History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 37

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

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these across the ditch, down to the edge of the swamp. In some places, as on the south, a distance of three or four rods lies from the swamp to the edge of the wall; but usually the distance is much smaller, and in some cases is reduced to a minimum. Supposing the sur- rounding swamp to have been extremely wet and nasty (a Saxon word), as it must have been at an early day, the position was practi- cally impregnable. The island is covered with large trees, mostly hard maple, and no critical and extended examination has yet been made of the soil and what it contains. Within the inclosure may be seen numerous small mounds, but these may have been thrown up by trees that were blown down. Several of these have been opened without any important discovery. The mainland approaches closest on the east side, and here is a large gateway in the em- bankment. A goodly number of arrow-heads have been picked up on the point of mainland closest to the fort. This island is called " Fort Island." and a short distance south of it is an- other called "Beech Island." On the southern extremity of the last, are a great number of small mounds which Gen. Bierce conceives to be Indians' or Mound-Builders' graves. The writer does not concur in this view, but refers their formation to natural causes, or to beavers. Several have been opened, but nothing was found. Just south of Botzurn Station is a very large mound, some thirty feet in height, and about a hundred feet in diameter at the base. This was opened a few years ago by students from Akron. but nothing was discoy- ered, save evidence from the soil to prove that the mound was a natural formation. The soil was found to be similar to that of the adjacent bluffs, and dissimilar to that in the valley where the mound stands. Three hundred yards west is a very large mound, having a truncated sum- mit. This is connected by a low ridge with the main formation of bluffs, and, in the opin- ion of the writer, the other mound was once similarly connected to this one, the whole form- ing a bluff-projection into the valley. The following is kindly furnished by J. M. Mc- Creery, of Akron : "On the land of Thomas Barnes, in Norton Township, the conglomerate sandstone rises into a very high knob, and from the top a view may be had of the country beyond Cuyahoga Falls in one direction, and of that nine miles across the Tuscarawas Valley

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in the other, while the view north and south is almost as extended. At the time Mr. Barnes' father settled on this farm, some sixty-five or seventy years ago, there was a mound built of " hardheads" on the highest point of this knob. It was about ten feet long and eight feet wide, and, although some of the top stones had fallen or been thrown down, it was still about three feet high. A chestnut tree, twelve or fourteen inches in diameter, was growing at one corner, and in its growth had thrown the corner down. There seems to be but little doubt, that this elevated point was used as a signal station, as a fire on its summit could be seen farther than from any other point for miles around, though whether this is Mound- Builders' work, or that of the Indians, is diffi- cult to determine. Owing to the scarcity of ' hardheads,' or cobble-stones, in the vicinity, the building of this mound was quite a labori- ous task." Mr. McCreery also says : "Near Turkey-Foot Lake, are two very singular works, which are different from any I have ever seen elsewhere. They are funnel-shaped depres- sions, some ten or twelve feet across the top and eight or nine feet deep, running to a point at the bottom. They are walled around with small bowlders, and unless they were used for fire pits, I am unable to imagine any use to which they could have been put, as the stone work is too loose to suppose they were intended for cisterns."

The principal earthworks in the county have now been described, though there are many others which as yet are comparatively un- known, and which some future searcher may more fully disclose. Quite a number of small circular inclosures and insignificant mounds other than those above described are found throughout the county, more especially along the valley of the Cuyahoga and on the adja- cent bluffs. A special description of these is unnecessary, as they are very similar in con- struction to some of those referred to above. So far as can be determined, all the inclosures in the county belong to the military class. None seem to have been used as sacred or cov- ered. Some of the mounds are certainly sepul- chral, and beyond question some were me- morial. Those containing bones were sepul- chers, wherein were deposited the bodies of dis- tinguished characters, while those without bones and without any evidences that they

once contained bones are probably memorial mounds. The ancient inhabitants had no need to erect mounds of observation in this county, as high bluffs in prominent positions furnished abundant natural facilities for watchfulness over a wide scope of country. There are sev- eral places in the county-as at Turkey Foot Lake, at the gigantic truncated mound near Botzurn Station, at the elevated inclosure in northwestern Northampton and at various other places along the Cuyahoga and through- out the county-where, beyond doubt, fires were kindled in ancient times. The stones found at these places reveal this fact, and in some cases ashes and charcoal have been dis- covered. Of course, it is highly probable that the Indians, and not the mound builders, might have kindled these fires, and possibly erected some of the earthworks. Indian vil- lages were often found on the site of these ancient works, and it is to be presumed that some alterations were made. It is often diffi- cult, and sometimes impossible, to distinguish the individual works of these two people, yet in general no difficulty is experienced by persons well informed on the subject.

