USA > Ohio > Highland County > The County of Highland : a history of Highland County, Ohio, from the earliest days, with special chapters on the bench and bar, medical profession educational development, industry and agriculture and biographical sketches > Part 8
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from the top of the gum on the inside. Then another stone is dressed to fit exactly on the face of the first, with a much larger hole in the center through which the corn is placed when grinding. Next comes the hand pole, with a spike in the end made to fit in a small hole near the outer rim of the top stone, and as the under stone is stationary, the top stone is made to revolve ; being balanced on a pivot, it turns easily and will grind quite fast when one turns with sufficient veloc- ity to bring the sweat from which the mill took its name. The miller or grinder was compelled to put the corn in the hole with one hand while he caused the stone to revolve with the other.
The Evans settlement on Clear creek was the pioneer settlement north of New Market. The Indians were all around in great num- bers, but were peaceable and quiet, and seemed disposed to cultivate friendly relations with the settlers. The first year the Evans raised a great crop of watermelons on the rich bottom lands, and when they ripened gave them freely to the Indians who enjoyed them greatly, calling them "pumpkins." The Indians knew nothing of the use of knives and forks and plates, and were much embarrassed when asked to sit at table and imitate the example of their white brothers. At one time a company of about thirty Indians called at the home of Hugh Evans, and asked for something to eat. Mr. Evans was not at home, but Mrs. Evans at once commenced a dinner. When she began to set the table with plates and knives and forks, the old chief shook his head and pointed to the floor of the cabin. The table was removed and the Indians squatted in a circle on the floor and began to eat, paying no kind of attention to the plates, knives and forks, but each thrusting his hand in the dish and eating with his fingers the generous meal.
In the fall of 1800 Maj. Anthony Franklin erected a cabin on the blazed trace between New Market and New Amsterdam, some three miles east of where the village of Marshall now is. This cabin was the first improvement in that locality. The cabin at different times was made larger by additions to it, which at last gave it the appear- ance of a small town. Being the only habitation between the two towns, it was for many years the stopping place for travelers follow. ing this trace from Chillicothe to Cincinnati, back and forth. Many persons of note stopped at this home in the wilderness, and were sure of a hearty welcome. Among the number were Governor St. Clair, and Aaron Burr, when he was dreaming of an empire in Texas.
The beginning of Leesburg may be traced back to the departure of Nathaniel Pope from Virginia with his family, in the fall of 1796, for the Northwestern territory. Knowing of the difficulty of cross- ing the mountains with an ordinary wagon, he constructed a narrow cart, low-wheeled, and heavy, adapted to the mountain road, with ropes upon both sides, ready, should the case demand, to hold the cart from upsetting upon the mountain side. The bed and bedding were
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stored in this unique vehicle, together with the goods specially prized in the household, while the kitchen and other furniture was packed upon horses and thus made the journey. Mrs. Pope rode a horse on a pack, while the rest of the family, several boys and girls, made the journey on foot, aided now and then by short rides when the ground was level. Mr. Pope with rifle upon his shoulder, and three or four good hunting dogs at his heels, marched in advance of his moving train, cheered by the presence of wife and children and the prospect of a future home for all in the delightful country known as the Northwest Territory. About the last of November the trav- elers reached the falls of the Great Kanawha, and there they passed the winter, accepting a kind offer of shelter by Leonard Murrice.
In the month of February they prepared for their journey toward the northwest. Mr. Pope with the aid of two of his sons felled a giant tree upon the hill side and erected a scaffold upon the steep side of the hill, rolled the logs upon it, and with whipsaw made enough lumber to build a large boat which he launched and loaded with his goods, wife and younger children, cut the grapevine rope, and floated down the Kanawha for the beautiful Ohio, on reaching which, the children stood in the bow of the boat and cheered with wild shouts the majestic river. Landing at the French station- Gallipolis-they disposed of their large supply of bear and deer skins, together with the furs obtained by winter trapping, getting in return a large amount of powder and lead, tomahawks, butcher knives, Indian shawls, cotton cloth, and other needed articles. Con- tinuing their voyage down the Ohio river, being careful to keep near the center of the stream, and camping at night upon the Virginia side of the river, they came in sight of a far reaching space of beau- tiful bottom land, which Mr. Pope at once knew to be the same land .explored by himself, in company with Thomas Beal and others. He landed at the mouth of a little creek called Paddy, some miles above the Guyandot, and on the north side of the Ohio river, and the loca- tion was so pleasing, and the land so very rich, that the travelers decided to stop, at least for a season. They were joined by Pope's eldest son William, and his cousin John Walters, who brought the horses and cattle by land, and during that summer another family came down the river and landed at the same bottom with Pope.
