of flight. Its total length is abont 200 feet. An excavation in this effigy dis- closed a clay and stone altar. npon which wore found charcoal, ashes, igneous stone, and other evidences of fire. The surround- ings indicated that the altar had been used for sacrificial offerings. It is called " Eagle Mound." from its fancied resemblance to that bird. Another work near Newark represents a huge alligator, having a total length of 200 feet. Prof. Wilson believes that it "symbol izes some object of special awe and veneration thus reared on one of the chief high places of the nation. with its accompanying altar, upon which these ancient people of the valley couldl witness the celebration of the rites of their worship. its site having been obviously selected as the most prominent feature in a populous district abounding with military. civic and religions structures." The greatest breadth of the body is twenty feet, and its body, from hind-legs to fore-legs. is tifty feet. Each limb is twenty-five feet long. The prin cipal portions of the animal are elevated about six fort, while other portions are much lower. The most remarkable earth work in Ohio is in Adams County. Its form is that of an enormous serpent more than a thousand foot

in length, with body in graceful anfractuous folds, and tail ending in triple coils. The greatest width of the body is thirty feet, and the effigy is elevated about five feet above the surrounding soil. "The neck of the figure," says the American Cyclopedia, " is stretched out and slightly curved. and the mouth is opened wide, as if in the act of swallowing or ejecting an oval figure, which rests part!y within the distended jaws. The combined figure has been regarded by some as a repro- sentation of the oriental cosmological idea of the serpent and the egg."

Defensive inclosures are irregular in form, and are always on high ground, in positions difficult to approach by a hostile foe. "The walls," says the American Cyclopedia. " gon- erally wind around the borders of the eleva- tions they ocenpy, and when the nature of the ground renders some point more accessible than others, the height of the wall and the depth of the ditch in these weak points are proportionally increased. The gateways are narrow and few in number, and well guarded by embankments of earth placed a few yards inside of the openings or gateways, but par- allel with them and projecting somewhat bo- vond them at each end, thus fully covering the entrances, which, in some cases, are still further protected by prejecting walls on either side. These works are somewhat numerous. and indicate a clear appreciation of, at least. the elements of fortification. and unmistak: bly point ont a certain degree of engineering in their general make-up.

" A large number of these defensive works consist of a line of ditches and embankment -. or several lines, carried across the neck of peninsulas or bluff-headlands. formed within the bends of streams an easy and obvion- mode of fortification common to all rude peo- ples." The embankments of one of this ela-> in Warren County are nearly four miles in length, varying in height from ten to twenty feet. to accord with the locality to be pro tected, and inclose several hundred acres. Covered ways or parallel walls are often found. either connecting different inclosures, or portions of the same. They were nudoubt edly designed to protect those passing back and forth within. There are large numbers

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

of saered inclosures in the form of circles, squares, hexagons, octagons, ellipses, parallel- ograms, and others, many of which are do- signed and executed with surprising geomet- rieal accuraey. They are sometimes found within military inclosures, and very likely were connected with the religious rites and ceremonies of the people, as small elevations are found within them, which were evidently used for altars, upon which sacrifices of vari- ous kinds were offered. Some archeologists maintain that many of the so-called saered inclosures were intended and used for national games and celebrations, and it is probable that those without the altar were used as such.

The earthworks and their contents afford abundant opportunity to speculate as to the characters and customs of this ancient peo- ple. of whom nothing is left save their crumbling habitations. They were a numer- ons people. as is clearly proved by the mag- nitude and elaboration of their works. Their presence here, beyond question. antedates the coming of Columbus, and very probably ex- tends baek a thousand years or more. Per- haps a majority of intelligent men who have made the subject a study place the Mound Builders' period back to that of the Egyptians. Assyrians and Babylonians to a period two or more thousand years before the Christian Era. Some place them back much farther in the past-back to a time when Southern En- rope and the British Isles were inhabited by what is now known among antiquarians as " Fossil Man." The antiquity of man is now an established fact .* Pre-historic archaeology, the latest-born of the sciences, has lived through the successive stages of scornful de- nial. doubt and unwilling assent, and has finally won for itself substantial recognition. Even its most strenuous opponents are forced to coneede that there are proofs of man's exist- once during a lapse of time far exceeding the limits of the previously approved chronology. In the Quaternary gravels and caverns, min- gled with the bones of numerous extinct spe- cies of animals, such as the mammoth, the woolly rhinoceros, and the cave bear; human bones have been discovered. although compar-

