The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 88

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072

USA > Ohio > Wyandot County > The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc > Part 88

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The party returned in sorrow from their unsuccessful search, and met the anxious mother with heavy hearts. To her the night was one of sleepless agony. To what suffering or dreadful fate her child might be subjected, it was impossible to conjecture, for the dark night was fraught with dangers to him and terror to her. It was the year in which Elijah Brayton, the father of Matthew, was engaged in erecting a mill on the Tymochtee, and his absence at this time on a journey to Chillicothe to procure millstones aggravated the troubles and distress of the hour on the part of Mrs. Brayton and her son William, then a lad of sixteen, who were left in charge of the home affairs.

Morning broke at last and never was daylight more eagerly welcomed. With the first appearance of light, messengers were sent in all directions for assistance, and soon the woods were astir with searching parties. The Indian villages were examined, but the Wyandots professed entire ignorance

* Matthew Brayton was born April 7, 1818.

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

as to the movements of the missing boy, and joined with much zeal in the search. The relations between the Braytons and the Wyandots had been of the most friendly character, and there seemed to be no possible reason for interfering with the peace of that family. They stated, however, that a party of Canadian Indians had passed up the trail, on the day that the boy had disappeared, but could not say whether he had been carried off by them or not. Another night came and the sorrowful mother again met the dejected hunters at her door, receiving no consolation. At daybreak the parties again set out to search new tracts of country, but all without avail. The settlers for many miles around turned out and joined in the exciting and sorrowful hunt. Days lengthened into weeks and it became evident that further search was useless, as every foot of territory for miles around had been examined and no trace of the lost child had been discovered. He could have scarcely wandered off and perished by starvation, or wild beasts, as in either case some trace of his identity would have been left. The only inference was that he had been carried into hopeless slavery, or met a hor- rible death, at the hands of the party of Canadian Indians. Pursuit was now considered useless, and the search was reluctantly abandoned.

In the meantime, the father had returned from his journey, and the sad bereavement fell with crushing weight upon his heart. For the sake of his wife and remaining children-William, Harriet, Lucy, Mary and Peter- he bore up nobly, but his distress was most bitter, and every straw of hope that floated within his reach was grasped with eagerness. From time to time, vague rumors came that the boy had been seen in different places, and the faintest hope of success in finding him sufficed to send off the bereaved father or some trusty messenger to follow up the clew. But all efforts were unavailing. The last information that seemed the least probable was re- ceived in 1829, from a man who had been traveling among the tribes of Illi- nois, and who asserted that he had seen among the Indians of that country, whose age and appearance generally corresponded with that of the missing Matthew Brayton. Without an hour's delay, Mr. Brayton dispatched a let- ter to Gen. Cass, then Indian Commissioner, but the reply crushed out the last remnant of hope ; the letter bade the anxious father to renounce all hope based upon such a rumor, as there was no such white child among the Indians of Illinois. On what authority the General based his assertion can- not be said, but it is more than probable he was mistaken.

The weary years passed on, but brought no comfort to the stricken household. As all impressions gradually fade away with the lapse of years, so faded the memory of the lost child from the minds of men. But deep in the hearts of the bereaved parents remained the image of their unfortu- nate son, and the thrilling scenes and emotions connected with the search of him recurred again and again to them, long after they had been forgotten by others. The eldest brother, William, could not forget him; for the silent or spoken reproaches from his mother for sending so young a boy alone on such a path sank deep into his heart ; and even yet, though sixty years have passed, the "lost Matthew" is mentioned by him with deep and tearful emotion. And could the mother who bore him forget the missing lamb of the fold ? The paling cheek, the wasting form, the decaying strength told how deep the love, how bitter the anguish of the mother for her lost son. If she were but sure of his fate-if but one fragment of his clothing, but a particle of his flesh or blood remained to assure her that her child had perished by the merciless jaws of the wild beasts, or the still more merciless savages, it would at least have given rest to her weary heart;

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CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP.

but this uncertain apprehension, this torturing mystery, was too great to bear and live. So the years dragged slowly by, and each succeeding anni- versary of her son's loss drove the sharp pangs of grief deeper into her heart Sixteen years of agony and tears, and the grave hid her sorrows from the world ! In her last moments, her lost son had a place in her mem- ory. She died of a broken heart.

