USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne county, Ohio, from the days of the pioneers and the first settlers to the present time > Part 6
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66
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
CHAPTER V.
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE COUNTY.
WAYNE COUNTY, located on the southern declivity of the divid- ing ridge intervening between the northern lakes and the Ohio river, has been, in ages past, the theater of marked changes prior, as well as subsequent, to the time of the elevation of the Alleghe- nies, and the formation of the northern lakes. The whole face of the county very plainly shows the action of flowing water, and that the entire surface many centuries ago was covered by a deep sea, and wrought upon by its turbulent action, which is plainly manifested upon the elevations in the valleys and the alluvial plains.
The territory of this county is a part of that great topograph- ical district reaching from the lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Alleghenies to the Rocky Mountains. The northern lim- its of the county, extending within a few miles of the southern rim of the Lake Erie basin, is the water-shed, or divide between the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi ; the spill, or summit level, being at Summit Lake, near the city of Akron in Summit county, and is 395 feet above Lake Erie, while the summit dividing the
* This chapter, and the two following ones, captioned, " A SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF OHIO," and "GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF WAYNE COUNTY," were prepared and written for us by Hon. John P. Jeffries, of the city of Wooster, whose studious researches in these departments of science eminently qualified him for the task. It is of rare occurrence that county histories embrace scientific disquisitions upon these subjects, and it is a matter of congratulation that Mr. Jeffries has so ably and learnedly performed this duty. A better topographical and geological survey of Wayne county is thus afforded than has ever yet been presented, or could possibly result from the generalizations applied to counties on these subjects by of- ficial State reports.
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TOPOGRAPHY.
waters of the Black river and the Killbuck, north of Bridgeport, near Lodi, in Medina county, is at an altitude of 382 feet above the lake level. The highest land in the county is in the vicinity of Doylestown, in Chippewa township, which is 450 feet above Lake Erie, and 1,042 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. North of Doyles- town, however, at Wadsworth, in Medina county, five miles dis- tant, the summit, where crossed by the Atlantic and Great Western railroad, is 600 feet above the lake, and in that neighborhood the highlands reach an altitude of 700 feet above Lake Erie.
In this range of elevations the Black River, Tuscarawas, Cuya- hoga and Killbuck rivers have their sources. These elevations are not the highest lands in the State, as in Tuscarawas county, Mount Tabor reaches an altitude of 1, 365 feet above the sea, 977 feet above the Ohio river, and 844 feet above Lake Erie. Westward of the axis in Summit county, in the county of Richland, lands rise to an alti- tude of 1,475 feet above the Atlantic, 1,043 feet above the Ohio river, and 910 feet above Lake Erie ; while in Logan county the spur of the summit, which constitues the divide of the waters of the Miami and those of the Scioto and the Sandusky, rises to an alti- tude of 1,540 feet above the Atlantic sea, 1, 108 feet above the Ohio river, and 975 feet above Lake Erie.
These elevations, however, do not indicate the geological struc- ture of the underlying rocks in this county, or in those portions of the State mentioned as the wonderful drift phenomena of Ohio; the entire State being covered with such deposits, conceal, as a general rule, the rock formations which will be noticed in another place.
The main portion of Wayne county is covered with drift, in- deed, nearly every part of it, and the value and nature of the soil is regulated by the character of the drift spread over the surface, varying in depth from ten to seventy or eighty feet in vertical thickness, the average drift deposit being about twenty-five feet.
The mass of the soil generally is composed of sand, gravel, clay, and loam, though in some portions the clay predominates, as in the beech district in the northern part of the county, but mixed
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
with these leading constituents in proper proportions are those essentials which make the soil productive and produce the abund- ant crops for which the county is so noted, such as silica, lime, magnesia, alumina, iron, phosphorus, and soda. The soil, as some suppose, is not limited to a few inches of surface, but is as deep as the drift itself, though properly speaking the soil, so called by the farmers, is confined to a few inches in depth of surface.
