USA > Ohio > Fulton County > The County of Fulton: A History of Fulton County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, with Special Chapters on Various Subjects, Including Each of the Different Townships; Also a Biographical Department. > Part 4
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By the above act of the legislature, the territory now comprising the principal portion of Fulton county passed under the jurisdic- tion of Miami county. and it remained so connected for a period of exactly seven years to the day. Upon January 7, 1819. the legislature erected the county of Shelby by the following enactment: "Be it enacted etc., That so much of the county of Miami as lies north of the line beginning on the line dividing Miami and Darke counties, between sections twenty-seven and thirty-four in township ten, range four, and running east with said line to the Great Miami river; thence across said river; thence down said river to the middle of the twelfth range, township one, east of the Miami river, to the section line be- tween sections twenty-one and twenty-two; thence east with said line
to Champaign county line; thence north with said line dividing the counties of Miami, Champaign and Logan, to the Indian boundary line [Greenville Treaty line] ; thence north six miles; thence west to a point so that a line drawn from said point due north will strike the Indian boundary line at the point where the line between the counties of Miami and Darke strikes said line; thence south with said line be- tween the counties of Darke and Miami to the place of beginning, and also including the United States reservations at Fort St. Mary's, Amanda and Defiance, which shall be known by the name of Shelby; provided, that the jurisdiction of said county of Shelby shall extend over all that territory lying north of said county and which at this time is included within the jurisdiction of the county of Miami; and all crimes that shall be committed within the territory aforesaid shall be considered as having been committed within the said county of Shelby."
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During all this time, following the Greenville treaty-and during which northwestern Ohio had been placed successively under various jurisdictions-the lands remained in the hands of the Indians with the exception of a very small amount of territory. There were a few United States reservations for military purposes, such as that of twelve miles square at the foot of the Maumee rapids, and of six miles square at the mouth of the river, where Fort Industry, built about 1800, marked the site of the present city of Toledo. But in the main, all of northwestern Ohio was barren of white inhabitants, and so far as the present site of Fulton county is concerned. it was, in the language of the young Fourth of July orator, "a howling wilderness." The Indians and what few whites there were in the vicinity of the reservations had continued to live in comparative peace from and after the ending of hostilities by the Greenville treaty. Even during the troublous times, incident to the war of 1812, when Tecumseh was marshalling the men of his race to assist the British forces, there was but little antagonism between the settlers and natives of the region known as Northwestern Ohio. Feelings of security were necessarily absent, however, owing to the scenes of war being enacted at nearby points ; and with the news of the great disaster on Raisin river-where an American force numbering 800 was almost annihilated-came a realization of the danger that menaced the settlers. The region of which we write was then included in Miami county and the communi- cation which follows will afford a view of the state of public opinion therein, following the catastrophe mentioned above :
Miami County, State of Ohio, Feb. 3, 1813. "To His Excellency, R. J. Meigs, Governor of said State:
"The petition of the undersigned humbly showeth: That whereas there are a considerable number of Indians of the Delaware tribe, called in by order of General Harrison, and are now in our county; that it is but thinly settled on the frontier, distant from a market where provisions can be furnished them, and the people of the neigh- borhood feel themselves in a dangerous situation in consequence of their being exposed to invasion and depredations from them, they being contiguous to the enemy; hence every opportunity of convey- ing information to them of our situation, moving off and joining them, and doing much mischief from their knowledge of our county, etc. This brief petition we would humbly beg your excellency to take into consideration and relieve us from a state of uneasiness and alarm, by having them removed into the interior of the State, where, from its population, they will be awed into submission to the authorities hav- ing charge over them, and supported at a much less expense to the government. And we shall as in duty bound, etc.
"G. Smith Houston," and 52 others.
