USA > Ohio > Wyandot County > Past and present of Wyandot County, Ohio; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievemen, Vol. I > Part 11
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In the midst of these extreme torments he called for Simon Girty and begged of him to shoot him, but Girty making no answer he called to him again. Girty by way of derision told the Colonel he had no gun, at the same time turning about to an Indian who was behind him, laughed heartily, and all his gestures seemed delighted at the horrid scene.
. Girty then came to me and bade me prepare for death. He said, however, that I was not to die at this place but to be burned at the Shawanese town. He swore by G-d I need not expect to escape death, but should suffer it in all its extremi- ties. He observed that some prisoners had given him to un- derstand that if our people had him they would not hurt him, for his part he said that he did not believe it, but desired to know my opinion on the matter. Being at that time in great anguish and distress for the torments the Colonel was suffer- ing before my eyes, as well as the expectation of undergoing . the same fate in a few days, I made little or no reply.
He expressed a great deal of ill will of Colonel Gibson, and said he was one of his greatest enemies, and more to the same purpose, to all of which I paid very little attention.
Colonel Crawford at this period of his suffering besought the Almighty to have mercy on his soul, spoke very low and bore his torments with the most manly fortitude. He con- tinued in all extremities of pain for an hour and three-quar- ters or two hours as near as I can judge, when at last almost spent, he lay down on his belly.
They then scalped him, and repeatedly threw the scalp in my face, telling me that was my captain. An old squaw (whose appearance every way answered the idea the people entertain of the devil) got a board, took a parcel of coals and ashes and laid them on his back and head after he had been scalped. He
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then raised himself upon his feet and began to walk around the post; they next put a burning stick to him as usual, but he seemed more insensible of pain than before.
The Indian fellow who had me in charge now took me away to Captain Pipe's house, about three quarters of a mile from the place of the Colonel's execution. I was bound all night and thus prevented from seeing the last of the horrid spec- tacle.
The next morning being June 12th, the Indians untied me, painted me black and we set off for the Shawanese town, which he told me was somewhat less than forty miles from that place.
We soon came to the spot where the Colonel had been burnt as it was partly in our way. I saw his bones lying among the remains of the fire, almost burnt to ashes. I suppose that after he was dead they laid his body on the fire.
THE CRAWFORD MONUMENT
Crawford township, Wyandot county, is where Col. Wil- liam Crawford was burnt at the stake in 1782. The exact spot on which the burning took place is not now positively known, though a monument has been erected to the unfortunate hero near the place where the horrible death is supposed to have been inflicted. This monument was erected August 30, 1877, on a high bank south of Tymochtee creek, near the east line of the southwest quarter of section 26, on lands now owned by Alfred K. Davis. It was obtained as a result of the efforts of the Wyandot Pioneer Association, and in the presence of near eight thousand citizens was dedicated to the memory of him whose name is inscribed upon its surface. On the occasion referred to, Col. M. H. Kirby was chosen as presi- dent and Curtis Berry, Jr., secretary. Prayer was offered by Rev. R. C. Colmery and Rev. John Sherrard, of Bucyrus, grandson of John Sherrard, who was under the command of Colonel Crawford at the time of his defeat in 1782, delivered the opening address, followed by other speeches by the old pioneers. A collection was taken to defray the expenses of the monument, a basket dinner was partaken of by the myriads present, after which followed an able address by Gen. Wil- liam H. Gibson, whose brilliant oratory did great credit to the subject and the occasion. The dedicatory remarks were made by the secretary, Hon. Curtis Berry, Jr., who originated
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the idea of erecting the monument, Mr. John Gormley sug- gesting its form and altitude.
This shaft is made of Berea sandstone, and is eight and one-half feet in height. It is supported by a base six inches larger in diameter than the main shaft, and bears the follow- ing inscription :
"In memory of Colonel Crawford, who was burnt by the Indians in this valley June 11, A. D. 1782." On the base :
"Erected by the Pioneer Association of Wyandot County August 3, 1877."