The whole surface of the county contains 342, 805 acres, the area of the several townships' surface in acres being as follows : Paint, 15,552 ; Sugarcreek, 22,985; Baughman, 22,659; Chippewa, 22,443; Greene, 22,456; Milton, 22,664 ; East Union, 22,441 ; Saltcreek, 14,871 ; Franklin, 23,005 ; Wooster, 14,591 ; Wayne, 23,084 ; Canaan, 23, 194; Congress, 23,007 ; Chester, 26, 283 ; Clinton, 17,211 ; Plain, 26,359.
The surface soil as a general rule is of friable character, except in the beech and marshy districts, and which are by no means extensive, the beech districts being confined to portions of Canaan, Congress, and Milton townships. The marshes are confined to Wooster, Plain, Franklin, Clinton, Sugarcreek and Baughman townships.
The early settlers of the county found it densely wooded, except the marshy districts, and the plain lands of Wooster, Ches- ter, Plain, and Clinton townships. The Plains, then termed the Glades upon the presumption, from their appearance, that they were of the character of glade lands of Pennsylvania, poor and worthless, turned out to be the most productive lands of the coun- ty. When first visited by white men, they were barrens, thickly wooded with low, bushy oak, from three to four feet in hight, which gave evidence of being the product of an impoverished soil, and the early settlers being of this opinion, shunned these Glades, preferring rather to clear away the heavy forest trees, and open up their farms, instead of attempting their cultivation.
Thirty years prior to the emigration of the first settlers, as this undergrowth would indicate, these plains were entirely destitute of
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TOPOGRAPHY.
wood, except a few scattering large oaks, preserved, as if by de- sign, for shades.
These plains were doubtless cultivated fields of a pre-historic people, whose works of art are still manifest in and around them- such as the mounds, fortifications, tumili, of Wooster, Plain, and other townships in the county, noticed elsewhere.
The forest trees are all deciduous save a few perennials, such as spruce, pine and cedar, which are found only on the cliffs above the margin of the streams. The oaks are the leading forest trees, though there is hickory, chestnut, sugar, maple, ash, linden, poplar and beech in abundance, besides considerable sycamore, walnut, butternut, cherry, gum, quaking asp, cucumber, mulberry, buckeye and persimmon. The smaller grade of trees, such as dogwood, plum, crab, thorn, willow, prickly ash, prickly locust, haw and alder, in the early history of the county, were very abundant, and at the present day the dogwood, during the month of May, orna- ments every highland wood with its beautiful flowers ; and the lower woodlands still teem with the fragrance of the blossoms of the thorn and crab.
The general features of the surface of this county are similar to those of adjoining counties, the main portion of the land being level and slightly rolling, though there are, nevertheless, some high elevations other than the one near Doylestown, already mentioned, especially along the main streams, where there are also in some instances deep valleys, of which that of the Killbuck is the largest. The main streams are the Killbuck, Chippewa, Mohican, Salt creek, Apple creek and Sugar creek, of which the Killbuck is the largest, and makes the longest circuit through the county, it having its source in Wayne and Canaan townships, chiefly in the former, from near the center of which it flows in three small streams north about a half mile beyond the center of Canaan township, where the three small branches form a junction, and the main stream flows on north to near the Medina county line, then turning almost at right angles, it runs west into Congress township, wherein for the distance of about a mile it flows in a
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIQ.
southerly course, then turning in a south-easterly direction along the eastern side of the township, and into Chester, down to near the south-east corner of that township, where it passes across the corner of Wayne into Wooster township, through which it extends in a meandering course about a mile west of the city of Wooster, and in a southerly course passes through Franklin town- ship in a zigzag course into Holmes county, at a point about two miles east from the south-west corner of Franklin township.
The Chippewa, the next largest stream, has its source in Chip- pewa lake, in Medina county. It enters Wayne county near the north-west corner of Milton township, and flows in a southerly course to near the center of the township, where it makes a circu- lar bend north-easterly to the Chippewa township line, from whence it courses eastwardly to the east line of Wayne into Stark county, at a point about a mile and a half from the south-east corner of Chippewa township. This stream, also the Sugar creek and New- man's creek and their branches are tributaries of the Tuscarawas, while the others above named, with their branches, are tributaries of the Killbuck.
The Sugar creek's source is in East Union and Baughman town- ships, though it has several tributaries in Sugarcreek and Paint townships, the chief of which is that known as Grable's Fork.