Occasionally, of course, there were outrages that threatened serious trouble, due to lawless elements in both races and the race hatred entertained by many of the whites; yet as a rule the Red Men of the
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Forest pursued their wild and favorite avocations, undisturbed by naught, save what must have been apparent to them-the irresistible and ceaseless march of Anglo-Saxon civilization. The end of his do- minion in the State of Ohio was rapidly approaching, and in his thoughtful moments the Indian must have heard, reverberating through the air, in tones that a modern policeman would envy, the laconic and authoritative command-"Move on !"
On November 17, 1807, a treaty, was made at Detroit between William Hull, Governor of the Territory of Michigan and Superin- tendent of Indian Affairs, on the part of the United States, and the sachems, chiefs and warriors of the Ottowa, Chippeway, Wyandotte and Pottawatamie nations of Indians on the other part. Under this treaty the following described lands were ceded to the United States : "Beginning at the mouth of the Miami river of the Lakes [Maumee] and running thence up the middle thereof to the mouth of the Great Au Glaize river; thence running due north until it intersects a paral- lel of latitude, to be drawn from the outlet of Lake Huron, which forms the river Sinclair; thence running northeast, the course that may be found will lead in a direct line to White Rock, in Lake Huron ; thence due east until it intersects the boundary line between the United States and Upper Canada, in said lake; thence southerly, following the said boundary line down said lake, through River Sinclair, Lake St. Clair and the River Detroit into Lake Erie, to a point due east of the aforesaid Miami river; thence west to the place of beginning."
The western line of this vast extent of territory, which was by the above treaty granted to the United States, passed through the west- ern part of Fulton county and almost exactly located the present boundary line between Ridgeville township, in Henry, and Springfield in Williams county. Extended north from the Maumee, this cession of land comprised a considerable portion of the lower peninsula of Michigan in addition to the Ohio territory, included. The price paid for these lands was $10,000. The reader, in contemplating this vast domain-covered then with valuable timber and a fertile soil as yet untouched-will doubtless come to the conclusion that Uncle Sam was a shrewd "bargain-driver," and that "Poor Lo" was correspond- ingly "easy." But when we recall that the Greenville treaty bound the Indians to sell the land to no one but the United States, thereby rendering any possible competitor ineligible, the moralist may con- sider the transaction not quite up to his ethical standard.
As will readily be seen by the Hull treaty given above, all lands in Ohio north of the Maumee river were by said treaty ceded to the United States government-excepting the territory west of a line running due north from the mouth of the Auglaize river. This ex- ception comprised all of the present county of Williams, the greater part of Defiance and a small portion off the west side of Fulton county. In short, it can be said, with a reasonable degree of accuracy, that the Ohio lands north of the Maumee, which remained in lawful posses- sion of the Indians after the Detroit treaty of 1807, comprised the territory included in the original county of Williams. The only change
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made in creating the latter division was to straighten the southern boundary line and cause it to run due east and west, instead of fol- lowing the course of the river.
For ten years longer this status of affairs continued, but on Sep- tember 29, 1817, a treaty was "made and concluded at the foot of the Rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie," between Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur, commissioners of the United States, on the one part, and the sachems, chiefs and warriors of the Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Shawanees, Pottawatomies, Ottawas, and Chippeway tribes of In- dians. By the stipulations of this treaty, contained in the first article, the Wyandots ceded to the United States their lands south of the Maumee river. In Art. 2, "The Pottawatomies, Ottawas and Chip- peway tribes of Indians," ceded the land described within the following boundaries : "Beginning where the western line of the State of Ohio crosses the River Miami of Lake Erie, which is about twenty-one miles above the mouth of the Great Auglaize river; thence down the middle of the said Miami [Maumee] river, to a point north of the mouth of the Great Auglaize river : thence, with the western line of the land ceded to the United States by the treaty of Detroit, in 1807, north forty-five miles; thence west so far that a line south will strike the place of beginning : thence south to the place of beginning." The consideration paid for the above was an annuity of $1,300 for fifteen years to the Pottawatomies, $1.000 for fifteen years to the Ottawas, and $1,000 for fifteen years to the Chippewas. These three tribes were then the inhabitants of the Fulton county territory and they were to receive their annual stipend at Detroit. It will be noticed that this cession included nearly, if not all. of the present county of Hills- dale, in Michigan, but the northern boundary of Ohio was then in dispute and destined to be a subject of contention for a score of years to follow.