Thirty- four years elapsed, when the news reached the Brayton family that an Indian captive had been in the city of Cleveland, and in other parts of Ohio, endeavoring to obtain some information regarding his parentage, as he was just from the Copperhead tribe, whose leading chiefs had con- sented to his conditional return to the white settlements. They had told him that when a child he had been stolen from the whites by a band of Canadian Indians, who had thus revenged themselves on the whites for some real or fancied wrongs ; that he had passed through the hands of sev- eral tribes, and had at last been sold by the Sioux to the Snakes, with whom he remained till their union with the Copperheads. He had further learned through M. Macgwager, a chief of a small band of Pottawotomies who had settled down to civilized life in Branch County, Mich., that he had been taken from the region south of Lake Erie (his captors having crossed the Sandusky River) and sold by the Canadians to the Pottawoto- mies, Mr. Macgwager having been present at the transfer.

The story of this captive, whose Indian name in Copperhead language was Ohwa-owah-kish-me-wah,* but whose real name he did not himself know, was printed in the Cleveland Herald, and extensively copied. Let- ters were received by the editors of that paper from people in different sec. tions of the country, who bad lost children many years ago. A weekly pa- per containing a copy of the story was sent to the Brayton family, and an investigation was at once begun. William Brayton immediately proceeded to Cleveland, and from that point to Northern Pennsylvania, and thence across the State line into New York, where he learned the "captive " was staying at the home of Mr. Smith.

Previous to setting out, he had been charged by his father to examine two marks by which his brother's identity might probably be established. One of these was a scar on the head, caused by a razor cut made by the father in lancing a boil, the other, a scar on the great toe of the right foot, resulting from the cut of an ax. Taking a physician with him as a wit- ness of the interview, Mr. Brayton visited the residence of Mr. Smith, where the object of his search was found sitting by the evening fire. The marks of identity referred to above were searched for and found, just as the father had represented them; the stranger was declared to be the long lost Mat- thew Brayton, and they were soon on their way toward home. At every station on the road, crowds gathered to get a glimpse of the restored cap- tive, and at Carey hundreds were assembled-many, old men who had searched for the lost boy, aged mothers who had held him in their arms, and young men and maidens by the score who had heard the story narrated by their parents at their firesides. But these were disappointed, for Mr. Brayton had stopped at Adrian Station and gone directly to his home, where were gathered the other members of the family-the father in his seventy-third year, the brothers and the sisters. When he entered with his charge, the excitement was, intense, and the feelings that prevailed can- not be described. To portray the emotion which the union of family ties so

* In 1851, he married Tefronia (Tame Deer), the daughter of the Chief O-wash-kah-ke-naw, and their two children were Tefronia and Tululee.

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long sundered is calculated to excite is a task too delicate for our unskill- ful hand.

But this season of rejoicing was of short duration. The angel of peace had descended only to plume her wings for an eternal flight, and though thirty-four years of tearful anxiety had passed over the heads of the hapless family, the end was not yet. A short time sufficed to convince them that he whom they had taken into their hearts as their lost brother was not Matthew Brayton. He was at length restored to his real parents in Michigan, and remained with them until the late war broke out, when he enlisted in the cavalry service. He died at Nashville, Tenn. *

EARLY SETTLERS.

Again we are confronted with a mass of conflicting evidence as to who are the rightful claimants to the honor of being the first settlers of Craw- ford Township. According to our best authority, Asa Lake and Nehemiah Earls located here as early as 1819. They were men of families, and settled in what is now Section 26, then Government land, though afterward entered and settled upon by Daniel Hodges, who was also one of the earliest resi- dents of the township. As early as 1830, he built a brick house, the first of the kind in the township. He located in Crawfordsville in 1821.