Apple creek has its rise in Wayne and Saltcreek townships. The main branch flows out of Saltcreek, through East Union, into Wooster township, and unites with the Killbuck about one-fourth of a mile south-west of the city of Wooster. The northern branch rises near the south line of Canaan township, and flows south into Wooster township, uniting with the main stream near Stibbs' fac- tory, about a mile east of the city of Wooster.
Salt creek has it source in East Union and Saltcreek townships. The south branch rises near the south-east corner of Saltcreek township, and winds in a south-westerly direction until it unites with the north branch near the south-west corner of the township, the main stream then passing in the same course into Holmes county.
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TOPOGRAPHY.
Newman's creek consists of two main branches, one rising in Sugarcreek, the other in Baughman township. The main stream rises near Dalton, flows north to near Fairview, where it turns east, and after uniting with the northern branch, runs into Stark county, forming a junction with the Tuscarawas, north of Massillon.
The Muddy Fork of the Mohican makes a circuit through the south-west corner of Chester into Plain, through which it extends in a south-easterly direction to near the center of the township, where it turns to the west and flows out of the county about two miles north of the south-west corner of Plain township,
Little Killbuck, Clear creek, Spring Mills run, Crawford's run, Cedar run, and Christmas run, are leading tributaries of the Killbuck.
Little Killbuck rises principally in Chester township, ex- tends into Wooster township and unites with the main stream three miles north-west of the city of Wooster.
Clear creek and Christmas run rise in Wayne township and flow south, the former joining with the Killbuck in Wooster town- ship, two miles west of the city of Wooster, on the Eicher farm ; the latter joins the Killbuck in Wooster township, about a mile south-west of the city. Reddick's Springs, one of the branches of Christmas run, now furnish an ample supply of pure water to the city of Wooster.
The Spring Mills run issues from springs in Plain township, flows south through the village of Millbrook, and about one mile farther south unites with the Killbuck.
The Crawford run, also known as Bahl's Mill run, has its source in springs in Wooster and Plain townships, one branch issuing from Bechtel's springs, near the Columbus road. Crawford's run flows in a south-easterly direction, and joins the Killbuck about three miles south west of Wooster. It also furnishes water power for two saw mills and two grist mills, yet it is only a few miles in length.
Cedar run, a small, pure stream, flowing in Cedar valley, issues
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
from springs in the highlands of Congress and Chester townships. It unites with the Killbuck a short distance from where it debouches from the Cedar valley.
The Little Sugar creek is a small stream of some note, as also the north branch of Apple creek. It rises in Canaan and Wayne townships, but chiefly in the former, flowing down through Wayne and Greene, and across the north-east corner of East Union into Sugar creek. It runs through the village of Smithville and a short distance south of Orrville.
The north branch of Apple creek has its source in Wayne town- ship near the north line, and flows south-west of Madisonburg into Wooster township, uniting with the east branch near Stibbs' Fac- tory, one mile east of Wooster.
The Little Chippewa creek rises in Canaan township, issuing from several springs. The main branch, from its source, runs north into section 13 to the south-west quarter, where it turns north-easterly and extends into Milton township, and there unites with the Chippewa, west of the village of Amwell.
Besides these streams there are many smaller ones, and, with the numerous springs in every portion of the county, there is no scarcity of water.
The source and course of the main streams very clearly indi- cate the highlands and valleys, as also the several divides by which directions are given to the various water courses. They show the highlands to be north of the county line, yet the course of the Killbuck, from its source, shows the highlands to be located in Wayne and Canaan townships, at least the flow of the Killbuck would so prove, as it passes north almost to the Me- dina county line before meeting resistance. This is not remarka- ble, as not far distant is the divide between the Ohio river and Lake Erie, and but slight excavation would turn the Killbuck into the channel of the Black river. Observers have been free to state that it is more than probable that at a remote era the Killbuck poured its waters into Lake Erie. Upon this, however, we are
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TOPOGRAPHY.
not prepared to hazard an opinion, believing that at a later day the waters from the lake flowed in the Killbuck Valley.