The subsequent treaties that were made with the Indians provided for the purchase of their lands in the reservations by the United States and their removal west of the Mississippi; and the fact remains, which is of some historical importance. that Williams was among the last of the present county divisions of the state to pass legally from the control of the Red Man to the dominion of the Anglo-Saxon race. The last Indian title extinguished was that of the Wyandots, whose lands in the reservation at Upper Sandusky, and in the county which bears their name, was offered for sale by the United States in the autumn of 1845. The several Indian tribes were paid various sums of money in annual payments, and were required to vacate the country and migrate west. The last of them to make the journey were the Wyandots, but after the treaty of 1819, the northwestern part of Ohio was open to settlement and the Indians who remained did so as tenants by sufference of their white brothers.
Henry Howe, in his admirable work, entitled "Historical Collec- tions of Ohio." says: "The Delawares ceded their reservations to the United States in 1829. The Wyandots ceded theirs by a treaty made at Upper Sandusky, March 17, 1842, they being the only In-
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dians then remaining in the State. The commissioner on the part of the United States was Colonel John Johnston, who had the honor of making the last Indian treaty in Ohio-a State, every foot of whose soil has been fairly purchased by treaties from its original possessors. The Wyandots left for Kansas in July, 1843, and numbered at that time about seven hundred souls."
On the admission of Ohio to the Federal Union, the public domain, under the conditions named in the charter, was variously classified. The principal divisions were as follows: I. Congress Lands; 2. United States Military Lands : 3. Virginia Military District; 4. Con- necticut Western Reserve; 5. Connecticut Fire Lands; 6. Ohio Com- pany's Purchase; 7. Donation Tract; 8. Symmes Purchase; 9. Refugee Tract; 10. French Grant; 11. Dohrman's Grant; 12. Zane's Grant; 13. Canal Lands; 14. Turnpike Lands; 15. Maumee Road Lands ; 16. School Lands; 17. College Lands; 18. Ministerial Lands; 19. Moravian Lands; 20. Salt Sections.
It is not necessary to enter into details regarding these various di- visions, except so far as the territory embraced within the scope of this work is affected. Congress Lands are so-called because they are sold to purchasers by the immediate officers of the general govern- ment, conformably to such laws as are or may be, from time to time, enacted by Congress. They are all regularly surveyed into townships of six miles square each, under authority and at the expense of the National Government. The townships are again subdivided into sec- tions of one mile square, each containing 640 acres. by lines running parallel with the township and range lines. In addition to these di- visions, the sections are again subdivided into four equal parts, called the northeast quarter section, southeast quarter section, etc. And again, by a law of Congress which went into effect in July. 1820, these quarter sections are also divided by a north and south line into two equal parts, called the east half quarter section and west half quarter section, containing eighty acres each. It was not until after the war of 1812-15. and the conquest of the Indian territory north of Wayne's treaty line, that surveys were ordered in the northwest section of Ohio. For this tract a base line was run on or near the forty-first parallel of latitude, corresponding to the south line of the Connecti- cut Reserve. The ranges were numbered east from the first meridian, being the west line of Ohio, and the towns numbered north and south from the base. Fulton county, it will be seen, was included in the reservation known as "Congress Lands," and it might be added that the land within its limits was sold by the Federal government at the statutory price of $1.25 per acre.
Early provisions were made for the support of free schools, and Congress reserved one thirty-sixth part of all lands lying northwest of the Ohio river for their maintenance. These lands, together with other Congressional reservations for the public welfare, became, in later years, the subject of much political speculation, and in many in- stances were perverted by designing persons from the real purposes intended. Much fruitless legislation resulted, because of the private
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or personal interests of individuals, without materially enhancing the interests of education. Passing through the varied experiences of speculation, as the early years of statehood passed, the question of school lands was finally systematized by the appointment of honest and conscientious commissioners, and the lands thus became the nucleus of the present magnificent school fund of the state.