Hon. John Carey, generally known as "Judge " Carey, and whose biog- raphy appears elsewhere in this work, came to this township and located with his family in 1823 or 1824. He was born in Virginia in 1792.

Christopher Baker came to this locality in 1822, and located on Section 11. In reaching his land, he came via Harrison's army trail through Del. aware, Marion and Upper Sandusky to the Tymochtee, and then cut a path from Lish's Ferry. The Wyandot trail, running from Big Springs to the twelve-mile reservation, passed near Mr. Baker's cabin. His son, John Baker, one of the old residents of the township, was born in Ross County, Ohio, August 14, 1815.

Curtis Berry, Jr., was born in this township April 19, 1831. He came with his parents, Curtis and Sally (Cavitt) Berry, to this county from Ross County in 1827, and located with them in this township in 1829. His father was born in 1782, and was reared in Virginia. He came to Ross County about 1804-6. His mother was of Irish descent, her father, Francis Cavitt, coming from Ireland. The parents were married in 1812, while living in Ross County. On coming to this county, Mr. Berry purchased eighty acres of land, but at his death owned a whole section. He died De- cember 29, 1855; his wife September 4, the same year. They had ten chil- dren, three now living. The mother of Curtis Berry, Sr., was a resident of Philadelphia, and an intimate acquaintance of Col. Crawford. In playful kindness, she tied his necktie for him the morning he departed on his fatal expedition against the Indians of Ohio.

George James moved to this township with his parents, John and Eliza- beth James, in 1822. He was born in Beaver County, Penn., March 9, 1807. His parents moved to Pike County in 1810, and from that point to this county. They entered eighty acres in this township, and reared ten children.

McD. M. Carey, son of Hon. John Carey, settled in this township with his parents in 1823-24, and has ever since been a resident. He was born in Franklin County, Ohio, in 1820, and is now one of the representative farmers of the township.

*His real name was William Todd.

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CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP.

Smith Kentfield was one of the early and prominent farmers of this township, having located here prior to 1825 He died in 1854. His son, David L. Kentfield, was born in this township March 9, 1825. He was a very prominent and successful farmer also, owning near 500 acres at the time of his death, which occurred April 2, 1884.

Hiram J. Starr, an extensive stock and grain dealer of this township, located here in 1830. He was born in Franklin County, Ohio, June 24, 1816. He began business by clerking in a store at Crawfordsville, and afterward engaged with William Buell, the first merchant of Carey, as an equal partner in the stock business. He was married in 1851 to Ellen G. Carey, widow of N. B. Carey, and daughter of William and Eliza (Kooken) Brown, previously mentioned in this chapter. Mrs. Starr was born October 12, 1824, the first white child born in this township .* Mr. Starr is still a resident of this township.

William Brayton, who came to this county in 1821, and located with his parents in Tymochtee Township, settled in Crawford in 1834. He is one of the most substantial of its farmers, having owned as high as 700 acres of land. He was born in Vermont, May 11, 1810, and was married to Mar- garet Carr May 5, 1839. They had eleven children. Mrs. Brayton died January 22, 1869. His father, Elijah Brayton, was one of the first millers in the county, beginning operations by erecting a saw and grist mill in Tymochtee Township in 1823. He and John Carey also owned and operated a saw mill and carding machine, which was located on Carey's land.

A LEAF FROM AN OLD SETTLER'S DIARY.

William Brown was one of the few first white settlers of Crawford Town- ship. He was born in Maryland September 12, 1796. His wife, Eliza Kooken, was born in Berks County, Penn., February 14, 1804, and they were married July 3, 1822. From an old diaryt begun by Mr. Brown in 1822, we obtain some interesting facts given in entries as follows:

" November, 1822, entered land near the Big Spring Reservation."

