USA > Ohio > Logan County > The historical review of Logan County, Ohio > Part 13
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The Indian village has long since dis- appeared and the Indians, under Tarhe and Blue Jacket and Black Hoof, found homes in the far West and the hunting grounds which once answered to the war-whoop of the savage are now crowned with the wealth which comes from abundant harvests, from the fields made fruitful and fertile by the white man's toils, and by the civilization and in- telligence which follows the white man's lead.
CHAPTER IN.
CONGRESS AND MILITARY HANDS-THE LUDLOW LINE- THE ROBERTS LINE-HELL'S TRACE-THE MIAMI CANAL. - THE JI.WISTOWN RESERVOIR -STAGE COACHES, OVERLAND-FREE TURNPIKES.
The lands in Logan county were either Congress of military lands, and the dividing line between these two qualities ran from the southern boundary in a northwesterly direction near the middle of the county, so that there was some- thing near an equal division of the two kinds : this division came about by reason of the claims of old Virginia upon the lands north of the Ohio, under the grant of James the First of England to Virginia in the year 1600.
After the Revolution among other concessions of the colonies, now formed into states, Virginia ceded to the United States all her claims to the lands north- west of the Ohio river, reserving, how- ever. all the lands lying north of the Ohio river. and being situated between the headwaters of the Scioto and the head- waters of the Little Miami rivers. the same to be guaranteed to her by the gen- eral government.
These lands so reserved. by the terms of this contract of ee-sion. Virginia. through its Legislature, apppropriated to the soldiers who had served with the Vir- ginia contingent during the revolution. and issued to these soldiers warrants for the entries of any of these lands not ap- propriated by other soldiers, in propor- tion to rank and length of service. and established a land office at Chillicothe for registration of the claims of entry of such lands upon the said warrants.
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
No particular form of location was having been built upon this line. it was required and hence many of these entries afterwards called the Ludlow road. followed the course of the streams. the edge of the hills or the whims and pecu- har notions of those entering them, and the Virginia lands of Logan county were for many years in a most confused and uncertain state as to title. location and entry, and caused no little contention and litigation: these are now all finally set- tled and the lands and their boundaries gre long since fixed and determined.
It is said that George Washington. after the peace with Great Britain. came west on horseback to the Ohio country and personally inspected these lands and returned to Virginia to urge such a dis- position of them by the Virginia House of Burgesses, and upon his urgent re- quest and recommendation they were so granted to the Virginia soldiers.
The Congress lands were those not included within the Virginia Military Res- ervation and were situated west of the west line of that reservation.
These Congress lands were by act of Congress divided into townships of six miles square and sold at public outery. to the highest bidder, or afterwards subject to entry at a fixed price per acre, and. when paid for, the purchasers received a deed signed by the President of the United States and the Secretary of State.
THE LUDLOW LINE.
To establish the boundaries of these military lands Colonel Israel Ludlow, a surveyor of Cincinnati, was employed to run a line from the headwaters of the Little Miami to the headwaters of the Scioto. This line was named after the surveyor, "the Ludlow line." and a road government, and this line from the Green-
The lands cast of this line were the lands reserved by Virginia and were called Virginia military lands, while the lands west of this line were Congress lands. The Virginia military lands were the first settled and all the Virginians coming at an early day were supplied with military land warrants, which they were at liberty to locate upon any of these lands not already entered by others upon like warrants.
The Congress lands were by act of Congress surveyed. platted and sold, either at public outery or by entry at the land office upon the payment of the price fixed by Congress for the same. These townships of six miles square were sub- divided into thirty six sections, each one mile square and containing 6,40 acres, and these again subdivided into quarter sec- tions, each quarter containing 160 aeres.
This division was not only distinct, but it was convenient for many purposes and prevented confusion and uncertainty.
THE ROBERTS LINE.
After Colonel Ludlow had run the line from the headwaters of the Little Miami to the headwaters of the Seioto. bearing north twenty degrees west, it was discovered that the headwaters of the Seioto were several miles west of the point to which Ludlow had run his line and that the Virginia Military Reservation was entitled to the lands lying west of the Ludlow line to the extreme point of the headwaters of the Scioto. To correct this error a new line was run by a sur- veyor named Roberts, employed by the
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
ville treaty line northward can be seen on the maps and is called "the Roberts line." It is about four miles west of the Ludlow line.
The lands north of the Greenville treaty line, being Indian reservations, were not then subject to entry as military lands until after the final treaties of the Indians and their transfer to the west, after which they were subject to and were selected as Virginia military lands.
The lands south of the Greenville treaty line and between the Ludlow line and the corrected Roberts line had al- ready been laid off into townships and sections and sold by the government, but being Virginia military lands, especially reserved in the cession by Virginia. they could not be so disposed of: some land speculators, knowing this fact, purchased a sufficient number of military land wir- rants and entered these lands as Virginia military lands, and were proceeding to oust the government purchasers: to cor- rect this error a compromise was effected with these late entries and Congress ap- . propriated one hundred thousand dollars and paid these speculators for the release of these lands, and thus quieted the titles of all the government purchasers.