Many of the old pioneers of the county were present to share the honors of the day, and recount the scenes and hard- ships of their early days and efforts in the wilds of W.yan- dot, among them being Hon. George W. Leith; Daniel Funk, James and Rhoda Miller, Mary Karr, Frances Brackley, Sol- omon Spoon, Adam High, Jacob Stryker, Jacob Corfman, George James, John Ribley, Hamilton Morrison, and many others whose ages ranged from seventy to ninety years.
At the time of Crawford's battle with the Indians, the Del- awares, under Captain Pipe, had a large town a few miles to the northwest of the scene of the engagement, the vicinity of the present village of Crawfordsville. In anticipation of defeat the old men, women and children of the tribe were concealed at the mouth of Tymochtee creek, and runners communicated with them every hour at the camp, giving infor- mation as to the progress of the battle, the intention being to flee to the "Black Swamp," a large expanse of land, lying east of the Maumee river, in case of defeat. A colored man, by the name of Samuel Wells, was with these Indian families at the time referred to, and is said to have been the servant of Simon Girty, the semi-savage, who played so conspicuous a part in the Crawford horror. This negro slave lived to the advanced age of one hundred and ten years, and, as late as 1857, was a township charge in Eden township, this county.
SWEEPING PIONEER PICTURES
The houses in which the pioneers of the county lived have been often described; their form and proportion and general appearance have been repeatedly impressed upon the mind of
IN MEMORY OF (CL. CRAWFORD WHO WAS URNED BY THEINDI M " TEIS VALLEY JIME 11.1782. -
MONUMENT TO COLONEL CRAWFORD, NEAR UPPER SANDUSKY
OLD INDIAN JAIL, UPPER SANDUSKY
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the student of history. They were built of round logs with the bark on, and side chimneys of mud and sticks, puncheon floors, clapboard roof, with and without a loft or second floor, and all put together without a nail or particle of iron from top to bottom. These buildings stood many a year after the original inhabitants moved into better quarters. They served for stables, sheep pens, hay houses, pig pens, smith shops, hen houses, loom shops, school houses, etc. Some of them are yet standing in this county, and occupied, to some extent, in some portions of the county as dwellings.
A second grade of log cabin, built later, was quite an im- provement on the first, being made of hewn logs, with sawed lumber for door and window frames and doors. Glass also took the place of paper windows of the old cabin; nails were also used sparingly in these better cabins. It was sometimes built near the old one and connected with it by a covered porch. When nails were first used, for a few years a pound of them was exchanged for a bushel of wheat. They were a precious article, and were made by hand on the blacksmith's anvil out of odds and ends of old worn out sickles, scythes, broken clevis pins, links of chains, broken horse shoes, etc., all welded together to eke out the nail rods from which they were forged. The first cabins were often erected ready for occupation in a single day. In an emergency, the pioneers collected together, often going eight or ten miles to a cabin raising, and in the great woods, where not a tree had been felled or a stone turned, began with dawn the erection of a cabin.
Three or four wise builders would set the corner stones, lay with the square and level the first round of logs; two men with axes would cut the trees and logs; one with his team of oxen, a "lizzard" and a log cabin would "snake" them in; two more with axes, cross-cut saw and frow would make the clapboards; two more with axes, cross-cut saws and broad- ax would hew out the puncheons and flatten the upper side of the sleepers and joists. Four skilful axmen would carry. up the corners, and the remainder with skids, and forks or hand spikes would roll up the logs.
As soon as the joists were laid on, the cross-cut was brought from the woods, and the two men went to work cut- ting out the door and chimney place; and while the corner men were building up the attic and putting on the roof, the Vol. 1 -- S
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carpenters and masons of the day were putting down the puncheons, laying the hearth and building the chimney high enough to keep out the beasts, wild or tame. In one corner at a distance of six feet from one wall, and four from the other the bed posts were placed, only one being needed. A hole was bored in the puncheon floor for the purpose of set- ting this post in (which was usually a stick with a crotch or fork in the upper end) or if an auger was not at hand a hole was cut in the puncheon floor and the forks sharpened and driven into the ground beneath; rails were laid from this fork to the wall, and usually nice, straight hickory poles formed the bottom, upon which straw or leaves were placed and the blanket put on. This made a comfortable spring bed and was easily changed and at a little later time, say from 1830 to 1840, the pioneers were living a little easier. Their farms were partially cleared, many of them were living in hewed log houses and many in frame, and even brick houses. They generally had cattle, horses, sheep, hogs and poultry, and were living in comparative comfort. Their neighbors were always near and always dear.