The highlands of Chippewa lie north of the divide between the Killbuck and Tuscarawas, the main water-shed being west of Chippewa creek, yet the bed of the Tuscarawas at Massillon is about fifty feet higher than the Killbuck at Wooster.
Elevated bluffs, and often high hills, rise on either side from the margins of the Killbuck, Chippewa, Salt creek, Apple creek, Sugar creek, Clear creek, Mohican and Grable's Fork, and other streams of note, all of which seem to have cut their channels down through the various strata presented in the adjacent bluffs and hills. In many places the precipitous rocks are visible with their water-worn marks quite manifest, high above the streams.
THE SURFACE OF THE COUNTY.
The general appearance of the surface of the land of the county is more rolling than otherwise, but this idea is not to be under- stood as conveying the impression that all of it is rolling, as very much is sufficiently low and level to be well adapted to purposes of farming, grazing and general agriculture. The highlands in Chippewa, and part of Milton, seem to be an elevated plateau which apparently was at rest when marked changes were going on in the valleys and plains of the interior and southern townships. This opinion seems to be supported by the character and undis- turbed condition of the strata as compared with that of other localities.
The whole face of the county shows the action of water, from the lowest and deepest valley to the summit of the highest eleva- tion ; but when it was acted upon, or in what condition it was before it was wrought upon by water, is only a matter of conjec- ture. It has been surmised, however, by those learned in the testimony of the rocks, that the submergence of this portion of the State took place prior to the formation of the northern lakes and the drainage of the upper regions of the Mississippi valley, and during the first Glacial Era, while this portion of the continent
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
was covered by a deep sea. This theory is not without proof, as the strata at Doylestown contain the evident marks of the glacial period, which are seen upon the rocks and in the drift; and in the valleys and less elevations the diluvial deposit is from ten to one hundred and eighty feet thick.
It is quite apparent that this marked change of the surface of the country took place before the carboniferous age, as upon inspection the coal strata is deposited in basins, uniform in thick- ness of veins, and appearing to have been accumulated in ponds, marshes and lakes, and after the accumulation of the coal matter, the various formations now found overlying the coal precipitated upon the coal matter.
The surface of the ground, with but little exception, is suscep- tible of cultivation, and, as a general rule, the soil is productive.
THE SOIL.
The soil is not uniform throughout the county, the greater portion being composed of silica, alumina, lime, and what is vul- garly called "vegetable mould." The farmers generally are not aware of the superior quality of the soil of their farms, nor are they ready to admit that deep ploughing is equal to a coat of manure. The wheat lands and those called "second bottom," have properly a limestone soil ; yet limestone does not as a gen- eral rule seem to exist in a strata, but yet it is mixed with the silica and alumina in such proportion as to make the richest and most productive soil, keeping in view also that the other ingredi- ents necessary to vegetation are always present, such as carbon, magnesia and hydrogen. In the beech lands there is a lack of silica and lime, hence the soil does not yield cereals to the same extent as where the lime and silica are abundant.
By some unknown, mysterious process, the limestone once existing somewhere has become pulverized and mingled with the silica and alumina to such an extent as to become a great fertilizer of the soil, causing it, with the silica and alumina, to yield to the husbandman an abundant harvest.
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TOPOGRAPHY.
Away from the bluffs and highlands, along the larger streams, the surface is of the terrace order, wide extended plateaus, and in many places along the banks of the smaller streams, the lands assume what is termed the "second bottom," which are produc- tive, especially for corn and grass. Every township has more or less of this kind of soil, besides also the terrace lands and plateaus. What are known as the plain lands, in Wooster, Plain, Franklin and Clinton townships, are especially of the terrace character, as also is much of the lands of Milton, Chippewa, Baughman, Sugar- creek, East Union, Paint and Canaan townships. Indeed, nearly all the elevated level lands in the wheat-producing districts of the county are of this character.
THE PRAIRIES.