HULL'S TRACE.
In June, 1812, war was declared be- tween the United States and Great Brit- ain: prior to this and in expectation of it, Congress had authorized the increase of the regular army to 35,000 men, and of this increase three regiments-the First, Second and Third Ohio-were authorized and raised by Governor Return J. Meigs of Ohio, in April and May of that year.
These three regiments rendezvoused
at Dayton, and there chose their officers. Duncan MeArthur was made colonel of the First. James Findlay of the Second and Lewis Cass of the Third.
About the first of June they removed to Urbana and went into camp at that place: they were joined by Boyd's Fourth Regiment of regulars, commanded by Colonel Miller: this regiment had been in the battle of Tippecanoe and came to Urbana covered with the glory of that victory: the entire population turned out to welcome them, and with banners. drums and flags gave them a most en- thusiastic greeting, the regiment passing under an arch of triumph erected in the public square of the village.
General William Hull. Governor of Michigan, had been authorized to raise this force and was designated by Con- gress to command it. .
General Hull's army, consisting of five regiments, numbering about 2.500 men, began a movement towards De- troit. leaving the Urbana camp near the middle of June.
Colonel Duncan Me.Arthur with his regiment was sent forward to open the road and cut the trace, and did so as far as the Scioto river, in Hardin county, where he built a fort which was afterwards known as Fort Mc Arthur.
The march was slow, as it was neces- sary to cut a road for the troops and teams on their way northward: this road was cut through the timber and has since been known as Hull's trace; it was some- thing near forty feet in width and the ax- men and scouts went forward to locate the foute and to cut away the timber, so that the army and its transportation could move towards the point of destination.
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HISTORIC.IL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
The trace from Urbana to West Lib- erty followed almost the course of the present public road to King's creek : after crossing it and passing about two miles further north they crossed the present road and marched to the west of it to Macachack, crossing that stream near the farin formerly owned by Captain Black.
Upon arriving upon the lands just south of West Liberty they went into camp at that place. Breaking camp, they marched almost directly north and a lit- tle west of the present road. crossing Mad river near the present mill, and following the road, now the main street of West liberty, they bore eastward along the west side of the Mad river valley to a point near the former residence of Charles Hilderbrand; thence turning to the west- ward. they followed the old . Indian trail through the cut westward to a point near the old MeBeth farm, ard thence north, crossing MeKees creek near the present 1: Broad bridge, and bearing west, passed through the lands lately owned by E. J. Short, and about one mile west of Belle- fontaine, and thence through the lands Bow owned by George Aikin. They moved from this to the farm of General McPher- son, where they went into camp and after testing for a day or two, moved on the trail leading to and through the present town of Cherokee, and northward to the Indian town of Solomonstown, where they went into camp on the lands now owned by David Wallace and A. C. McClure, and pear the twin springs: this for many years afterwards was known as Hull's encamp- ment.
From this point they moved north- ward near the present town of Richland. and thence northward to the Maumee and :
Detroit. For many years Hull's trace could be distinctly seen through the woods and standing timber, and the lands and farms through which his army passed.
On the march the army stopped long enough to erect three forts-Mc Arthur. about two miles west of the present city of Kenton : Fort Necessity and Fort Find- lay, on the site of the present city of Find- lay.
Hull's expedition was a disastrous failure, and General Hull was signally de- feated at Detroit and all Michigan fell into the hands of the British.
The military men connected with Gen- cral Hull in this unfortunate affair after- wards gained much reputation and dis- tinction in civil as well as in military life.
General Cass became the most promi- nent citizen of the State of Michigan. General McArthur Governor of Ohio, and General Findlay was known as an able and distinguished soldier of the republic.
In Hull's army William McCloud. aft- erwards a distinguished citizen and an associate judge of the courts of Logan county, was the chief hunter for the army, and was charged with the duties of sup- plying it with, game; he was a man of great force of character, of fine physique and a most noted marksman and hunter of that early day; he was the personal friend and associate of General Simon Kenton: he afterwards lived in Fort Mc. Arthur and the first court in Hardin county was held in the fort while McCloud occupied it.
GREENVILLE TREATY LINE.
On the third of August, 1795. General to the whites, and this line so established was known as the Greenville treaty line.
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
Anthony Wayne concluded a treaty of built along this line called the treaty line peace with Blue Jacket. Black Hoof. pike. Tarhe. Bokongehelas and Little Turtle. chiefs of the Shawonoes, Wyandots. Dela- wares and Miamis: this treaty was made at Greenville and was called after the town the Greenville treaty.
By the terms of this treaty a line of demarkation was to be drawn between the Indian reservation and the lands of the government to be opened for settlement The lands lying north of this line were then included within the Indian reserva- tion.