Nathaniel Pope and Jessie Baldwin were the first settlers upon these bottoms, then came John Walter, Thomas Beal, the preacher, and his sons, Obadiah Overman, and his brother, and quite a num- ber of others whose names and history cannot be traced. This community were all members of the Society of Friends, and Thomas Beals preached the first Friends' sermon in the Northwest- ern Territory. The male portion of the congregation were dressed in leather, and the females in fabrics of their own manufacture, mostly linen and cotton. The eldest son of Mr. Pope was a first-
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class woodman and hunter. In the year of 1798 he contracted with Uriah Paulding to furnish his salt works with meat through the fall and winter, and they killed during that time eighty-three bears, ten buffaloes, with deer and turkey almost without limit. This meat was placed upon pack horses and delivered at the salt works, while the skins were sold to the French traders at Gallipo- lis.
During the summer of 1798, it was discovered that the land upon which they had "squatted" could not be bought for a fair price, and with much sorrow and regret the settlement was broken up, and the major part of the families journeyed to the rich bottom land on the Scioto. Nathaniel Pope wintered at the falls of Paint, and sold most of his stock to General Massie, and in the follow- ing spring, with goods and family, cut his way through the woods to the spot where Leesburg now stands in Highland county. With the strong force of stalwart boys at his command, he soon cleared a lot of land on Lee's creek bottoms and planted a crop of corn and prepared to establish a home, of which no defective title could rob him in the coming future. He had purchased this land at a very low price from Gen. Massie, and was told by the General to make his own selection as to locality. The first wheat ever raised within the present limit of Highland county was a few acres by Nathaniel Pope on his farm on the land now occupied by the town of Leesburg.
John Walters, who came to Ohio, with Pope, settled on the land since known as the old Pavey place, just across the creek from Lees- burg. The same fall James Howard came to this locality and built his cabin on the hill, covering a portion of the present site of the village. This was the entire settlement, except the Indian neighbors, who had made their encampments all along Rattlesnake creek as far down as the falls. They came almost daily to the "white man's camp" and, while friendly, were always hungry, and were willing to eat when invitation was given, which was never neglected or forgotten. When the corn crop was gathered, there was but little work to engage the hands of the settlers, and as hunt- ing was necessary and profitable it was the main industry during the late fall and winter. The Indians frequently engaged with the whites in their hunting expeditions. Meal was obtained by carry- ing the corn to the mill at New Amsterdam, and taken in connec- tion with pounded hominy, which was prepared at night and upon days when the weather was too inclement to venture out. This diet of Johnny-cake and hominy, with bear meat or venison steak washed down with pure sweet milk, or a blood-red tea, made from the aromatic sassafras or spice wood, conduced to good health and strength, and the continued out door labor of men and women gave the bright eye and the glowing cheek of the matrons and maids of that early day, that the paint and powder of the present cannot
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rival. Bear and buffalo skins made warm, soft beds, while the wide fireplace with its burning log heap sent a cheerful warmth and glow in the cabin home. The Indian became quite social, and as they learned the meaning of some English words, and the white people a few Indian words, communication and conversation was frequent, and the Indians pointed out where when hunting on Lee's creek, Rattlesnake, Hardin's and Fall creek, they had captured white prisoners.
At one time late in the fall the Popes were out hunting on horse- back on the waters of Hardin's creek, the dogs started a bear. In the chase the dogs passed within hearing of an Indian camp and the Indian dogs joined the chase. An Indian with his gun approached and intimated his desire to join in the sport if one of the whites would dismount and make the race on foot. William Pope accepted the banter, and he and the Shawanee set out afoot. They soon drew ahead of the horsemen, and passing down the hill, where the residence of Beverly Milner stood afterward, Pope out- ran the Indian, but when they came to the creek the Indian plunged right through, while Pope made a curve a few yards below. This gave the Indian the advantage, but as he was creeping near to the spot where the dogs had the bear treed, so he could make a sure shot, Pope took rest by the side of a tree and fired. The bear tum- bled from his perch badly wounded, and in a moment bear and dogs were engaged in a fierce combat. At length the bear caught one of Pope's favorite dogs and was killing him, when Pope motioned the Indian to kill the bear with his tomahawk. The Indian simply said "White man," when Pope rushed into the fight with tomahawk and knife and soon had poor bruin dead enough. After skinning the bear the meat was divided with the Indian, who departed well pleased, often to meet and hunt with Pope, for they soon became the best of friends, and enjoyed many exciting chases which the abundant game in the unbroken forest afforded.