It is impossible and unnecessary to give a description of all the ancient implements, orna- ments and utensils that have been found in the county. They are numbered by the thousand, and include all the varieties of stone axes, mauls, hammers, celts, mortars, pestles, flint arrow and spear heads, fleshing and skinning instruments, ceremonial stones, shuttles, col- ored slate ornaments, breast-plates of stone or shell, ornamental charms and totems, shell or- naments, rude and imperfect specimens of pot- tery, bone and metallic ornaments, igneous stones, and a multitude more of all sizes and shapes. whose uses are unknown. In April, 1877, there was found buried in muck, about three miles west of Akron, a heap of one hun- dred and ninety-seven flint instruments. Of these, one hundred and eighty-five were evi- dently designed for arrow and spear heads, though the usual notches at one end are lack- ing. They are probably unfinished arrow and spear heads. They may be seen in the museum of the city library at Akron. The various im- plements, ornaments, etc., just referred to, evi- dently belonged partly to the Indian and partly to the Mound Builder. It may be that both races used the same implements, as it is

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quite likely that the Indian would learn some- thing from the scattered remnants of the Mound Builders' works. Will the history of this strange people ever be known ? Can re- search ever clear up the mystery of their origin and fate ? Who can say what the human mind will accomplish ? May not the evolution of thought into new and numerous fields so widen the human understanding that existing evi- dences may be sufficient to disperse the gloom enveloping the origin of man ? If the theory of evolution be true, and man is spared upon the earth, who can measure the final result ? the children of men will come and go upon the earth ; imitated ideals will become loftier ; ex- cellence in all the arts of mind and spirit will be attained ; limitless intelligence will assume startling forms of power and penetration ; boundless wisdom will lead to prophecy ; prophecy perfected will become a science, by which past and future will be blotted out, and time be measured by the present ; new and wonderful faculties of mind will be created by the developing laws of evolution ; new percep- tions and cognitions and emotions will open broad fields of beauty to the mind that before were beyond the reach of human capabilities ; man's capacity will be multiplied a thousand- fold, and evidences will augment in a similar degree ; mental conclusions will peer into the sanctuary of creation, and the origin of life will be reached. When this state is reached, the history of the Mound Builders will be read as in a book, but, if it be not reached, their origin and fate will never be known until all mankind shall stand face to face before the bar of God.

The Indian history of Summit County, though somewhat meager as regards prominent events, contains many interesting incidents, the princi- pal of which will be recorded. In the year 1650, the date at which the aboriginal history of Northeastern Ohio begins, a tribe of Indians, called the Eries, inhabited that section of coun- try .* How far their lands extended southward from the lake is somewhat indefinite, although it is probable that they included the greater portion of Summit County, and, possibly, all the soil within its present limits. It is gener- ally admitted that the Eries were a member of

* De Witt Clinton in his Historical Discourse upon the Indians of North America; Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan friar, whose travels in "New France" were published in 1698; Brant, the Mo- hawk chief, in a letter to Timothy Pickering, November 20, 1794, and Charlevoix, the historian of "New France," all assign the Eries or Erigas to the south shore of Lake Erie.

