History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 20

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Ohio > Summit County > History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 20

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

* Lecture of George Sanderson .- Howe's Collections.

116

HISTORY OF OHIO.

In the fall of the next year, Ebenezer Zane laid out Lancaster, which, until 1805, was known as New Lancaster. The lots sold very rapidly, at $50 each, and, in less than one year, quite a vil- lage appeared. December 9, the Governor and Judges of the Northwest Territory organized Fairfield County, and made Lancaster the county seat. The year following, the Rev. John Wright, a minister of the Presbyterian Church, came, and from that time on schools and churches were estab- lished and thereafter regularly maintained at this place.

Not far from Lancaster are immense mural es- carpments of sandstone formation. They were noted among the aborigines, and were, probably, used by them as places of outlook and defense.

The same summer Fairfield County was settled, the towns of Bethel and Williamsburg, in Cler- mont County, were settled and laid out, and in 1800, the county was erected.

A settlement was also made immediately south of Fairfield County, in Hocking County, by Chris- tian Westenhaver, a German, from near Hagers- town, Md. He came in the spring of 1798, and was soon joined by several families, who formed quite a settlement. The territory included in the county remained a part of Ross, Athens and Fairfield, until 1818, when Hocking County was erected, and Logan, which had been laid out in 1816, was made the county seat.

The country comprised in the county is rather broken, especially along the Hoekhocking River. This broken country was a favorite resort of the Wyandot Indians, who could easily hide in the numerous grottoes and ravines made by the river and its affluents as the water cut its way through the sandstone rocks.

In 1798, soon after Zane's trace was cut through the country, a Mr. Graham located on the site of Cambridge, in Guernsey County. His was then the only dwelling between Wheeling and Zanes- ville, on the trace. He remained here alone about two years, when he was succeeded by George Bey- mer, from Somerset, Penn. Both these persons kept a tavern and ferry over Will's Creek. In April, 1803, Mr. Beymer was succeeded by John Beatty, who came from London, Va. His family consisted of eleven persons. The Indians hunted in this vicinity, and were frequent visitors at the tavern. In June, 1806, Cambridge was laid out, and on the day the lots were offered for sale, sev- eral families from the British Isle of Guernsey, near the coast of France, stopped here on their

way to the West. They were satisfied with the location and purchased many of the lots, and some land in the vicinity. They were soon followed by other families from the same place, all of whom settling. in this locality gave the name to the county when it was ereeted in 1810.

A settlement was made in the central part of the State, on Darby Creek, in Union County, in the summer of 1798, by James and Joshua Ewing. The next year, they were joined by Samuel and David Mitchell, Samuel Mitchell, Jr., Samuel Kirkpatrick and Samuel Mccullough, and, in 1800, by George and Samuel Reed, Robert Snodgrass and Paul Hodgson.

"James Ewing's farm was the site of an an- cient and noted Mingo town, which was deserted at the time the Mingo towns, in what is now Logan County, were destroyed by Gen. Logan, of Ken- tucky, in 1786. When Mr. Ewing took posses- sion of his farm, the cabins were still standing, and, among others, the remains of a blacksmith's shop, with coal, cinders, iron-dross, etc. Jonathan Alder, formerly a prisoner among the Indians, says the shop was carried on by a renegade white man, named Butler, who lived among the Mingoes. Extensive fields had formerly been cultivated in the vicinity of the town."*

Soon after the settlement was established, Col. James Curry located here. He was quite an influ- ential man, and, in 1820, succeeded in getting the county formed from portions of Delaware, Frank- lin, Madison and Logan, and a part of the old In- dian Territory. Marysville was made the county seat.

During the year 1789, a fort, called Fort Steu- ben, was built on the site of Steubenville, but was dismantled at the conclusion of hostilities in 1795. Three years after, Bezaleel Wells and Hon. James Ross, for whom Ross County was named, located the town of Steubenville about the old fort, and, by liberal offers of lots, soon attracted quite a number of settlers. In 1805, the town was incorporated, and then had a population of several hundred persons. Jefferson County was created by Gov. St. Clair, July 29, 1797, the year before Steubenville was laid out. It then included the large scope of country west of Pennsylvania ; east and north of a line from the mouth of the Cuyahoga ; southwardly to the Muskingum, and east to the Ohio; ineluding, in its territories, the cities of Cleveland, Canton, Steubenville and War-

* Howe's Collections.