As to the furniture of these early cabins an old settler writes thus: The furniture of the backwoods matched the architecture well. There were a few quaint specimens of cabinet work dragged into the wilderness, but these were sporadic and not common. I can best describe it by what I saw in my father's house. First of all a table had to be pro- vided, and there was no cabinet-maker to make it, and no lumber to make it of. Our floor was laid with broad chest- nut puncheons, well and smoothly hewn, for the now obsolete art of hewing timber was then in its prime. Father took one of these puncheons, two feet and a half broad, putting two narrow ones into place, bored four large auger holes and put in four legs, or round poles with the bark on. On this hos- pitable board many a wholesome meal was spread, and many an honest man, and many a way-worn stranger ate his fill and was grateful.
On great occasions when an extension table was needed, the door was lifted off its hinges, and added to the puncheon. What we sat upon at first we cannot conjecture; but I remem- ber well when my father loaded his horses down with wheat and corn, and crossed the country a distance of eight or ten miles, and brought home, in exchange, a set of oak splint-
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bottom chairs, some of which are intact to this day. Huge band-boxes, made of blue ash bark, supplied the place of bu- reaus and wardrobes; and a large tea chest cut in two, and hung by strings in the corners, with the hollow sides outward, constituted the bookcases. A respectable old bedstead, still in the family, was lugged across from Red Stone. An old turner and wheelwright added a trundle bed and the rest were hewn and whittled out according to the fashion of the times, to serve their day and be supplanted by others as the civilization of the country advanced.
But the grand flourish of furniture was the dresser. Here were spread out in grand display pewter dishes, pewter plates, pewter basins and pewter spoons, scoured as bright as silver.
About three months of a year was about all the schooling a farmer's boy got. He was sadly needed at home from the age of five years, to do all sorts of chores and work on the farm. He was wanted to drive the cows to water and pas- ture; to feed the pigs and chickens and gather the eggs. His duties in the summer were multifarious; the men were at work in the field harvesting, and generally worked from early morning until late at night, and the boys were de- pended upon to do "the chores," hence it was simply impos- sible to spare them to attend school in summer. There was no school in spring and fall. In winter they were given three months schooling-a very poor article of schooling, too, gen- erally. Their books were generally anything they happened to have around the house and even as late as 1850 there was no system in the purchase of school books.
Parents of children bought whatever books pleased their fancy, or whatever the children desired them to purchase. A geography was a geography and a grammar was a gram- mar regardless of the author.
This great confusion in the school books made trouble for the teacher, but that was of small moment. He was hired and paid to teach whatever branches out of whatever books the parents thought best. The branches generally taught in the early schools however were, reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic, and later geography and grammar. Boys attend- ing school but three months in a year made but little progress. They began at the beginning of their books every winter, and went as far as they could in three months, then forgot it all
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during the nine months out of school, commencing again the next winter just where they commenced the previous one. In this way they went over the same lessons each year.
AMUSEMENTS OF THE PIONEER BOY
A prominent citizen, a son of a Wyandot county pioneer, upon being interviewed by the author of this work, gives the following sketch of his boyhood days:
Did the boys of that day have any fun, did you ask? Certainly. A healthy boy will manufacture his own amuse- ments, if he does not have to work too hard.
The boys of those times were mustered into ranks of labor at an early age, say at ten or eleven and made to contribute to the common weal of the family; yet on rainy days fishing was permissible, when it rained too hard for work. So at night after having performed all the work during the day that an ingenious father could get from a rather unwilling boy, fish- ing parties were common to the mill pond. Husking bees, coon hunting, logging bees, and house and barn raisings called the young men and the boys together.