The Fossil Man. by Henry W. Haynes, in the Popular Stence Monthly, July, IAM,

atively rarely, while the implements and objects of man's fabrication are found in large quantities. Those found imbedded in or covered by stalagmitie formation, some- times many feet in thickness, render it impos- sible to confuse these evidences of man's pre- historic existence with those of a later date. The human remains discovered show man, at this earliest epoch, to have been possessed of a eranial development quite equal to the aver- age now. But, though the antiquity of man is admitted. and the faet of his co-existence with extinet animals during the Quaternary period cannot be denied: yet both the dura- tion of the Quaternary period, and the ques- tion of his existence in the previous Tertiary age, are still stoutly contested. Whether the duration of Quaternary times extended over a period of one hundred thousand years, as some claim, or over twenty thousand, or even less, can never probably be absolutely deter- mined. The most satisfactory explanation of the chronological question has been found in the systematic explorations that have been carried on without interruption since 1865, by a most competent committee of the British Association, of a large cavern in South Devon- shire. near Torquay, called "Kent's Hole." The most serupulons care and vigilant watch- fulness have characterized these explorations and investigations. The following is a brief sketch of what has been discovered in the course of the exploration: The bottom of the eavern was found to be encumbered with huge blocks of limestone that had become detached from the roof, between and under which was a layer of vegetable mold of varying depths, up to a foot or more. In this layer were found objects of various periods, running back as far as the time of the Roman occupa- tion of the island. Below this came a floor, a stalagmite of an average thickness of six- teen to twenty inches, and underneath it a layer of cave earth four feet deep, in which were found objects of man's fabrication. Still lower. they came upon a second floor of stalagmite, which in some places had attained a thickness as great as twelve feet. Below all came a breccia (angular fragments of rock cemented together), in which were found numerous teeth and bones of the cave bear,

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

and with them three undoubted tlint instru- ments. Now. in one part of the cavern is a huge boss of stalagmite rising from the floor, and on it is inscribed, "Robert Hedges, of Ireland, February 20, 16SS." For nearly two hundred years, the process of the formation of stalagmite appears to have been going on, and still the letters are now only covered by a film of not more than one-twentieth of an inch in thickness. Even granting that the deposition of stalagmite may have proceeded much more rapidly under former conditions than at present. when more water and more carbone acid may have penetrated the cavern. still it is evident what a lapse of time is re- quired to account for the formation of such a mass of material. Nor can accident or fraud be invoked to explain the presence of these refies of man. under the circumstances in which these have been found. The work was executed under the daily supervision of the committee, and by trustworthy laborers, and no intermingling of objects falling from a higher level: no burying of them in later times in excavations made in an older deposit : no attempt at making gain from forged arti- eles, palmed off upon the credulous collectors. in this case. is possible.

Much more might be quoted in this con- nection. if space permitted. The distant an- tiquity of the Mound-Builders is not so well established as that of the "Fossil Man." While some intelligent authorities place the lat- ter twice, or thrice, or even more times, back of the Mosaic account of creation, the former are allotted a period in history corresponding. as has been said, with that of the Egyptians. when records were first chronicled. Many important inferences can be drawn of the character of the Monnd Builders, from their works. They were unquestionably subservi ent to rulers or superiors, who had power to enforce the erection of gigantic structures. which. considering the semi-barbarous condi- tion of the people, their lack of suitable imple ments of labor, and their imperfeet and in sufficient knowledge of mechanical principles, are surprisingly vast in extent and ingenious in design. Their works indicate that the pro- ple were warlike: that they were familiar with many mechanieal and mathematical rules:

that they were religious and probably idola- trous; that they were skilled in the mannfact ure of metallie and bone ornaments and pot- tery: that they had attained no little degree of perfection in the working of metals: and that they were essentially homogeneous in customs. pursuits, religion and government. They, of necessity, were an agricultural peo- ple. being too numerous to live by the chase alone. They offered burnt and other sacri- fices and oblations to both good and bad spir- its. Dr. Foster says they worshiped the ele- ments, such as fire. air and water -- also the sun, moon and stars, and offered human sacri- tices to the gods they worshiped. Many im- plements and ornaments have been found scattered throughout the continent, that un- doubtedly belonged to the Mound-Builders. Of these there are stone axes. manls, hammers, celts. mortars, pestles, flint arrow and spear heads, fleshing and skinning instruments, cer- emonial stones, shuttles, colored slate orna- ments, breastplates of stone or shell. orna- mental charms or totems. shell ornaments, rude and imperfeet specimens of pottery, bone and metallic ornaments, igneous stones, slate implements for weaving. inscriptions and devices, and a multitude more, of all sizes and shapes, whose uses are unknown. That many of these were made and used by the Indians is certainly true. It is quite likely that the latter people would learn something from their predecessors. especially of those implements used in the arts of war. even though an interval of many years elapsed between the reigns of the two races.