119

HISTORY OF OHIO.

ren. Only a short time, however, was it allowed to retain this size, as the increase in emigration rendered it necessary to erect new counties, which was rapidly done, especially on the adoption c- the State government.

The county is rich in early history, prior to its settlement by the Americans. It was the home of the celebrated Mingo chief, Logan, who resided awhile at an old Mingo town, a few miles below t. 1e site of Steubenville, the place where the troo )s under Col. Williamson rendezvoused on their i 1- famous raid against the Moravian Indians ; ar d also where Col. Crawford and his men met, when starting on their unfortunate expedition.

In the Reserve, settlements were often made remote from populous localities, in accordance with the wish of a proprietor, who might own a tract of country twenty or thirty miles in the interior. In the present county of Geauga, three families located at Burton in 1798. They lived at a considerable distance from any other settlement for some time, and were greatly inconvenienced for the want of mills or shops. As time progressed, however, these were brought nearer, or built in their midst, and, ere long, almost all parts of the Reserve could show some settlement, even if isolated.

The next year, 1799, settlements were made at Ravenna, Deerfield and Palmyra, in Portage County. Hon. Benjamin Tappan came to the site of Ravenna in June, at which time he found one white man, a Mr. Honey, living there. At this date, a solitary log cabin occupied the sites of Buffalo and Cleveland. On his journey from New England, Mr. Tappan fell in with David Hudson, the founder of the Hudson settlement in Summit County. After many days of travel, they landed at a prairie in Summit County. Mr. Tappan left his goods in a cabin, built for the purpose, under the care of a hired man, and went on his way, cutting a road to the site of Ravenna, where his land lay. On his return for a second load of goods, they found the cabin deserted, and evidences of its plunder by the In- dians. Not long after, it was learned that the man left in charge had gone to Mr. Hudson's settle- ment, he having set out immediately on his arrival, for his own land. Mr. Tappan gathered the re- mainder of his goods, and started back for Ravenna. On his way one of his oxen died, and he found himself in a vast forest, away from any habitation, and with one dollar in money. He did not falter a moment, but sent his hired man, a faithful fellow, to Erie, Penn., a distance of one hundred miles through the wilderness, with the compass for his

guide, requesting from Capt. Lyman, the com- mander at the fort there, a loan of money. At the same time, he followed the township lines to Youngstown, where he became acquainted with Col. James Hillman, who did not hesitate to sell him an ox on credit, at a fair price. He returned to his load in a few days, found his ox all right, hitched the two together and went on. He was soon joined by his hired man, with the money, and together they spent the winter in a log cabin. He gave his man one hundred acres of land as a reward, and paid Col. Hillman for the ox. In a year or two he had a prosperous settlement, and when the county was erected in 1807, Ravenna was made the seat of justice.

About the same time Mr. Tappan began his settlement, others were commenced in other locali- ties in this county. Early in May, 1799, Lewis Day and his son Horatio, of Granby, Conn., and Moses Tibbals and Green Frost, of Granville, Mass., left their homes in a one-horse wagon, and, the 29th of May, arrived in what is now Deerfield Township. Theirs was the first wagon that had ever penetrated farther westward in this region than Canfield. The country west of that. place had been an unbroken wilderness until within a few days. Capt. Caleb Atwater, of Wallingford, Conn., had hired some men to open a road to Township No. 1, in the Seventh Range, of which he was the owner. This road passed through Deerfield, and was completed to that place when the party arrived at the point of their destination. These emigrants selected sites, and commenced clearing the land. In July, Lewis Ely arrived from Granville, and wintered here, while those who came first, and had made their improvements, returned East. The 4th of March, 1800, Alva Day (son of Lewis Day), John Campbell and Joel Thrall arrived. In April, George and Rob- ert Taylor and James Laughlin, from Pennsylvania, with their families, came. Mr. Laughlin built a grist-mill, which was of great convenience to the settlers. July 29, Lewis Day returned with his family and his brother-in-law, Maj. Rogers, who, the next year, also brought his family.

" Much suffering was experienced at first on account of the scarcity of provisions. They were chiefly supplied from the settlements east of the Ohio River, the nearest of which was Georgetown, forty miles away. The provisions were brought on pack-horses through the wilderness. August 22, Mrs. Alva Day gave birth to a child-a fc- male-the first child born in the township.