We will now return and take up events incidental to the formation, organization and development of Fulton county. On February 12, 1820, the General Assembly of the state formed and gave names to fourteen counties, which they carved out of the territory lying north of the Greenville Treaty line and west of the boundary line of the Connecticut Reserve. In selecting names for these counties the legis- lature evidently referred to the galaxy of Revolutionary patriots, for among them we find such cognomens as Allen, Hancock, Henry, Marion, Putnam, Paulding, Van Wert, Williams and others. The last three were of course chosen in honor of the captors of Major Andre, who by their heroic act prevented the surrender of West Point and defeated a treasonable plot at a critical time during our country's struggle for independence. The statute providing for the formation of these counties was entitled, "An Act for the erection of certain counties therein named." and it read thusly :
"Be it enacted, etc., That all that part of the lands lately ceded by the Indians to the United States, which lies within this State, shall be, and the same is hereby erected into fourteen separate and distinct counties to be bounded and named as follows:" (It then proceeds to give the boundaries of each of the counties.) "Twelfth, to include all of ranges five, six, seven and eight north of the second township north, in said ranges ; and to run north with the same to the State line as aforesaid, and to be known by the name of Henry; * fourteenth, to include all of the first. second, third and fourth ranges north of the third townships north in said ranges, and to run north with the same to the State line, and to be known by the name of Williams."
Williams, as will be seen by the description, was erected in the extreme northwestern corner of Ohio, having its northern boundary on Michigan and its western on Indiana. Henry was located directly east of Williams and included all of the present county of Fulton, save about thirty-five sections of land in the western part, which was afterwards detached from Williams. The northern boundary of these counties then, as well as the northern boundary of the state, was seri- ously in dispute, owing to the conflicting claims of Ohio and the terri- tory of Michigan, the former claiming the Harris line and the latter the Fulton line as the true boundary which separated them. The strip of land between these lines comprised all of the present town- ships of Gorham, Chesterfield, Royalton and Amboy, and the north- ern half of Franklin, Dover, Pike and Fulton townships, in Fulton county.
Although these counties were created by the above mentioned act of the legislature, most of them remained unorganized, so
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far as governmental functions were concerned, until several years later. The act creating the fourteen counties provided for the organization of only two of them-Wood and Sandusky-and it provided that "the counties of Hancock, Henry, Putnam, Paulding and Williams shall be attached to the county of Wood" for civil purposes. It provided further, "that the temporary seat of justice for said county of Wood shall be fixed at the town of Maumee, until commissioners shall be appointed by the General Assembly to fix the permanent seat of justice." This legislation by further provision of the same act went into effect on April 1, 1820, and from that date the seat of justice of the counties of northwestern Ohio was in the ancient and historical town of Maumee, where it remained for about three years and then crossed the river to Perrysburg. At a session of the Board of Com- missioners of Wood county, held March 19, 1823, it was ordered "that so much of the township of Waynesfield as is included in the organized county of Wood, and lying and being on the south of the south channel of Maumee river, from the west line of the county to the line between the original surveyed township, in Nos. I and 4, in the United States reserve; thence, the north channel to the state line, be set off and organized into a township, by the name of Perrysburg." The seat of justice was then established at Perrysburg; but this was of concern to the future Fulton county for only a short time, as in a few months Williams was destined to blossom forth as a fully or- ganized county, and Henry was attached to it for judicial purposes.