" July 20, 1823, left Columbus, Ohio, for my land, with the intention of building a cabin, digging a well, etc. On my arrival, my heart for the first time failed me. The day was dark and rainy. We had spent more than half of it driving from Tymochtee out, the road being nothing but, mire and water. The ground where we halted was clothed with a heavy growth of timber, so much so that we could scarcely see the sun at noon, and to add to our misfortune, we could not work without being stung by nettles, neither could we remain at ease for the hungry mosquitoes. These difficulties I could have borne with fortitude had I been there on a visit for a few days only, but when I reflected that they could be removed only by years of hard labor, I was ready to conclude that I had acted the idiot in purchasing the land, and the lunatic in attempting to settle it."

" The next day I set Orra Harris, the young man who came with me, to digging a well. I took Mr. Carey's horse to Squire Hodges, and he soon discovered that all was not right with me. He therefore immediately set about to aid me to obviate my difficulties by telling me a long flattering story, the purport of which was that he had not the least doubt that should I set in and continue with determined perseverance, my undertaking would be crowned with complete success, that I would not only make a good liv- ing, but that, in a few years, I would become independent.

*We have authority also for stating that a daughter was born in this township to Asa and Martha Lake in 1821.

+The diary referred to was kindly furnished us by Hiram J. Starr, son-in-law of. Mr. Brown.

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

"This story, although I knew it was much exaggerated, gave me con- siderable relief. I returned to our encampment about dusk and was greeted with the joyful news that Orra had got water! The next morning the clouds dispersed and the sun once more visited our lonesome woods.

"Squire Hodges' flattering advice, getting water so conveniently, and the appearance of fair weather, in a great measure dissipated my dreadful fore- bodings, and I began work quite cheerfully. We remained six weeks, built a cabin, laid the lower floor, put up the chimney to the mantel-piece, laid the back wall and hearth and returned home." *

" April 5, 1824, set out with my horses, wagon, plows, etc., for Squire Hodges' for the purpose of raising corn."

"July 1, returned home; July 15, returned again to my land to finish my cabin. September 1, home again."

" October 7, loaded up my goods and chattels and with my family 'set sail ' for my intended home. After a prosperous journey of four and one- half days we landed at our lonesome abode October 12, 1824."

"October 22, my wife had a fine daughter, which we named Ellen."

" May 22, 1825, planted fourteen acres of corn."

Here the entries of the old diary, now yellow with age, close, so far as they pertain to the settlement of the family in this township. The "fine daughter" which Mr. Brown refers to with so much paternal pride is now the wife of Hiram J. Starr, and, as stated above, was said to be the first white child born in this township. It will be observed that Mr. Carey and Squire Hodges were residents of this locality when Mr. Brown first settled here. It will also be seen that the first settlers in this now beautiful and prosperous region began with "dreadful forebodings" for the future. This was indeed "the forest primeval." The croaking of the frisky frog, the piping treble notes of the sanguinary mosquitoe, ever with an eye to business, the humming bee and the singing bird were all here in their primitive chorus; but they brought little cheer to the strug- gling settler with his limited fields of grain and his unlimited har- vest of fever and ague. Mr. Brown entered 160 acres of land. His un- ceasing toil at last brought him to the grave; he died in 1866, and ten years later his faithful companion joined him in the realm beyond.

Besides those already mentioned as early settlers of this township, we have also the names of many others who located here at various dates prior to 1845. Among them are the following: Jesse, William, Thomas and Benjamin Gale; Samuel, James and William Ritchey; Nathan Kimball; Ichabod, Myron and Rufus Merriman; Mr. Hamlin, Thomas Wallace, John Nixon, John Gormley, John James, William James, George James, Smith Kentfield. A. Knowlton, Andrew Crawford, Abraham Loy, William Hack- ney, Asa Brayton, Warwick, Thomas and John R. Miller, Sheldon Beebe, James Miller and sons, Christopher and John Baker, Curtis Berry, Sr., Joseph and William Hart, Harvey Chidson, Hamilton Karr, Sr. and Jr., Charles M. Karr, H. J. Starr; Gershom, Elijah, John and Josephus Dowman; Conrad Hare and sons, A. B. Ranger and sons, Asa Bixby and sons, Lemuel Guerney and sons, Kinsey Ogg and sons, William Hunter and sons, Reuben Savidge and sons, William McKinzie and sons, Jacob Kemmerly and sons, Benja- min Copley and Mr. Hamlin, James Burk and sons, Isaac Burk, Sr., Daniel Brown, Ezra Gilbert, Henry Davis, Adam Nye and sons, Thomas and Sam- uel Hart, D. Shane, Jesse Wilson and Robert Hedges.