the Iroquois family, as distinguished from the Algonquin tribes. At the date above given, the Iroquois, consisting of the confederated Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas, occupied New York and Northern Pennsylvania. These confederated tribes, called the Five Nations, had formed their alliance as early as 1605 ; and, so powerful had they be- come, that their lands, acquired by conquest, covered a large tract of country. When the Tuscaroras were added to the alliance, the lat- ter were styled the Six Nations. All other Northern tribes of Indians than those men- tioned above were Algonquins. The leading tribe of the latter was the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware, whose traditions declare it to be the parent stem whence other Algonquin tribes have sprung. Other tribes of this family were Wyandots, Ottawas, Shawanese, etc. The Iro- quois, grown strong and arrogant by years of confederated conquest, steadily enlarged their lands from the spoils of conquered tribes. About the middle of the seventeenth century, they drove. the Hurons or Wyandots from their home in Canada, and took possession of their lands. They likewise conquered the Neutral Nation, the Andastes. the Satanas, or Shawanese, and others. "In 1655, they turned against their Erie brethren, and using their canoes as scaling ladders, invaded the Erie strongholds, leaping down like tigers among the defenders and butchering them without. mercy."* Those that were not massacred or driven away, were adopted by the conquerors. So powerful had the Iroquois become, that they conquered, with a few exceptions, all the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi. They thus came to own large tracts of country, much of which was afterward ceded by treaty to the colonies. In 1726. they ceded their lands to England under certain specified conditions, and from that time ceased to occupy the arrogant position of conquering tribes. After 1663, when the war broke out between the Iroquois and the Canadian colo- nists, the former could no longer continue their conquests in Ohio, and several Indian tribes hastened to occupy this beautiful country. In 1750, there were living in Ohio, among others, the following Indian tribes : The Wyandots (called Hurons by the French) ; the Delawares and Shawanese (both members of the Algon-

* History of the State of Ohio: First Period. 1650-1787, by James W. Taylor.

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quin group) ; the Miamis (also called Twig- twees) ; the Mingoes (a branch of the Iroquois or Six Nations), and the Ottawas and Chip- pewas. The Wyandots occupied the country in the vicinity of Sandusky River. The Dela- wares were established on the Muskingum and Tuscarawas Rivers, and at a few other points. The Shawanese were chiefly found on the Scioto and Mad Rivers. The Miamis were on the Great and Little Miami Rivers. The Mingoes were in great force at Mingo Bottom, near Steu- benville and at several other points in Ohio. The Ottawas occupied the valleys of the Mau- mee and Sandusky Rivers, and the Chippewas, few in number, were confined to the southern shore of Lake Erie. From 1750 to the war of 1812, these Indian tribes were found in differ- ent portions of Ohio, and a great portion of the time were engaged in border wars with the daring pioneers. The history of these wars would fill volumes. Parties of savages, dressed in the spangled paraphernalia of war, would hover about the settlements, and, when the ven- turesome pioneers were off their guard, would swoop down upon them, with horrid yells, to massacre and pillage and carry into hopeless captivity, or for purposes of heart-rending tor- ture. To punish the savages, bands of daring borderers would make incursions into their country, laying waste their homes and slaughter- ing the inhabitants. Some of these Ohio tribes were almost constantly at war with the whites during the period mentioned. While members of all the tribes mentioned above were found in Ohio, only four tribes were, in numbers, sufficient to merit a special sketch. These are the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanese and Ottawas.

The Wyandots, as indicated by the idioms and other characteristics of their language, werc related to the Iroquois, but about the middle of the seventeenth century they embraced the re- ligious faith of the Roman Catholics, and, for some reason unknown, severed their connection with their relatives, the Iroquois, and cast their lot with the powerful Algonquins .* Their original residence was in Canada, some author- ities fixing their location on Georgian Bay, and others, as Mr. Schoolcraft, on Montreal Island. Their number is estimated to have been about 40,000 souls. Some time after this, they be-

came involved in a war with the Iroquois, by whom they were nearly exterminated, after which they removed first to Charity Island and finally to Quebec. They were found south of the great lakes, in 1660, by some French trad- ers, and, ten years later, having become in- volved in a war with the powerful Sioux, they removed to Michilimackinac, and were accom- panied by Father Marquette. Afterward, they established themselves at Detroit, their hunt- ing-grounds extending into Northern Ohio. In 1778, remnants of the tribe were yet in Can- ada, while that at Detroit was estimated to con- tain about one hundred and eighty warriors. In 1829, a small band of the tribe was located in Michigan. They numbered about forty, and were provided with annuities by the Govern- ment. Immediately after the war of 1812, the principal portion of the Wyandots, numbering about six hundred, was established on the San- dusky River on a tract of land eighteen miles long east and west, and twelve miles wide. In 1835, the Wyandots decided to sell a strip of land five miles wide on the eastern border of their reservation, and the land was accordingly thrown into market, very likely through the in- fluence of the whites, who coveted the pos- sessions of the Indian. In 1843, the Wyan- dots were transferred to Kansas, where they have since resided, and the land of their reser- vation was annexed to the adjoining counties.

