USA > Ohio > Ross County > Pioneer record and reminiscences of the early settlers and settlement of Ross County, Ohio > Part 3
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Race for Life, etc.
Michael Thomas, whose name appears in another part of this work, was a spy under Wayne, and traveled all over the North- western Territory. At one time, when out reconnoitering, he saw five or six Indians not far from him, and nearly at the same time the Indians saw Thomas and gave chase. Thomas, being very swift of foot, eluded his pursuers for some time, but the Indians could outwind him, and commenced gaining on
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Huntington Township.
him so fast he began to look for a hiding place. As he ran along almost out of breath, he saw a large poplar tree which had fallen, and the bark from the log had fallen off and rolled up, and Thomas ran to it, threw in his gun and crawled in after. The Indians being so near, Thomas was almost sure they saw him, but it seems they did not. They came up and stood on the bark, immediately over Thomas' body, and he was sure they could hear his heart throbbing; for he says he thought it seemed to raise the bark above him with the Indians standing upon it. But to his astonishment and great satisfaction, the Indians passed on without discovering him. He lay in his hiding-place all that day, and when night came on he crawled from it and made his way to the first post of safety.
At another time when Mr. Thomas was out on a scout, while standing on the banks of the Ohio river, he saw coming down the bank, on the opposite side, three large Indians. He then hid himself. The Indians came down to the water and lay down to drink, when Thomas leveled his long and trusty rifle at one of their heads and fired, when the Indian tumbled head first into the turbid stream. The remaining two Indians fled into the deep forests, leaving their companion food for the fishes.
The Mistaken Shot.
Mr. Thomas and Peter Streevey, son-in-law of Thomas, and whose name appears in another part of this work, started out one fine morning on a bear hunt. After being out several hours, near where the Baptist church now stands, on the side of a hill, Thomas told Streevey he saw a bear at the foot of the hill through the vines and brush, and pointed out the object to Streevey. Streevey told him he did not think it was a bear, but Thomas insisted it was a bear, and told Streevey to shoot. Streevey refused, saying it was no bear, but if he thought it was to shoot it himself. But Thomas still insisted on Strcevey's shooting, when he finally consented and fired. When the would- be bear fell, they heard the jingle of a bell, and Thomas exclaimed :
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
"You rascal, you have shot my breeding mare;" and when the two hunters reached the spot, behold, to their astonishment there lay Thomas' old black mare, stone dead. In those early days the horses and cattle of the pioneers were allowed to range at large, and would travel for miles away among the hills and valleys, and the owners would put bells on their stock, so that they could be more easily found when needed.
Natural Curiosities, etc.
The Alum cliffs are on Paint creek. What is called the court house is a circular formed cave, the circle being about three hundred feet around, the rocks projecting over about twenty or thirty feet, from which the water trickles down con- tinually. At the north end of this circular cave is a solid rock twenty feet square. The cliff of rock is about four hundred yards in length, and about one thousand feet above the level of the water, with alum and other salts. There are several other caves, one about thirty feet in hight, and extending into the rocks consider- able distance. Another cave is called the bake oven, by the old pioneers, from its similar appearance. All the way around the cliff is a ledge or layer of rock about four feet apart; the under or lower layer is about four inches and the upper layer about two inches in thickness. On the other side of the creek is a similar layer of about the same thickness and like kind of rock. It seems as though at one time they were united, but by some eruption of nature had been sundered to make way between the hills for the passage of the stream. Also, at the north end of this circular cave, is another cliff, about half a mile in length, of solid rock. In this cliff is another circular cave about one hun - dred yards in circumference, and extends back under the rocks fifty feet, and about one hundred feet in hight. About one mile from this cave is still another large cliff about six hundred feet in hight and three hundred yards in length, which, from some unknown cause, took fire, proving thereby that this earth con- tains elements of its own destruction. This fire burned without cessation for the space of nine months. At the north end of this
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Huntington Township.
cliff are three ancient graves covered with stone, about three feet high and twelve feet in length. In these cliffs is a kind of mineral pronounced by a geologist to be sulphurous acid ; there is also saltpeter to a considerable extent. Several years ago some gentlemen, whose names are forgotten, undertook to and did manufacture saltpeter there, but not finding it in quantities suf- ficient to pay, abandoned the undertaking. The cliffs are situ- ated on the banks of Paint creek, which name was derived from the Indians, there being a bank of red clay on said creek, near the beautiful village of Bainbridge, where the Indians, before going on their war path, would resort to paint themselves with this red clay. In early days these cliffs were a great harboring place for wild animals, such as panthers, bears, wolves, and foxes, and many an old hunter has been foiled in securing his game by its hiding in those rocks and caverns.