There are several large bodies of lands in the county known by the above title, and are located in Wooster, Plain, Canaan, Milton, Clinton, Franklin, Baughman and Sugarcreek townships, the chief of which are in Plain and Clinton. The origin of these peculiar lands is not fully known, but they clearly indicate to have been at first under water-probably lakes and marshes-and in the course of time were encroached upon and overgrown by vegetation. At least, this is probable, as in some of them there remain elevations, as if once islands, sometimes covered with timber, and often large and aged trees; some of them, such as Newman's creek swamp, as it is termed, being covered with a thick underbrush, and others, as those in the vicinity of Wooster, containing thrifty trees with wide extended surface roots. In Canaan township, near Pike station, during the construction of the Atlantic and Great Western Rail- way, the mysterious character of a small body of this class of lands was fully tested. The surface, being covered with under- brush and thick sod, was appropriated by the company for the bed of the road, but suddenly and wholly unexpectedly, and without any previous indications, a large portion of the track disappeared, passing beneath into a hidden lake.
The existence of this subterranean lake is further evidenced by
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
the flowing well on the farm of Edward F. Keeling, Esq., located about two miles south-east of Pike station, in Milton township. On sinking the well, the flow of water was reached at about eighty feet from the surface, which immediately rushed up in the tube several feet above the top of the well, in a volume five inches in diameter, and has continued to flow ever since. The water is soft, clear, cold and sparkling, showing that it comes from an undis- turbed pure fountain. About fifty feet below the surface, the tube passed through several feet of blue clay, having the appearance of pulverized shale, mixed with streaks and thin layers of fire-clay, showing the strata overlying the hidden lake to consist of drift.
The botany of the prairies is rich almost beyond description, some of them, during the summer, being covered with the most beautiful and fragrant flowers.
PHYSICAL ASPECT.
The physical features of the county, when considered in con- nection with its lakes, water courses, valleys, highlands, terraces, plateaus, meadows and prairies, are picturesque and enchanting, and viewed from the prominent elevations, can be seen, as far as vision may extend, a grand panorama seldom witnessed. To the observer is presented a great theater of farming industry, ele- gant houses, extensive barns, fields of waving grain, orchards of the choicest fruits, preserved forests of native wood, and the pure and never-failing streams flowing on and on in clear and spark- ling waters.
The character of the lands throughout the county is most singularly inviting.
If highlands, or lowlands, or broad fertile plains, or the deep valleys with their rich productive soil, or extended lawns are pre- ferred, all are here.
Killbuck valley is the most extensive of any in the county, and doubtless was the location of a pre-glacial channel, though it is only a few miles in width. The Killbuck stream at an early age must have been of rapid current, as indicated by the deep chasms
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TOPOGRAPHY.
it has worn in its course in the valley; but since, it has become a very sluggish stream, its waters moving at the rate of about two miles an hour, the waters of the Chippewa and Mohican flowing at the same rate of speed. South of Wooster the lands of the Kill- buck valley for half a mile in width along the stream are low, and, until cleared, were marshy and unproductive, but afterwards be- came very desirable for cultivated fields and beautiful meadows. Away from the stream, and skirting the low bottom lands, are bluffs that seem to be at first view high hills, but which are table lands overlooking the valley.
In the immediate vicinity of Wooster the lower valley of the Apple creek and that of the Killbuck unite and form an extensive body of diluvial land, which is enriched each year by the over- flowage of these streams, that spreads over the surface their sedi- ment and vegetable mould, thus making the soil rich and produc- tive, and the most valuable lowlands in the county.
The Killbuck is now confined to narrow limits when within its banks, which are low, except where it passes through gorges or infringes upon the adjacent bluffs, but during floods its waters. cover the lowlands of the entire valley for a few days, then recede within its banks. The waters of this stream seem to be running upon higher ground than they did in earlier ages, and from the character of the country through which they pass it is quite appar- ent that they occupy a borrowed channel. As regards the period when the pre-glacial stream occupied the Killbuck valley, it can be only conjectured, but doubtless it was before the waters of Lake Erie and of the Ohio river ruptured their mounds-before the Ohio river penetrated through the mound at Silver creek, or the waters of Lake Erie had found an outlet by the way of the St. Lawrence, as, until then, the tendency of the water from the lake would be in this direction at least, and the waters of the Ohio may not then have set back up the Killbuck valley beyond the river's mouth, or may not even have reached north of Millersburg. Lake Erie at that time must have been sufficiently elevated to dis- charge some of its waters over what is now the summit between
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