By virtue of an act passed June 20, 1835, and which was one of the "war measures" enacted by the Ohio legislature during the pendency of the boundary dispute, Henry county was called upon to surrender a portion of her territory to the formation of the new county of Lucas. The "act to establish the county of Lucas" was amended on March 14, 1836, and its domain was definitely defined as follows: "Beginning at a point on Lake Erie, where the line com- monly called 'Fulton's line' intersects the same; thence due west with said Fulton's line, to the Maumee river; thence in a southwesterly di- rection, with the said river, to the east line of the county of Henry; thence north, on said line, to the northeast corner of township six, in range eight; thence west, on said township line, to the east line of the county of Williams; thence north, to the northern boundary of the state, called the 'Harris line;' thence in an easterly direction, with said line, to Lake Erie : thence due east, until a line drawn due north, from the place of beginning shall intersect the same." All of the present county of Fulton thus became a part of Lucas with the excep- tion of two tiers of sections on the south, and the territory on the west which was afterwards detached from Williams. In the year 1834, Henry county became fully organized for all purposes, and the territory now embraced in Fulton remained under three separate jurisdictions-Lucas. Williams and Henry-until February 28, 1850, when it was erected, organized, and took its place among the sep- arate and distinct political divisions of the State of Ohio.
Of the Indian tribes inhabiting the Maumee valley when the first
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definite knowledge of the country was acquired, the Miamis were the most prominent, while the Wyandots and Ottawas were represented in fewer numbers. Later, other tribes made their appearance, par- ticularly in that part which is now Fulton county, and it was with the Pottawatamies, Ottawas and Chippewas that the pioneers of this immediate section had to deal. These three tribes had possession at the time of the final treaties, and it was with them that negotiations were made providing for the Indian exodus. They were slow to join with the tide of westward emigration, however, and for many years afterwards, wandering bands would annually visit their old hunting grounds in Fulton county, and their intercourse with the settlers came to be regarded more as an occasion of pleasant remembrances than of dread or danger. Some pleasant friendships were formed be- tween the pioneer families and the former owners of the land which the pale-face was tilling.
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CHAPTER III
THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE
T HE history of the trouble which arose over the matter of es- tablishing a permanent boundary line between the present states of Ohio and Michigan should be of special interest to the people of Fulton county, because of the fact that upon the decision and adjustment of the difficulty depended the question, whether the territory now embraced in the townships of Gorham, Chesterfield, Royalton and Amboy, and the northern parts of Frank- lın, Dover, Pike, and Fulton should be a part and parcel of the Buckeye State, or the inhabitants thereof should be numbered among the Wolverines. At one time the trouble threatened to assume the magnitude of civil war between the sovereign State of Ohio and the Territory of Michigan, supported, as the latter would unquestionably have been, by the military arm of the United States. The interest manifested was not confined to this locality, by any means, for leading members of Congress-notably John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts -took a hand in the fray, and it formed a subject for heated debate between giants of the political arena. Years have passed since the amicable settlement of this dispute, but time should not efface the record of historical events. Reasoning thus, and believing (with no desire to be invidious) that many people are not familiar with the history of the difficulty, the writer has consulted various authorities and decided to devote a chapter in this work to what is sometimes called "The Ohio and Michigan War."
The question of boundary between Ohio and Michigan anteda:ed the admission of the former into the Union, and had its birth in the Congress that framed and adopted the "Ordinance of 1787,"-an instrument providing for the civil government of the Northwest Ter- ritory, then lately ceded to the United States. And it would be within the bounds of truth to say that this controversy, which for a time seriously threatened the peace of the country, was conceived through a blunder committed by a well-meaning though misguided Herodo- tus, prior to the action of the Confederate Congress. By the "Ordi- nance of 1787." Congress divided the Northwest Territory into three parts; the western to include all the present states of Illinois, Wis- consin and a portion of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; the middle to include the present State of Indiana, and north to the British line: the eastern to include the territory bounded by Indiana, Canada, Pennsylvania, and the Ohio river; "Provided. however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three
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[prospective] States shall be subject so far to be altered, that if Con- gress shall hereafter find it expedient they shall have authority to form one or two states in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan."
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