These cliffs, as seen from below, present one solid mass of jutting rocks, extending far out over the beholder's head in many places, and looking as though about to tumble down and crush him to atoms, which inspires him with astonishment and awe. The top of the cliff is crowned with spruce pines, which can bo procured very handily, and the citizens of Chillicothe often resort thither to procure those evergreens to decorate their halls and ball rooms. Those who are fond of viewing natural curiosities would be well repaid for their trip. Indeed, I know of no place where there is such grand natural scenery. It is visited in the summer season by hundreds, and often has been a place of resort for pleasure; and many social parties have met on these rocky hights for the purpose of having picnics, etc. These cliffs are owned by the Hon. Ex-Sena- tor William Allen, and are about six miles from Chilli- cothe. Our venerable friend, Mr. Robert Bishop, Sen., who lives near these cliffs, showed us several ancient curiosities picked up near them, which he has in his possession, such as stone axes, chisels, darts, and arrows of various sizes ; petrified horns of different kinds, shapes and sizes; bee combs, wedges, land turtles; bark and roots; stones, supposed to have been
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
used by the aborigines for skinning their game ; pipes, etc., of different shapes and sizes. On Mr. Bishop's farm is a sulphur spring and deer lick. Near the cemetery on Bishop's hill, at the head of a branch, is a graded fall of about one hundred feet. And on the farm of Mr. George Long is a beautiful and pictur- esque fall, almost perpendicular, of twenty or thirty fect.
Ancient Works.
About four miles southeast of the village of Bourneville, on what is called Black run, a branch of Paint creek, are two quite curious fortifications. The first, a stone wall, incloses about one acre of ground; the wall is three or four feet high and forms almost a square, with inner walls, forming partitions as it were; the walls have been much higher from appearances. The second works are situated about two hundred yards south, and are thrown up in a perfect circle, with stone, about six feet high and three hundred feet in circumference ; nearly half of the wall has been washed away by the creek. On the inside of this circle, and in the center, is quite a mound thrown up of stone, which is nearly one thousand feet in circumference, and is eight or ten feet in hight, with a large white walnut growing imme- diately on the top.
Near Mr. Aaron Vanscoy's, on Indian creek, at the head of a branch, is quite a mound of stone near where an old Indian trail used to pass; the mound is several feet in hight. There is a story connected with this mound which says: Several years ago some brave young men concluded they would explore the mound and ascertain what was buried within it. They went to work and commenced to tear away the stones. After they had worked some time, all at once it commenced blow- ing, thundering, and lightning at a tremendous rate, when they became frightened and ran for their lives.
On Mr. John Dunn's farm, on Paint creek, is an ancient work thrown up in a circular form; the distance around this circle is about three hundred yards, and about four feet high. On Mrs. Houlse's farm, adjoining, is an Indian mound some ten or twelve feet in hight, about sixty feet long and forty wide.
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Huntington Township.
On the south side of Paint creek, near the Chillicothe and Huntington pike, and about five miles up the creek, near the old dam, is an old salt well, where a considerable amount of salt was made several years ago, but it is now abandoned. The well is on the lands owned by Mr. John Dunn, of Chillicothe; it was bored by General McArthur, I believe.
Indian Battle Grounds.
In 1790, a termination was put to the war, which, for several years, had raged between the Creek Indians and the State of Georgia. Pacific overtures were also made to the hostile tribes inhabiting the banks of the Scioto and the Wabash. This being rejected, an army of 1,400 men, commanded by General Harmar, was dispatched against them. Two battles were fought near Chillicothe, Ohio, on Paint creek, in the territory included in Huntington township, between successive detach- ments from this army and the Indians, in which the latter were victorious, cutting off almost the entire detachment.
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
Franklin Township.
The soil of Franklin is generally thin. With the exception of along the branches, as Stony creek, etc., the lands next to Chillicothe, along the Ohio canal, are reasonably good. One side of the township is bounded by this canal and the Scioto river. At this portion of the township, on the river, there is a large and beautiful bottom, which, for richness of soil, can not be surpassed by any lands in Ross county, or perhaps the State. It is owned principally by Messrs. Foster, Davis, and Higby. The first settlements in the township were made on the river. The other portions of the township were very little settled for several years afterward. The larger portion of this territory is very broken and hilly. There are no pikes in the towdship, and the roads are generally bad, the canal being the principal outlet for exporting their grain, cord wood, tan bark, etc. A good road along the bank of this canal is needed badly. The timber is principally oak of the different varieties.