The following is a list of persons born in the township and now over fifty years of age: Mrs. Ellen Starr; Mary, George, Daniel A. and Rebecca

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CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP.

James; Mrs. Sarah J. Karr, C. B. and Harvey L. Karr, D. L. Kentfield,* Mrs. C. C. Brown, John C. and P. B. Lewis, Mrs. C. R. Clark, Mrs. Ann Searls, Mrs. Mary Ranger, Isaac Burk, Jr., Mrs. Isadore Ogg, Mrs. Dorcas Dow, Mrs. Laura Eby, Samuel Ogg, Mrs. Sarah Hibbins, L. Merriman; John, Robert and Curtis Berry, Jr .; John and Curtis Baker.

In the twenty-five years that intervened between the time of the first set- tler's location and 1845, the increase of settlers was rapid. The names of those who were assessed for the payment of taxes in Crawford Township in that year were as follows:

OWNERS OF REAL ESTATE.

Allison, Jacob, Section 1, 40 acres.

Arnold, Anthony H., Sections 13 and 24, 422 acres.

Anderson, John S., Section 13, 200 acres.

Ambrozier, Jacob, Section 20, 160 acres.

Ayers, Isaac, Section 28, 40 acres. Ax, William, Section 22, 80 acres.

Brick, John, Section 22, 120 acres.

Bollin, William, Section 22, 80 acres.

Brellaman, John C., Section 31, 83 acres.

Best, Frederick, Section 9, 80 acres. Baker, Timothy, Sections 8 and 17, 258 acres.

Battenfield, Jacob, Sections 8 and 9, 122 acres. Brown, William, Sections 8, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 31, 762 acres. Brayton, William, Sections 10 and 11, 329 acres.

Beebe, Sheldon, Sections 15 and 22, 250 acres. Bechtel, Henry, Sections 19 and 20, 80 acres. Baker, Christopher, Section 11, 229 acres.

Berry, Curtis, Sections 11 and 14, 200 acres. Burson, Elijah. Section 31, 40 acres. Baker, John, Section 14, 40 acres, also owned a saw mill.

Banning, Anthony, Sections 24 and 25, 85 acres.

Bullis, Pheney, Section 23, 80 acres

Buell, William. Sections 22 and 35, 126 acres.

Bollinger, Aaron, Section 5, 40 acres. Baughman, George, Section 29, 80 acres.

Bixby, Asa, Sections 16 and 21, 160 acres, also owned a saw mill. Conaghan, James C., Section 24, 40 acres.

Copely, Benjamin, Section 12, 80 acres. Clark, William, Sections 1 and 2, 412 acres. Chambers, E. J. and S., Sections 5, 200 acres.

Chesebrough, William, Section 18, 111 acres.

Carr, Nicholas, Sections 9 and 15, 328 acres. Carey, John, 928 acres. also owned a saw mill and carding machine. Clark, John. Section 25, 140 acres. Crawford, Andrew's heirs, Sections 26 and 27, 120 acres.

Christy, Henry, Section 31, 40 acres. Christy, Andrew, Sections 20 and 21, 160 acres.

Darby, Ira A., Section 29, 40 acres. Denman, Gershom, Section 15, 30 acres. Denman, - -, Sections 19 and 21, 120 acres.

Denman, Elijah, Section 21, 80 acres.

*Died April 2, 1884.