120

HISTORY OF OHIO.

November 7, the first wedding took place. John Campbell and Sarah Ely were joined in wedlock by Calvin Austin, Esq., of Warren. He was accompanied from Warren, a distance of twenty- seven miles, by Mr. Pease, then a lawyer, after- ward a well-known Judge. They came on foot, there being no road; and, as they threaded their way through the woods, young Pease taught the Justice the marriage ceremony by oft repetition.

" In 1802, Franklin Township was organized, em- bracing all of Portage and parts of Trumbull and Summit Counties. About this time the settlement received accessions from all parts of the East. In February, 1801, Rev. Badger came and began his labors, and two years later Dr. Shadrac Bostwick organized a Methodist Episcopal church .* The remaining settlement in this county, Palmyra, was begun about the same time as the others, by David Daniels, from Salisbury, Conn. The next year he brought out his family. Soon after he was joined by E. N. and W. Bacon, E. Cutler, A. Thurber, A. Preston, N. Bois, J. T. Baldwin, T. and C. Gilbert, D. A. and S. Waller, N. Smith, Joseph Fisher, J. Tuttle and others.

" When this region was first settled, there was an Indian trail commencing at Fort MeIntosh (Beaver, Penn.), and extending westward to San- dusky and Detroit. The trail followed the highest ground. Along the trail, parties of Indians were frequently seen passing, for several years after the whites eame. It seemed to be the great aboriginal thoroughfare from Sandusky to the Ohio River. There were several large piles of stones on the trail in this locality, under which human skeletons have been discovered. These are supposed to be the remains of Indians slain in war, or murdered by their enemies, as tradition says it is an Indian custom for each one to cast a stone on the grave of an enemy, whenever he passes by. These stones appear to have been picked up along the trail, and cast upon the heaps at different times.

"At the point where this trail crosses Silver Creek, Fredrick Daniels and others, in 1814, dis- covered, painted on several trees, various devices, evidently the work of Indians. The bark was carefully shaved off two-thirds of the way around, and figures cut upon the wood. On one of these was delineated seven Indians, equipped in a par- ticular manner, one of whom was without a head. This was supposed to have been made by a party on their return westward, to give intelligence to

their friends behind, of the loss of one of their party at this place ; and, on making search, a hu- man skeleton was discovered near by." *

The celebrated Indian hunter, Brady, made his remarkable leap across the Cuyahoga, in this county. The county also contains Brady's Pond, a large sheet of water, in which he once made his escape from the Indians, from which circumstance it received its name.

The locality comprised in Clark County was settled the same summer as those in Summit County. John Humphries came to this part of the State with Gen. Simon Kenton, in 1799. With them came six families from Kentucky, who settled north of the site of Springfield. A fort was erected on Mad River, for security against the In- dians. Fourteen cabins were soon built near it, all being surrounded by a strong picket fence. David Lowery, one of the pioneers here, built the first flat-boat, to operate on the Great Miami, and, in 1800, made the first trip on that river, coming down from Dayton. He took his boat and cargo on down to New Orleans, where he disposed of his load of " five hundred venison hams and bacon."

Springfield was laid out in March, 1801. Griffith Foos, who came that spring, built a tavern, which he completed and opened in June, remaining in this place till 1814. He often stated that when emigrating West, his party were four days and a half getting from Franklinton, on the Scioto, to Springfield, a distance of forty-two miles. When crossing the Big Darby, they were obliged to carry all their goods over on horseback, and then drag their wagons aeross with ropes, while some of the party swam by the side of the wagon, to prevent its upsetting. The site of the town was of such practical beauty and utility, that it soon attracted a large number of settlers, and, in a few years, Springfield was incorporated. In 1811, a church was built by the residents for the use of all denom- inations.

Clark County is made famous in aboriginal history, as the birthplace and childhood home of the noted Indian, Tecumseh .; He was born in

* Howe's Collections.

fTecumseh, or Tecumshe, was a son of Puckeshinwa, a member of the Kiscopoke tribe, and Methoataske, of the Turtle tribe of the Shawanee nation. They removed from Florida to Ohio soon after their marriage. The father, Puckeshinwa, rose to the rank of a chief, and fell at the battle of Point Pleasant, in 1774. After his death, the mother, Methoata-ke, returned to the south, where she died at an advanced age. Tecumseh was born abont the year 1768. He early showed a passion for war, and, when only 27 years of age, was made a chief. The next year he removed to Deer Creek, in the vicinity of Urbana, and from there to the site of Piqua, on the Great Miami. In 1798 he accepted the invitation of the Delawares in the vicinity of White River, Indiana, and from that time made

* Ilowe's Collections.