Present Township Officers.
Justices of the Peace, Elias Schamehorn and Samuel Wood ; Treasurer, J. C. Foster ; Trustees, Wm. McGayer, T. C. Foster, and David Crockett; Clerk, C. D. Higby; Constables, James Dawson and Jacob Piles. Post-office Alma.
John Foster's Reminiscences.
Colonel Foster's father came to Ohio in the year 1796, on an exploring expedition. He first went to Kentucky to see his brother-in-law, whose name was Cheneworth. He came up the Ohio river to the mouth of the Scioto, and up the Scioto in' a canoe. In 1798 he emigrated with his family to Ohio from Cumberland county, Md. He first settled in Ross county, now Pike. From there he removed to the farm (where Colonel Foster is now living) on the banks of the Scioto, and lived in a
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Franklin Township.
log cabin about one year, and then built a hewed log house, the first house of the kind erected in the township. It is now standing and in good condition. Mr. Thomas Foster's family consisted of eight children, six daughters and two sons, John and Joseph. The latter died in the State of Indiana, in 1864 or 1865, at the age of seventy years. John was born August 4, 1801. He has lived in the township all his life, and occupies now the room in which he was born. He is now nearly seventy years of age, but his well-preserved physical condition would not indicate he had reached that period in life. He is a practical farmer, and one of the representative men of that great interest. His father had five brothers, Thomas, John, Benjamin, Joseph, and Richard. Richard was the first settler of Franklin township, when all was a dense wilderness, filled with wild animals of all kinds. Colonel Foster has held sev- eral offices during his lifetime, both civil and military. He represented the county in the legislature in 1848; was associate judge for a short time, when he resigned; was colonel of militia ยท for several years, and held township offices, etc., for many years. His family consists of nine children, all living, to-wit : Joseph, William R., Mary Davis, Thomas, Jane Davis, John W., James P., Samuel D., major in late rebellion, and Rebecca Ann.
1385453
Rev. John Foster, of the M. E. Church, uncle of Colonel Foster, was born in 1771, died in 1839, was in the war of 1812 as captain of a company, and was father of twelve children, to- wit: Sarah, Ruth, Catherine, Betsy, Joseph, John, Casandra, Mary, Rachel, Thomas, Rebecca, and Nancy. Lewis Foster, another uncle, was born December 26, 1760, and died at the age of ninety-two or three. Colonel Foster's father and his father were the first white men who rowed the canoe up the Scioto river. A Mr. Cheneworth came to Ohio the summer before Mr. Foster, but they came in wagons. T. C. Foster, son of Colonel Foster, has seven children, to-wit: Martha, Hannah, James, John, William, and George. James served from Au- gust, 1861, to January, 1866, in the late rebellion, in the
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
33d, 53d, and 59th Ohio Volunteers, and some months in an Illinois regiment the last year of the rebellion, and six months on Veatch's staff; was major of regiment eighteen months ; was at the battle of Shiloh, siege of Corinth, battle of Corinth, and in Sturgis' defeat and battle of Tallulah, and is now treas- urer of the township. Colonel Foster has forty-five grand- children and two great-grandchildren.
List of Old Settlers-By Colonel Foster.
John Johnston was justice of the peace for twenty-three years; James Greearly, first school teacher; Quin Collins Goddard; Samuel Wilson built first mill; Richard Tomlinson, hotel-keeper at Three Locks or State dam, was justice for several years, captain of militia, auctioneer, etc .; John and George Pushon were in the war of 1812; William Ridenger; Enos Moore; John Beauman; Elias Scammehorn, justice of the peace for many years ; Joseph Crockett, one of the first settlers on Stony creek ; Jonathan Swyers; Daniel Swyers was a Revo- lutionary soldier and was at the battle. of Lundy's Lane ; Allen Nixon ; Thomas Louzatta; Saul Phillips; Benjamin Phillips ; J. E. Higby, extensive farmer on the river, and father-in-law of Hon. J. H. Keith, of Chillicothe; Sylvester Higby, a justice of the peace for several years, held other township offices ; Samuel Wood held township offices, was justice of the peace, etc .; Peter Bennett held township offices, and was captain of militia; S. O. Barker, justice of the peace for many years, township clerk, etc .; James Pry; Edward Hurdell. Joseph Hern emigrated to Ohio from Germany in 1817; Mr. Hern was a soldier under Bonaparte, and was at Strasburg when Bonaparte was driven back from Russia. He went as a sub- stitute for his brother, who is now drawing a yearly pen- sion for his services, which Mr. Hern seems to think un- just. He will be seventy years old in April next, and is hale and hearty, and looks as though he might live that much longer ; he is a farmer, and keeps also a grocery store on the banks of the Ohio canal. Just below Mr. Hern's grocery are
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Franklin Township.