It is now the design to give a brief. accu- rate description of every earthwork in the county, whether it was constructed by the Mound-Builders or by the Indians. In Con- gross Lake, in the northern part of the county. is a singular formation. Near the center of the western side of the lake, bounded on the east by its waters, and on all other sides by a deep. marshy swamp, is a large mound. some seven- ty-five feet in diameter north and south, and about fifty east and west. It is conieal. rises some fifteen or eighteen feet above the level of the swamp and lake, and is composed of the same material as the adjacent bluffs. It is diffienlt to determine whether this is an arti-

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IHISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

ficial or natural formation. In either case, it ing themselves in the grotesque paraphernalia must have been an island in an early day. of war. and assuming a hostile attitude near each other, the word for the onset sounded, and the dreadful work began. Every art of desperate encounter was practiced by the com- batants, and the brave men, one by one, sank down in death. until at last but a single one remained, a powerful young warrior, the com and. if occupied by either of the above-men- tioned races, must have been an impregnable position. An excavation of a few feet was made on the eastern side, but nothing of note was discovered. Future efforts in this direc- tion may bring to light important facts.

On the farm of David Yant, in the south- ing chief of his tribe. But the terms by eastern part of Bethlehem Township, is a

which the feud was to be adjusted called for structure which must be referred either to the ' the blood of this young warrior, and his

Mound- Builders or to the Indians. In a large, level field on a low tract of land, is a large mound, which must have been erected long before the white man came to the coun- try. The mound is some sixty feet in diame- ter and five feet in height. although. when first erected, it is evident it was much nar- rower at the base, and had a corresponding increase in height. Time has accomplished the change by washing the soil from the sum- mit. The mound is constructed of earth and stone. and, from the design, it would seem that the latter was at first heaped together. very likely with some distinet order in view. and afterward, over all was thrown a large quantity of dirt. There is a strange tradi- tion regarding this mound, which is as fol- lows: Two powerful Indian tribes had been at war for many years, and still the feud he- tween them was unsettled, and the tomahawk and scalping-knife continued to do their dreadful work. The older sachems of both tribes saw that the hostile parties were so equally matched that both tribes would be almost or wholly exterminated should the fend continue until settled by the arbitrament of war. Treaties for peace were called, but no terms could be mutually agreed upon that would be satisfactory to both parties. Finally, after many such attempts to adjust the differ- ence by overtures of peace. it was agreed that twenty of the bravest and strongest warriors of each tribe should assemble on the lovel tract of land where the mound now rests, and there. with knife and tomahawk and war-club, should be closed in deadly strife, after which the "hatchet " should be buried, and peace , should prevail. Accordingly, on a given day, the two parties of dusky warriors, armed cup- a-pie for the fray, assembled. and. after array-

father, an old man, and the chief of his tribe, stepped forward. and, with one blow of his tomahawk, stretched his son dead at his feet. The bodies of the forty sacrificed warriors were placed together on the ground where they fell, and over them were heaped the stones and the earth constituting the present mound. If the tradition be true, the mound should contain the crumbling skeletons of the dead warriors. It has never been opened, and it will be left to some future historian to record the probable truth of the tradition. after the mound has been opened and its contents dis- closed. As far back as the memory of man runneth, a large oak tree, between two and three hundred years old, was growing from the summit of the mound. This was removed many years ago, and the soil around the mound is now a cultivated field. The Mound Builders are known to have erected similar structures, and possibly this formation may be properly referred to them. Even if the mound is found to contain many crumbling skeletons, or evidences thereof, either the tra- dition may be true, or the structure may have been the work of Mound-Builders, as the lat ter people often buried their dead in large numbers in the same mound. Of course, all positive knowledge on the subject will ever remain hidden. until all things shall be made plain. There is said to be a smaller mound not far from the one just described. but its location could not be found by the writer. At various places along the course of the Tus- carawas, there are meager evidences of the presence and work of a former people. Sev- oral mounds may be seen in the valley at dif- ferent places, but there are no traditions re- garding them. and. beyond reasonable doubt, they are natural formations. When the

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 31

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060