The Shawanese are an erratic tribe of the Algonquin family. A tradition of recent origin makes them primarily one with the Kickapoo nation ; but they moved castward, and a part are said to have remained, in 1648, along the Fox River, while the main body was met south of Lake Erie by the Iroquois, and was driven to the Cumberland River. Some passed thence to Florida and some to Carolina. One band was in Pennsylvania at the close of the seven- teenth century. Those in Florida lived at peace with the Spaniards, and afterward be- came known as Savannahs, or Yemassees. These retired to the Creeks, and finally joined the Northern Shawanese. The Iroquois claimed sovereignty over the Shawanese, and drove them West. In 1731, they aided the French ; but, in 1758, they sided with the English. They joined the conspiracy of Pontiac, and were active in war until subdued by Boquet. In 1774, enraged at the attacks of Col. Cresap, they roused most of the Western tribes, and, in

*From the American Cyclopedia the sketches of these four Indian tribes have been taken.

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October, defeated the Virginians at Pleasant Point, but sued for peace the following year. Col. Bowman, who marched against them in 1779, was twice defeated. They joined the peace of 1786 ; but took part in the Miami war, in the campaigns against Harmar and St. Clair, but were reduced by Gen. Wayne, and then entered the peace treaty of 1795. The main body was at this time on the Scioto ; but a few had gone to Missouri, and another band had moved South. During the war of 1812, urged by Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, they endeavored to unite the Western Indians against the Americans; but those in Ohio re- mained faithful. The Missouri band ceded their land to the Government in 1825, and the Ohio band in 1831. In 1854, the band of Shawanese proper, living in that part of the Indian Territory now included in Kansas, and consisting of 1,600,000 acres, numbered 900; but at this time, or soon after the tribal rela- tion was dissolved by treaty, and the lands were divided in severalty. Besides tLese, there were, in 1872, 90 in the Quapau Agency, and 663 in the Sac and Fox Agency.

The Ottawas, when first known to the French explorers, were located on the Manitoulin Islands, and on the northwest shore of the Michigan peninsula. They believed in Micha- bou, " the great hare," a mythical personage, who formed the earth and developed men from animals ; in Mirabichi, " god of the water;" in Missabizi, "the great tiger." Soon after 1649, they fled before the Iroquois to Green Bay, thence west beyond the Mississippi to the country of the Sioux, with whom they became involved in war, when they fell back to Che- goimegon, before 1660, and finally to Mackin- naw. The tribe became considerably divided here, one of the divisions settling near Detroit, and the one at Mackinaw passing over to Ar- bre Croche. The greater number of the Otta- was were in the last war with the French, and at its close Pontiac, an Ottawa chief, and one of the ablest Indians of any tribe that ever lived, organized a vast conspiracy for the de- struction of the English. They were under English influence during the Revolution, and at this time numbered about 1,500. They par- ticipated in the treaties of 1785, 1789 and 1795, and afterward, by other treaties, they acquired a tract of land on the Miami, thirty-four miles square. By the treaty of 1833, they ceded

their land around Lake Michigan for land south of the Missouri River, and soon ceased to be a distinct band. A band of Ottawas at Maumee, in 1836, ceded 49,000 acres to Ohio, and 200 emigrated to the Osage River, locating south of the Shawanese. Some 230 remained and be- came scattered in detached bands. In 1867, they became citizens, and in 1870 were re- moved to a reservation of 24,960 acres in In- dian Territory. Several thousand are yet liv- ing in scattered bands in Michigan and Canada, and all are self-supporting.