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

Deibal, Frederick, Section 31, 42 acres. Davis, William, Section 26, 160 acres. Divinney, Henry, Sections 21 and 28, 80 acres. Detrich, Henry, Section 21, 80 acres. Divinney, Henry, Section 28, 80 acres. Erlick, Charles E., Section 18, 40 acres. England, Joseph, Section 20, 80 acres. England, Lewis, Section 29, 80 acres. Green, William E., Section 16, 1 acre. Gurney, Samuel, Section 16, 120 acres. Gormley, John, Sections 25 and 35, 169 acres. Greek, Jacob, Section 30, 73 acres. Gerger. Michael, Section 29, 40 acres. Hurse. Israel, Section 31, 40 acres. Hamilton. William, Section 33, 53 acres.

Hildebrand, John, Sections 3 and 10, 160 acres.

Huntley. Ezra E., Sections 10 and 21, 160 acres. House, William, Section 19, 74 acres. Huffman, Valentine, Section 28, 80 acres. Hart, Samuel, Section 20, 80 acres. Hart, Joseph, Sections 13, 11 and 14, 225 acres. Hart, Thomas, Section 29, 80 acres. Hunter, James, Section 30, 80 acres.

Houck, Peter, Section 14, 150 acres, also owned a saw mill.

Houck. Paul, Section 5, 28 acres. Hare. Conrad, Sections 9 and 10, 325 acres.

Hammond, James, Section 4, 151 acres. Huffman, Jacob, Section 11, 50 acres.

James, John, Section 11, 80 acres.

Kneasal, George F., Section 29, 160 acres.

Kimball, Nathan, Sections 3 and 4, 240 acres. Kurtz, Henry, Section 6, 58 acres. Kentfield, Smith, Sections 23 and 25, 230 acres.

Kerr, Charles M., Sections 25 and 36, 123 acres.

Kerr, Charles, Section 36, 23 acres.

Karr, Hamilton, Sections 25 and 36, 153 acres. Kear, Moses, Section 14, 40 acres. Kenan, Samuel, Sections 10 and 15, 56 acres.

Kass, Sanford F., Section 21, 80 acres.

Leland, Lewis, Section 28, 40 acres.

Lowry, Alexander, Section 29, 40 acres. Lane, Peter, Section 5, 108 acres. Ludwig, George, Section 9, 90 acres. Lowry, John, Section 20, 80 acres.

Lewis, John, Sections 24 and 25, 240 acres.

Mason D. and J. S. Hard, Section 25, 80 acres.

McKinzie, William, Section 1, 200 acres. Merriman, Miram, Section 24, 120 acres. Merriman, John, Sections 3 and 12, 160 acres. Myers, Samuel, Section 31, 40 acres.

McDowell, William, Sections 9, 10 and 35, 250 acres. McGowen, Hiram, Section 2, 63 acres. Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad, Section 16, 80 acres.

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CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP.

Miller, John, Sections 22 and 27. 160 acres. Miller, Thomas, Section 27, ¿ acre. Mckenzie, Roderick, Section 2, 70 acres. Nye, Adam, Sections 19 and 30, 699 acres. Nye, Samuel, Section 32, 145 acres. Nease, Jacob, Section 12, 80 acres. Neisbaum, Thomas, Section 14, 80 acres. Needham, Azariah, Section 12, 80 acres. Nogle, William, Section 31, 42 acres. Ogg, Kinsey, Sections 17 and 19, 200 acres. Pfund, Joseph, Sections 22 and 31, 103 acres. Pettinger, B. & J., Section 2, 80 acres. Pontius, Andrew, Section 3, 152 acres. Patterson, John, Section 5, 40 acres. Reid, Nehemiah, Section 28, 120 acres. Ragan, Thomas, Section 20, 40 acres. Ranger, Amos B., Sections 14, 21, 22 and 23, 400 acres.

Rickey, William, Sections 25 and 26, 376 acres. Rathbun, Samuel, Section 15, 80 acres. Sears, Sylvester, Section 1, 80 acres. Stahl, Jacob, Sections 7 and 8, 107 acres. Swartzlander, Henry, Sections 5 and 6, 80 acres.

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The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 88

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway Number of Pages: 1072

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072