121

HISTORY OF OHIO.

the old Indian town of Piqua, the ancient Piqua of the Shawanecs, on the north side of Mad River, about five miles west of Springfield. The town was destroyed by the Kentucky Rangers under Gen. George Rogers Clarke in 1780, at the same time he destroyed "Old Chillicothe." Immense fields of standing corn about both towns were cut down, compelling the Indians to resort to the hunt with more than ordinary vigor, to sustain them- selves and their wives and children. This search insured safety for some time on the borders. The site of Cadiz, in Harrison County, was settled in April, 1799, by Alexander Henderson and his family, from Washington County, Penn. When they arrived, they found neighbors in the persons of Daniel Peterson and his family, who lived near the forks of Short Creek, and who had preceded them but a very short time. The next year, emi- grants began to cross the Ohio in great numbers, and in five or six years large settlements could be seen in this part of the State. The county was crected in 1814, and Cadiz, laid out in 1803, made the county seat.

While the settlers were locating in and about Cadiz, a few families came to what is now Monroe County, and settled near the present town of Beallsville. Shortly after, a few persons settled on the Clear Fork of the Little Muskingum, and a few others on the east fork of Duck Creek. The

next season all these settlements received addi- tions and a few other localities were also occupied. Before long the town of Beallsville was laid out, and in time became quite populous. The county was not erected until 1813, and in 1815 Woodsfield was laid out and made the seat of justice.

The opening of the season of 1800-the dawn of a new century-saw a vast emigration west- ward. Old settlements in Ohio received immense increase of emigrants, while, branching out in all directions like the radii of a circle, other settle- ments were constantly formed until, in a few years, all parts of the State knew the presence of the white man.

Towns sprang into existence here and there ; mills and factories were erected; post offices and post-routes were established, and the comforts and conveniences of life began to appear.

With this came the desire, so potent to the mind of all American citizens, to rule themselves through representatives chosen by their own votes. Hith- erto, they had been ruled by a Governor and Judges appointed by the President, who, in turn, appointed county and judicial officers. The arbitrary rulings of the Governor, St. Clair, had arrayed the mass of the people against him, and made the desire for the second grade of government stronger, and finally led to its creation.

CHAPTER X.

FORMATION OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT-OHIO A STATE-THE STATE CAPITALS-LEGIS- LATION-THE "SWEEPING RESOLUTIONS"-TERRITORIAL AND STATE GOVERNORS.

SETTLEMENTS increased so rapidly in that part of the Northwest Territory included in Ohio, during the decade from 1788 to 1798, despite the Indian war, that the demand for an election of a Territorial Assembly could not be ignored by Gov. St. Clair, who, having ascertained that 5,000 free males resided within the limits of the Territory, issued his proclamation October 29, 1798, directing the electors to elect representatives to a General Assembly. He ordered the election

to be held on the third Monday in December, and directed the representatives to meet in Cincinnati January 22, 1799.

On the day designated, the representatives * assembled at Cincinnati, nominated ten persons, whose names were sent to the President, who selected five to constitute the Legislative Council,

* Those elected were: from Washington County, Return Jona- than Meigs and Paul Fearing; from Hamilton County, William Goforth, William McMillan, John Smith, John Ludlow, Robert Benham, Aaron Caldwell and Isaac Martin; from St. Clair County (Illinois), Shadrach Bond; from Knox County (Indiana), John Small; from Randolph County (Illinois), John Edgar; from Wayne County, Solomon Sibley, Jacob Visgar and Charles F. Chabert de Joncaire; from Adams County, Joseph Darlington and Nathaniel Massie ; from Jefferson County, James Pritchard; from Ross County, Thomas Worthington, Elias Langham, Samuel Findley and Edward Tiffin. The five gentlemen, except Vanderburgh, chosen as the Upper House were all from counties afterward included in Ohio.

his home with them. He was most active in the war of 1812 against the Americans, and from the time he began his work to unite the tribes, his history is so closely identified therewith that the reader is referred to the history of that war in succeeding pages. It may notbe amiss to say that all stories regarding the manner of his death are considered erroneous. He was undoubtedly killed in the outset of the battle of the Thames in Canada in 1814, and his body secretly buried by the Indians.