the three locks and the State dam across the Scioto river. The dam is nearly one hundred yards in length, and is quite a resort for fishing parties, and Mr. Hern is always prepared to enter- tain guests on those occasions in the best style, with any- thing they may call for. Thomas Tomlinson was the first lock tender, and Richard Tomlinson was the first grocer, at these locks.
Mr. James Davis' Reminiscenses.
His father emigrated to Ohio in 1808, and settled on the high banks of the Scioto. His family consisted of eight children, to-wit : William, Lotha, James, Hannah, Mary, George, Charles, and Louisa. They removed to Franklin township about 1815. He has held township offices in different capacities almost all his life. He used to be a flatboatman, and take his boats to Natchez and New Orleans trading. This occupation he followed for many years. He would sell his cargo and boats, and then foot it home. James has held different township offices. On his father's farm there was an old Indian burying ground, contain- ing at first about twenty acres, which has from time to time been diminished by the washing away of the bank by the river, and is now almost extinct. They used to find many human bones, beads, etc., near and on the ground occupied by this graveyard. There are on the farm some four or five ancient works of different shapes and sizes, and some of them of considerable extent. There is also on this farm a salt spring or deer lick. On James Davis' farm, some years since, a company bored an oil well some seven hundred feet in depth; but, like many other companies, they failed to strike ile. At the mouth of Stony creek, General McArthur, several years since, bored a salt well, and made a considerable quantity of salt of a very good quality, but it was finally abandoned. On Mr. Davis' farm is what is known as the Foster Chapel, erected forty years since, and is a good sub- stantial building yet. It belongs to the M. E. denomination. Mr. Davis' family consists of three children, to-wit: Emma, Mary E., and J. Russell Davis.
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
In earlier days, Franklin was a great place for game, such as deer, bears, panthers, wild cats, etc. Indians, when Mr. Fos- ter first settled on the river, were very plenty, and they had a trail passing along up the Scioto, which was perceptible for many years. About two miles from Mr. James Davis' farm is a circular-formed basin, some ten to twenty feet deep, which has the appearance of having at some time been much deeper. This basin is about fifty to sixty feet across, and must have been dug out for some purpose by the aborigines many years since.
We have been shown by Mr. J. C. Foster a beautiful robe, made of four deer skins, which he himself had captured in the hills of Franklin. He is quite a hunter, and says that there are some of those beautiful and timid animals to be found in the neighboring hills yet, which almost tempted us to try our hand. We were shown by Mrs. James Foster quite a large and ancient split-bottom chair, which measured across the seat two feet and nine inches, and was used by her grandmother in her lifetime. The old lady was a very large woman, weighing about four hundred pounds; was born November 13, 1770, and died in the spring of 1841, aged seventy-one years.
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Twin Township.
Twin Township.
Officers of Township.
Justices of the Peace, Allen Cochran and Thomas Platter ; Trustees, David Moore, Benjamin Poole, and Robert P. Mc- Cracken ; Treasurer, J. Holter; Clerk, Abram Sommers ; Con- stables, James Hanawalt and Jacob Roberts; Land Appraiser, William A. Jones.
Old Settlers.
W. A. Shoults' father, John Shoults, emigrated to Ohio from Rockingham county, Virginia, in 1812; was in the war of 1812; was a blacksmith, wagon and cabinet-maker; died aged eighty-two years and six months; lived on Paint creek forty years. His brother, Christian Shoults, emigrated to Ohio at the same time, and died some years since in the State of Indiana.
Jacob Shotts was born in Augusta county, Virginia ; served as county commissioner one term ; was trustce of town- ship for several years; has lived on Paint creek for forty- six years. David Shotts, son of Jacob, served several years as trustee of township; was captain of militia. Joseph, another son, served several years as justice of the peace.