In the spring of 1801 James B. Finley came from Chillicothe, settled on a farm his father had purchased on the waters of White- oak creek, and built his cabin. Mr. Finley tells us the story of his early life in a quaint, graphic way interesting to read. He says : "I was just married and my father-in-law, not being well pleased with his daughter's choice, refused to allow her to take her clothes when she left home. I had nothing, she had nothing, and we set out to realize the old story of love in a cottage. Brother John helped me build my cabin, and we moved in, so to speak, for we had neither bed, bedding, bag nor baggage, cow nor horse, pig, cat, nor anything, but a wife, gun, dog and axe. For a bed we gath- ered leaves and drying them in the sun, used them in a tick instead of feathers or straw. For a bedstead forks were driven into the floor of the cabin, which like its roof was of bark, then placing poles
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across we covered them with bark, upon which we placed our tick of leaves, which with bear skin covering made a fine bed. This done the next thing was to provide something to eat." Meat was always plentiful ; Finley's gun kept a store on hand; but bread was needed now and then. Finley went to the New Market neighbor- hood and cut and split one hundred rails for a bushel of potatoes, which he brought home on his back; at another time he worked a day, for an old hen with three chickens, which he carried home in his hunting shirt. Being without horse or plow, he grubbed out a wild plum thicket, and dug holes with a hoe and planted in this way about one and one-half acres of corn, which, when gathered gave him something near one hundred bushels. During the summer he and his wife built a neat cabin and fixed it up snug and warm for the cold weather expected in the winter. He placed his husked corn on the loft, contemplated his earthly possessions and realizing that he had sufficient goods to last the year, he was perfectly indif- ferent to the approach of the snow and storms of the cold season. Finley declares that no couple on earthi lived more happily or more contented than he and his wife in their snug little cabin in the woods. Late in the fall, Robert W. Finley and family, made up of John, William, Samuel and Robert, Jr., moved to the neigh- borhood and settled near James, and a little while afterward John Davidson, driven by sickness from the valley of the Scioto, settled in the White Oak district. This community now numbered some fifteen persons, neighborly and social, no rivalry intruded to spoil the harmony and disturb the peace. No class distinctions were known when one wanted all turned out to aid and assist to the extent of their ability. Bear meat was prized more highly than any other class of wild meat, while turkey breast baked served in many cases in place of bread. Near Christmas time they made their tur- key hunt, killing large numbers of them. They were able to keep this class of meat through the summer by cleaning them, cutting them in half, then salting them in troughs, and afterwards hang- ing them up to dry ; when needed for use they were cooked in bear's oil. Bread was scarce, the nearest mill being some thirty miles away. John Davidson was at one time forced to go to Cherry Fork in Adams county to buy corn, which he brought home, then sending his two sons on pack horses with the corn to the mills at the falls of Paint creek to have it ground. There were so many ahead of them, that the boys could not get their grinding done for three days, so they returned home. Mr. Davidson went for the meal himself, the whole distance traveled to get the corn and meal, being one hundred and sixty miles.
The one supreme difficulty the early settlers had to overcome was the scarcity of salt. This necessary article sold at eight dollars H-6
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per hundred pounds, and often could not be had at that price. The circulating medium of exchange in those days was the skins of wild animals, and at the rate salt was selling, it would take one large bear skin, four buck skins, or sixteen coon skins to pay for fifty pounds of salt. When salt could not be obtained, they cured their meat with strong hickory ashes. The next spring found the Fin- leys and their neighbors in good condition for work. Plows had been obtained and other farming implements, and with high hopes they engaged in their summer work. A very large crop of corn rewarded their improved industry. The winter proved to be uncommonly severe, and the bears, their principal article of food of the meat kind, had all "holed up." That is, gone into some giant hollow tree to spend the winter. The winter before had been mild and open and as the mast was plentiful the bears did not go into winter quarters until very late in the winter. But the cold com- ing earlier and much more severe at this time, Mr. Bruin concluded he had better retire. The Finleys were considerably put out about the matter, and began at once a search for trees that might possibly contain a bear. At last they found a great poplar tree which by the evidence of the scratches upon the bark, indicated the home of a bear. They, with great labor, cut the tree, and there, sure enough, was the bear snugly housed. They continued the search for bear trees, and in a week's time found and killed eleven bears, three of them old ones, and the largest weighing something over four hundred pounds.