122

HISTORY OF OHIO.

or Upper House. These five were Jacob Burnet, James Findley, Henry Vanderburgh, Robert Oliver and David Vance. On the 3d of March, the Senate confirmed their nomination, and the Territorial Government of Ohio *- or, more prop- erly, the Northwest-was complete. As this comprised the essential business of this body, it was prorogued by the Governor, and the Assembly directed to meet at the same place September 16, 1799, and proceed to the enactment of laws for the Territory.

That day, the Territorial Legislature met again at Cincinnati, but, for want of a quorum, did not organize until the 24th. The House consisted of nineteen members, seven of whom were from Ham- ilton County, four from Ross, three from Wayne, two from Adams, one from Jefferson, one from Washington and one from Knox. Assembling both branches of the Legislature, Gov. St. Clair addressed them, recommending such measures to their consideration as, in his judgment, were suited to the condition of the country. The Council then organized, electing Henry Vanderburgh, Presi- dent; William C. Schenck, Secretary; George Howard, Doorkeeper, and Abraham Carey, Ser- geant-at-arms.

The House also organized, electing Edward Tif- fin, Speaker; John Reilly, Clerk ; Joshua Row- land, Doorkeeper, and Abraham Carey, Sergeant- at-arms.

This was the first legislature elected in the old Northwestern Territory. During its first session, it passed thirty bills, of which the Governor vetoed eleven. They also elected William Henry Harri- son, then Secretary of the Territory, delegate to Congress. The Legislature continued in session till December 19, having much to do in forming new laws, when they were prorogued by the Gov- ernor, until the first Monday in November, 1800. The second session was held in Chillicothe, which had been designated as the seat of government by Congress, until a permanent capital should be selected.

May 7, 1800, Congress passed an act establish- ing Indiana Territory, including all the country west of the Great Miami River to the Mississippi, and appointed William Henry Harrison its Gov- ernor. At the autumn session of the Legislature

of the eastern, or old part of the Territory, Will- iam McMillan was elected to the vacancy caused by this act. By the organization of this Territory, the counties of Knox, St. Clair and Randolph, were taken out of the jurisdiction of the old Ter- ritory, and with them the representatives, Henry Vandenburgh, Shadrach Bond, John Small and John Edgar.

Before the time for the next Assembly came, a new election had occurred, and a few changes were the result. Robert Oliver, of Marietta, was cho- sen Speaker in the place of Henry Vanderburgh. There was considerable business at this session ; several new counties were to be erected ; the coun- try was rapidly filling with people, and where the scruples of the Governor could be overcome, some organization was made. He was very tenacious of his power, and arbitrary in his rulings, affirming that he, alone, had the power to create new coun- ties. This dogmatic exercise of his veto power, his rights as ruler, and his defeat by the Indians, all tended against him, resulting in his displace- ment by the President. This was done, however, just at the time the Territory came from the second grade of government, and the State was created.

The third session of the Territorial Legislature continued from November 24, 1801, to January 23, 1802, when it adjourned to meet in Cincin- nati, the fourth Monday in November, but owing to reasons made obvious by subsequent events, was never held, and the third session marks the decline of the Territorial government.

April 30, 1802, Congress passed an act "to enable the people of the eastern division of the territory northwest of the Ohio River, to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such States into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, and for other purposes." In pursuance of this act, an election had been held in this part of the Territory, and members of a constitutional convention cho- sen, who were to meet at Chillicothe, November 1, to perform the duty assigned them.

The people throughout the country contemplat- ed in the new State were anxious for the adoption of a State government. The arbitrary acts of the Territorial Governor had heightened this feeling ; the census of the Territory gave it the lawful number of inhabitants, and nothing stood in its way.

The convention met the day designated and proceeded at once to its duties. When the time arrived for the opening of the Fourth Territorial

* Ohio never existed as a Territory proper. It was known, both before and atter the division of the Northwest Territory, as the "Territory northwest of the Ohio River." Still, as the country comprised in its limits was the principal theater of action, the short resume given here is made necessary in the logical course of events. Ohio, as Ohio, never existed until the creation of the State in March, 1803.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 20

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104