Ancient Burying Ground.
On Mr. Higby's farm, adjoining Mr. Shotts' lands, is quite an extensive ancient burying ground, where many human skeletons have been found ; some of them of very large size. On the farm of Mr. A. Roberts, there is another burying ground. Last summer, the hogs rooted out of the earth the entire frame of a man of very large size. The under jaw bones would easily go over an ordinary man's face.
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
Old Settlers.
Hugh Cochran emigrated to Ohio from near Lexington, Kentucky, in the year 1797; was in the war of 1812; served during the war, and died aged seventy-five years. His sister, Elizabeth, was the first woman married in the Scioto Valley. In Howe's History of Ohio, we find the following account of the same: "On the 17th day of April, 1798, the families of Colonel Worthington and Dr. Tiffin arrived-at which time the first marriage in the Scioto Valley was celebrated, the parties being George Kilgore and Elizabeth Cochran. The ponies of the attendants of the wedding were hitched to the trees along the streets, which were then not cleared out, nearly the whole town being a wilderness."
James Browning's father, Joseph Browning, was a soldier in the war of 1812; was a tailor; died aged sixty-five years. John Lance's father emigrated to Ohio from Pennsylvania in 1808; was a weaver; died aged sixty-eight years. John, now living, aged sixty-seven years, is a harness-maker.
Daniel P. March's father, Stephen March, emigrated to Ohio, from the then Territory of Maine, in the year 1817 ; was judge of the court and justice of the peace for many years ; died aged sixty-five years. His brothers, Henry and Joseph H. March, were in the war of 1812. Joseph served a part of the time as a substitute for a hotel-keeper living in Ken- tucky, who was drafted. His wife's distress, in regard to losing her husband from home, moved the sympathies of Mr. March, and he offered himself as a substitute and was accepted.
Isaac Conner emigrated to Ohio from New Jersey in the year 1805, and was in the Revolutionary war; died aged eighty- two years. His son, John C. Conner, of Bourneville, served in the war of 1812, in Captain David Sutton's company, for six months, and was paid, after he was discharged, at the rate of eight dollars per month, and received a land warrant for one hundred and sixty acres of land also. He furnished his own uniform, consisting of linsey pants and home-made linen shirts.
My Grand father Robh. Worthington , and family cams at the
same time from Charlestown Va. Robb. Worthington Settled on "mad Ron" in Cui
Juk- on The Farm now (1878) owned by Henry Bryder Esg- aus is Owned
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Twin Township.
They rendezvoused at Newark for about two months; from there he went to Urbana ; stayed a short time ; then to Finley's block- house; from there to Sowlon's town; remained a short time ; from there through the Black swamp to the rapids of the Mau- mee; where he remained a few days, when part of the brigade was ordered back to Fort Meigs, where they were discharged. His company suffered terribly by exposure to the cold and wet ; they had to wade rivers, swamps, etc .; had often to cut brush and pile them up so as to make themselves a place to lie upon to keep their bodies out of the water and mud. They made their bread by mixing flour with water; then, wrapping the dough around sticks, held it to the fire to bake. He says they were often put on picket guard at eight o'clock in the morning, and not relieved until the same hour next morning, and some- times it was raining and freezing all night. His brother, Joseph Conner, who died from exposure while in the service, was only eighteen years of age, and of a delicate constitution ; he was buried with the honors of war. J. C. Conner is a millwright and surveyor ; has served as township officer for many years in different capacities; was treasurer fifteen years, and was cap- tain of militia. He further says, at one time during his soldier iife, there was one morning one hundred men sent out to stand picket guard, and they were kept out until the next morning at eight o'clock-the night being very severe, raining and freezing all the time-and out of the one hundred men, only nineteen lived. Among the number who died was his brother above mentioned.
Gideon Coover, father of John Coover, emigrated to Ohio from Pennsylvania, in the year 1800; was drafted to serve in the war of 1812, but furnished substitute; died aged forty- seven years. Samuel Coover emigrated to Ohio in 1808 ; was a tailor ; died aged eighty-eight years. David Coover, brother of Samuel, died aged seventy years. William Campbell emigrated to Ohio at an early day ; he was a resident of Twin township for sixty-five years ; served during the war of 1812, and was one of the bravest soldiers in his regiment. John
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