In the fall of 1800 Thomas McCoy and his wife came from Bour- bon county, Ky., to Ohio, and after living about one year on Cherry fork of Brush creek, settled down on the tract of land since owned by the John Haigh heirs. Mr. McCoy, when a very old man, in telling a friend his trials and difficulties in that early day, said "In those days in order to build a log cabin we had to collect help from five or six miles around and could get but a few hands at that. Often our women would turn out and help us in rolling and rais- ing our cabins. But I can say that we enjoyed ourselves with our hard labor and humble fare, although deprived of many of the nec- essaries of life. I had to go twenty-seven miles for two bushels of corn and pay three shillings and six pence per bushel. This was the spring after I settled on the west fork of Brush creek. The wolves were so bad that neither sheep nor hogs could be raised. Game was, however, abundant and the settlers could always rely upon that for meat."
"In the fall of 1800," in the language of one who knew the parties long and well, "a settlement was formed three or four miles south of New Market by as jolly a set of Irishmen as ever collected this side of their native island. Their names were Alexander Fullerton, John Porter, Samuel McQuirty, William Ray, William and James
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Boyd, James Farrier, Hector Murphy, and Alexander Carrington. A little stream, bearing the classic name of 'Smoky Row,' in mem- ory or a cherished locality in Ireland, wended its way lazily through the land of John Porter, who was moved to profit thereby. In the course of a few years he set about building thereon a grist mill of most singular construction, and when it was completed, he greatly rejoiced thereat. A thunder gust was seen forming in the west, affording a prospect of speedily trying the capacity of the mill for business. A sack of corn was dashed into the hopper, a jug of whisky was procured to celebrate the occasion, and all things made ready, when the winds blew and the floods came of such unusual height that at one mad rush the dam, the mill, the race were swept away. John hastily snatched the jug of whisky and leaping to the bank, waved high his jug in defiance of the storm, and mingled his shout and huzza with the roar of the thunder and the flood." But John Porter was not easily discouraged, and in a little while he built a horse mill which was kept in running order up to the year 1812, when he joined the American army to fight the British, and was killed at the battle of Brownstown.
In 1801 Elijah Kirkpatrick came with his family from Chilli- cothe and settled on Smoky Row. Kirkpatrick was the first col- lector of taxes in Highland county. Lewis Summers, George Rowe, and Joseph Myers came to New Market during the spring of 1801, and in the fall of the same year, Isaac Laman and family and George Cailey settled in the town. There had been no deaths in the town up to this date, and searcely any sickness. The first persons to be buried in the New Market grave yard were Adam Medsker, who had lately come into the neighborhood, and Robert Bronson, from Rocky Fork. These deaths occurred in 1801. Robert Finley was the first preacher in New Market, and perhaps the first in the county within its present limits. The preaching place was the woods. Some time during the winter of 1801-2, Rev. Henry Smith, a Methodist, would now and then preach in New Market.
While things were thus progressing in New Market, White Oak was receiving increase of population. Adam Lance and George Fender and Isaiah Roberts joined this settlement, and in the fall James McConnell and Joseph Davidson came also. Some time before this young Joseph Van Meter and Isaac Miller, of Kentucky, had settled on the East fork of the Little Miami. The father of Joseph Van Meter was also Miller's guardian, and had given each of them a hundred acres of land, axes, hoes, plows, and meal enough to last them through the summer. He refused to give them meat, telling them to "hunt for it." They had the misfortune to lose one of their hoes on their journey, and it became the source of much trouble and embarrassment to them. They could not conceive the idea that one might plow the corn and the other follow with the hoe,
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but that both must plow it at the same time until that work was done, and then each take a hoe and go over the field again. It was finally settled that they could not get along without another hoe. New Market was fourteen miles away, but Isaac made the journey and succeeded in borrowing a hoe from John Eversol with the under- standing that if it was damaged in any way, it should be paid for.