It may seem to the boy of today, who with his surround- ings of a beautiful country home, a farm productive of every- thing necessary, as well as of many luxuries, where the labors of the farm are so largely performed by machinery, with the facilities for excursions to distant places, and with frequent trips upon the lake, with concerts and lectures and theatres and conventions the year around-that he has all the fun and that we of the sixty years ago must have had only a dull round.
Not so. While we combated roots and stumps in the soil, where the boy of today plows with no obstruction, while riding his plow, we had before us the virgin forests, an open book and a museum of unfailing resources of amusement. They furnished the small game which we delighted to hunt in abundance. They furnished nuts of every variety, delicious wild fruits, and mandrakes, and slippery elm bark. They furnished the material for his stilts, his dart, his pop-gun, his whistles and his bows and arrows, as the season of each of these sports came around. Then the boy of long ago had the sport of chopping down little trees, before chopping became a daily task, and of seeing them fall, a pastime of pleasure
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unalloyed, except from the admonition from his seniors, to cut close to the ground.
Then the streams so little and big, now so nearly dried up in the summer, ran high all the year around, and never failed to furnish amusement of the rarest kind. In the winter the boy sported upon the ice of the river or skated, if he owned skates and in summer he fished or bathed in the water, or guided his raft or skiff thereon.
The pioneer boy had little money, in fact he hardly saw enough of it to recognize the different denominations of the currency of the day. This was largely due to the fact that there was little money in the country. Business was largely carried on by barter. A pound of butter would buy a pound of cut nails. Two pounds of butter would buy a shilling hat. A good horse could be bought for from twenty-five to fifty dollars, and a cow for ten dollars. The little money that came into the family in big copper cents, sixpences and shillings, for dimes and half dimes were rarely seen, had to be carefully saved for taxpaying time. In fact the boy had little use for money. Shows rarely came this way, and part of our religious teaching was to the effect that a show that has a round ring in the tent, whatever else it may have had, was awfully wicked.
The railroads of the day all of which were corduroy roads always gave free excursions, the passengers carrying their own lunch.
The clothing in which the pioneer boy was clad was not tailor made, was not even hand-me-downs, but the result of the summer work and the cunning skill of mother's fingers, which worked early and late. In the spring of each year a crop of flax was sown, and at maturity was pulled, rotted, broken in the flaxbrake, and hatcheled by the men folks, when it was ready to be carded, spun and woven into cloth, called tow and linen, for the next year's clothing. So was the wool of the sheep kept. The price of the wool in the markets of the country was not then a burning question as now; the limited supply was scarcely sufficient for the families of the pioneers. The supply was either carded into bats at home or carried to the woolen mill and made into rolls, ready for the spinning wheel.
The same mother's hands spun it into varn ready for the weaver or ready for the winter's knitting into socks. The
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spun yarn dyed in butternut or dark blue sufficed for the fill- ing in a web, which was of cotton yarn, and the product was known as jeans.
The weaver's work done, the same mother's nimble fin- gers cut, fitted and made the tow, and linen, or the jeans into coats, pants and vests for the boys.
As the time passed on and the family became more fore- handed, which meant, had more sheep and other stuff and something to sell in the market, the cloth was made of all wool, and went to the cloth dresser, for fulling and dressing and came home shining like broadcloth.
Here came the need of the tailor who cut the cloth ready for the itinerant sewing woman, and the boy came out in a suit of full cloth, with shining brass buttons. So the work of clothing the boy developed from year to year until matu- rity enabled him to dress in store clothes, from his own earnings.
It was not always that the last year's suit lasted well, until this year's suit made its appearance, in which case the boy, in the interim between the passing away of the former and the coming of the latter, might have passed for . "Riley's Raggedy Man."
Boots and shoes were not bought in the pioneer home ready made, and in assortments sure to meet all demands. Hides taken from animals killed for family supplies of meat, or more often, hides taken from domestic animals dying from the murrain, were taken to the nearby tannery, dressed into leather and were by the neighboring shoemaker, made up into boots and shoes for the family, with the emphasis upon the words shoes; for, as a matter of true history, the pioneer boy in question never possessed the greatly coveted boots until he was permitted to earn them by work for a neighbor, at thirteen years of age.