The Delawares are a tribe of the Algonquin family, and, when first known to the whites, were dwelling in detached bands, under sepa- rate sachems, on the Delaware River. They styled themselves Renappi, or, as now written, Lenape or Lenni Lenape. The Dutch began trading with them in 1616, and enjoyed friendly intercourse with them until 1632, when the set- tlement at Swanendael was utterly destroyed by a sudden attack, but trade was soon after- ward resumed. The Swedes made attempts to Christianize them, and had Luther's Catechism printed in their language. The Delawares claim to have come from the West with the Minguas, who soon afterward reduced them to a state of vassalage, and when they were conquered by the Five Nations, they were termed women by the latter. The Delawares formed three fami- lies, or clans-the Turtle, the Turkey and the Wolf. At the time of the "walking treaty " made by Penn, the Delawares complained that they had been defrauded in the interpretation of the treaty, and showed a reluctance to " walk," upon which the authorities called upon the Six Nations, who ordered the Delawares, as women, to retire. The Delawares were now thrown among warring people, and, though previously mild and peaceable, they now became energetic, and conducted their wars with great ferocity. In a war with the Cherokees, they reached the Ohio, where a portion remained until 1773. They took up arms and fought with the French at Braddock's Defeat and elsewhere, but suffered so much from English attacks that they finally treated for peace, part of them in 1757, and the others after the fall of Fort Du Quesne. They then centered on the Susquehanna, and a small number soon afterward settled on the Muskingum. They took up arms in the border war, but were badly defeated at Bushy Run, August, 1763, by Boquet. Their towns on the

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Susquehanna were pillaged and burned, many were killed and dispersed. and in 1768, they emigrated to Ohio. In 1774, they were again badly defeated at Pleasant Point, and a part were afterward engaged in the Revolution. In 1772, the Christian Delawares settled on the Muskingum, but were hastily removed to San- dusky, in 1781, by the English. Early the fol- lowing year, ninety-four who returned were murdered by a party of enraged borderers under Col. Williamson. By the treaty of 1785, the Delawares occupied the soil between the rivers Cuyahoga and Miami. At this time there were many scattered bands of Delawares, several of which were Christian, and at peace with the whites. The main tribe, at Grand Blaze, with 480 warriors. was hostile, and 400 under Buckongahelas were at the de- feat of St. Clair, in 1791 ; but four years later, they joined the peace treaty at Greenville. In 1808, there were 800 at Wapeminskink, a few at Sandusky, a few on the Muskingum, and a large body at Fairfield, Canada. In 1818. the Delawares, 1,800 strong, ceded their lands to the United States and emigrated to Missouri. In 1829, many went to Kansas, and some south of the Red River. In 1853, they sold all their lands to the United States, except that in Kansas. During the last war, out of 201 able-bodied warriors, 170 enlisted and served in the army. They sold their lands, in 1868, to the Missouri Railroad. and settled on the Verdigris and Cone. In 1866, they became citizens, though their clans-Turtle, Turkey and Wolf-still exist.

During the border wars of the last half of the last century, the Indian villages, in what is now Summit County, were actively engaged .*

*When these villages were first established is not definitely known; but from an old map which was published in 1755, by Lewis Evans it is ascertained that at that time there was a Mingo village on the west bank of the river, probably in what is now eastern Bath, and an Ottawa village on the opposite side of the river in Northampton, or perhaps, as some say, in Boston. There is also marked on the mip a French trading-house, which was located either in northwestern Boston Township, or on the Cuyahoga, five miles from its mouth The latter view is rendered improbable, from the fact, among others, that the house on the map is located very near the Ottawa village. The house, beyond reasonable doubt. was located on the bank of the river, about forty rods north of Boston Village. A few old apple trees were found growing near the spot by the early settlers. These were probably planted by the French. When the whites appeared. this place was occupied by the Ottawas, under their Chief Stigwanish, while a half-mile northwest was a Seneca village under the Chief Ponty. There were two other Indian villages, in early years, at Cuyahoga Falls. On the north side of the river was an encampment of Delawares, and on the south, one of the Iroquois. There was a Delaware village in Coventry Township, under Capt. Pipe, or in the Indian language, Tanhange- camponye, or HIopocan. There were also, at times, temporary en- campments in almost every township in the county. The Chippe- was were found among others, as were also a few Wyandots.

They sent numerous small bands to Western Pennsylvania to massacre the white pioneers on the border, and destroy their habitations. It is extremely probable that some of the borderers who were captured on these ex- peditions were tortured to death at the vil- lages in Summit County. Perhaps these spots, now so quiet and peaceful. once echoed with the frenzied death-cries of white men, while around, on every hand, circled the leaping and exulting savages, tearing up with hot iron the bleeding flesh of the despairing sufferers, and filling the air with their dreadful yells of revenge. Here the dusky savages, decked in the gaudy ornaments of border war, invoked the favor of their god before descending like death upon the defenseless settlements. Here could be heard their wild chants-

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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 37

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