Robert and Terry Templin came from Chillicothe, Robert locat- ing on a branch of the Rocky fork, now known as Medsker's run, and Terry on the Little Rocky fork on the land since owned by Bennett and Creed. They were among the first settlers that came to Chillicothe, having emigrated in company with Governor Massie in 1796. Simon Shoemaker, Sr., came with his family from Vir- ginia and settled at Sinking Spring in 1800. Frederick Brougher had been engaged in clearing out his farm, and building additional accommodations for the traveling public, which was largely on the increase along this trade, and the Brougher tavern was the first stop- ping place out of Chillicothe, a distance of nearly fifty miles.
Nathaniel Pope, as we have before stated, sowed the first wheat in the county, and when the harvest time came, he 'started his two sons down Paint until they found enough hands and whisky to save the harvest. Each hand was instructed to bring sickles as none could be obtained in Pope's locality. The hands came in full force and soon had the field cleared of its golden grain. They gathered all the field at one place, made a threshing floor, and with flails made of young hickories threshed it all out and had it cleaned up before night. Some of the men then went hunting, others went to cut a bee tree. At night they had a feast of venison and honey, washed down with whisky, a complete celebration of the first harvesting done in Highland county.
The first road cut from the Falls of Paint to the settlement on Lee's creek was made by Pope and Walters for the accommodation of their friends who were moving out from Quaker Bottom, and after this road was opened out, the neighborhood filled up rapidly. John and Jacob Beals, sons of old Thomas Beals, with their widowed mother, came to Lee's creek and were the first to tell the sad story of their father's death, the venerable and much beloved preacher. His death was the result of his horse running under a leaning tree. He died in a few hours after the accident, in the woods on the banks of Salt creek. It was impossible to get plank or other material of which to make a coffin, so they selected a walnut tree, cut the same into the proper length and hollowed out a coffin from the solid wood; fitted a slab of walnut for a lid ; performed the sad rites in the silent woods, and left the grand old man in his restful repose, amid the solemn solitude of the primeval forest. Some years ago the Friends meet- ing of Fairfield township appointed a committee to attend to this lonely grave, which they did by enclosing it with a stone wall. Soon
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after this death Benjamin Carr, Samuel Butler, Evan Evans, and their families came from Virginia to this locality. Edward Wright came to the falls of Paint in 1801, from Tennessee, and shortly after his arrival was stricken with fever and died. His widow, Hannah Wright, with her two sons, William and Dillon, moved to Hardin's creek, this county. In the year 1803 William Lupton came from Virginia and purchased the farm of Nathaniel Pope, and in a short time erected a saw mill on Lee's creek. The Friends' meeting house was built of logs in 1803-4, replaced in after years by the brick church in Leesburg.
The good people of New Market were greatly surprised by the appearance of a young man who came among them at the close of a cold, cloudy day late in the autumn of 1801. He was dressed in the rough garb of the pioneer tramp, but upon his head, in place of a cap, he carried an eighteen gallon copper kettle. He had a large »bundle strapped to his back with buffalo tugs, and carried a smaller bundle under his arm, while in his hand he carried something look- ing greatly like an Indian bow. This unique individual was Michael Stroup, a maker of wool hats, just from Chillicothe, looking for a place to begin business. Stroup was entirely indifferent to any criticisms upon his personal appearance. He was hunting a place to work, and soon had his kettle set in a cabin, and the sound of his bow was heard preparing the wool for hat making. He soon exhausted his stock of material, and as no wool could be obtained in the neighborhood and as his hats when sold barely covered the expenses of his journey and fixtures, he was without stock and with- out the means of buying more. His hats were sold at $18.00 per dozen. Just when he was in doubt and uncertainty about the future, an opportunity opened for him to make some money in another way. Simon Kenton had built a mill on Mad river, just beyond the present site of Springfield, and employed Robert Boyce, of New Market, to bring the millstones from Maysville. The journey from Maysville to New Market was not very difficult, as a comparatively good road had been opened between the two places, but after reaching New Market, the forest was unbroken on to the site of the mill. Kenton had empowered Boyce to employ men to cut a wagon road through to Springfield, promising to pay the money as soon as the stones for his mill arrived. Stroup, William Finley, and George Cailey were employed to do this work. They began the labor about the middle of February, 1802, and reached Springfield, half starved and frozen, in fifteen days from starting out. Simon Kenton was not at the mill and when found he was in his cabin four miles away and with- out money to pay for the labor performed or food necessary for the return journey. They obtained a meal on credit, of a log house tavern keeper in Springfield, and with all speed hastened back to New Market after an absence of nineteen days, hungry, and their
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