It is interesting to recall some of the industrial, social and religious gatherings of the pioneers of Ohio. In the early settlement of the country there were cabin and barn raisings, log rollings, and wood choppings, corn huskings and sewing and quilting parties, and at such gatherings utility and amusements were usually blended. Rich and poor then met upon lines of social equality, and the old and the young mingled together in the times of those oldtime gatherings.
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The pioneers were helpful to each other not only in rais- ings and rollings, requiring a force of men, but also in other ways. If a settler was incapacitated from work by sickness or other cause his neighbors set a day and gathered in force and plowed his corn, harvested his grain, or cut his wood for the winter, as the season or occasion required.
And when a pig or calf or sheep was killed, a piece of the same was sent to the several families in the neighborhood, each of whom reciprocated in kind, and in this neighborly way all had fresh meats the greater part of the summer.
Corn huskings were great occasions. Sometimes the corn ears were stripped from the stalks, and hauled to a favorable place and put into a parallel or semi-circle winnows, conven- ient for the huskers. Moonlight nights were usually chosen for husking bees, and sometimes bonfire lights were improvised.
After the company gathered, they selected and chose the men into squads, or platoons which completed the work, each trying to finish its work first.
Women also attended these pioneer gatherings, and some- times assisted at the huskings, but more frequently were en- gaged in the early evening in quilting or sewing or helping to prepare the great supper feast, that was served after the work was done.
There was a rule that a young man could kiss a girl for each red ear of corn found at a husking, and it goes without saying that all girls were kissed, some of them several times, for it was surprising how many red ears were found-so many that the number was prima facie evidence that some of the boys went to the huskings with their pockets full of red corn ears.
Nearly all the pioneer gatherings wound up after supper with dancing, in which the old joined as well as the young, and when a fiddler could not be obtained music for the occa- sion was furnished by some one blowing on a leaf, or whistling "dancing" tunes. The dancing then was more vigorous than artistic, perhaps for the people were vigorous in those days, effeminacy not becoming fashionable until later years.
The pioneers were industrious people. The situation re- quired that the men must chop and grub and clear the land ere they could plow and sow and reap. And the women had to guard and spin and knit and weave and make garments
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for their families in addition to their household work. The pioneer minister's wife in telling about her work upon a cer- tain occasion said: "I've made a pair of pants and a bedtick and washed and ironed, and baked six pies today."
The spinning wheels of the pioneer period, what few are yet left, are cherished as heirlooms by their fortunate posses- sors. There was the large wheel for wool, and the small one for flax. Flax was a necessity. A clearing was made in the winter, and in the spring the flax seed was sown, which grew and was harvested.
It was spread on the ground to receive the autumnal rains and early frost, which was necessary to prepare it for break- ing, the scutching and hackling. The tow was then separated from the flax, and both were in readiness for the spinning.
The hum of the spinning wheel and the reel was the piano music of the pioneer home; and, when echoed by the loom with its quick moving shuttle, furnished the tow cloth and the linen so useful in those early days, when calico was a dol- lar a yard, and money was very scarce. The wool and the linen and cotton used for clothing had to be colored by the housewife to suit the tastes of the family. The dyes usually used were copperas, butternut, madder and walnut. But the men clad in the linsey-woolsey or tow pants and homemade linen shirts laid broad and deep the foundations of social, moral, industrious, and religious life, which has been pre- served by their descendants as a priceless inheritance.
Wool had to be carded into rolls by hand, and after the rolls had been spun into yarn woven into flannel the products of the loom had to be fulled into thicker cloth for men's wear.
As this was a hand or rather a foot process, it necessitated fulling or kicking parties. Upon such occasions the web was stretched out loosely on the puncheon floor and held at each end, while men in bare feet sat in rows at the dies, and kicked the cloth, while the women poured on warm soap suds, which would often be thrown over the kickers and attendants. Card- ing the woolen mills and spinning and weaving factories came later, served their purposes and time, but are no more and now people go to stores and get "hand me down" suits neither asking nor caring where or how they were made.
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