This line began at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river and thence up the same to the portage between that and the Tusca- rawus branch of the Muskingum: thence down that branch to the crossing place above Fort Laurens: thence westwardly to a fork of that branch of the Great Miami river, running into the Ohio at or near which point stood Loramie's store. and where commenced the portage be- tween the Miami of the Ohio and the St. Mary's river, which is a branch of the Miami which runs into Lake Erie for the Maumee): thence a westerly course to Fort Recovery, which stands on the branch of the Wabash; thence southerly in a direct line of the Ohio, so as to inter- sect that river opposite the mouth of the Kentucky or Cutawa river.
By this treaty the Wyandots surren- dered their lands in Logan county and re- moved to Upper Sandusky.
This line runs through Logan county, dividing the townships of Bokes Creek. Rush Creek. Washington and Bloom- field. and forming the north boundary line of Lake and Harrison townships. In Bokes Creek township there is a county pike
All the territory north of this line was included in the Indian reservations until the later treaties of 1817. when specific bodies of lands were set off to the In- dians, by reservations, for a special occu- pancy and these were again surrendered by the treaty of 1831, when the tribes were given lands and reservations in the West and were removed to a point at that time far beyond the frontier.
THE MIAMI CANAL.
The Ohio and Erie canal, which was constructed for the purpose of joining Lake Erie and the Ohio river. is the largest canal in the State and is generally called the Miami canal, because it follows the course of the Miami river.
Governor De Witt Clinton, of New York, had been largely instrumental in building the great Erie canal in New York, and its fame had gone throughout the whole country.
Governor Clinton had been one of the first to advocate the joining of the lakes and the Ohio river by a canal, and the Governor of Ohio had in his message rec- ommended to the Legislature the con- struction of the canal from Lake Erie to the Ohio river, and the Legislature of Ohio, in 1821. passed a resolution author- izing the appointment of a committee to take the matter into consideration and re- port thereon: this committee reported favor- ably and included a system of canals.
On the Fourth of July, 1825. the first work upon the first canal was commenced at Newark; Governor Clinton and a great gathering of people were present to see the first shovelful thrown out.
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
The Miami canal, commenced in the as early as 1825 by a line of stage same year, was not completed from Cin- coaches from Lake Erie to the Ohio river: the line through Logan county ran from Sandusky to Cincinnati, and made trips with fair and commendable regu- larity. cinnati to Dayton until 1825: it followed the course of the Miami river to Piqua. St. Mary's and Delphos, and thence fol- lowing the course of the Miami of the Lakes (the Maumee) to Toledo: it was not completed until 1832 and became a great thoroughfare for trade and traffic through these sections of the country, and indirectly influenced the transportation of adjoining counties.
It did not pass through Logan county, but it levied tribute upon the waters of the Great Miami river for the purpose of securing an abundant supply of water within its banks.
THE LEWISTON RESERVOIR.
For the purpose of supplying the Mi- ami canal with water the Ohio Legisla- ture in 1851, by law, provided for the con- struction of a reservoir for the accumu- lation of water at the headwaters of the Miami in Logan county, and the Lewis- town reservoir, begun in that year. was not finished until 1856.
It contains 6.134 acres of land. and its total cost of construction was $341.126.33. Its purpose is to catch and hold the waters until they shall be required in the dry sea- son for keeping the canal sufficiently sup- plied with water for the transaction of business throughout the year.
The days of canals have passed, and the more progressive use of steam and electricity have distanced the slow motors of the canals and the stage. coach.
STAGE-COACHIES.
Before the advent of the railroads a system of transportation was inaugurated
When a boy I can distinctly remem- ber these coaches with their four horses coming into the village and creating as much excitement and gathering more of a crowd of on-lookers than a dozen auto- mobiles would do to-day. They were nearly always loaded, and it was fre- quently necessary to engage passage sev- eral days ahead if you desired to start upon a trip at any fixed time. The drivers of these lines of transportation became locally famous for their dexterity in han- dling four-in-hands, and the Vanderbilts and Astors never sat upon their magnifi- cent equipages with a greater sense of pride and satisfaction than did these first public servants of the people in the palmy days of the stage coach and four.
The accommodations demanded by the traveling public required the building of numerous taverns along these stage routes. and these hostelries became famous alike for their cheer and comfort. The means of communication to the eastern cities was in like manner conducted by the stage-coach line, and merchants and others going east for goods and business were compelled to go by stage or private conveyance.
These eastern lines followed the national road, and in order to secure passage on these through lines it was necessary to take the local coaches to some point where the national road passed to the east or west. Springfield and Columbus were the points for which the people from Logan county aimed for their eastern connections by the
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
stage coach routes over the national road. with the advanced guard which had settled With the coming of the railroads the in the northwest territory, and a steady stream of immigration came pouring over the mountains and into the plains and val- leys of the eldorado of the pioneer. stage coach, like the Indian, was compelled to retreat before advancing civilization and to give away before the power of steam and the marvelous development of a single half century of progress.
OVER AND.
In early days the merchants or others bound eastward for goods or business fre- quently, by pre-arranged agreement, met at convenient and central points, and traveled east on horseback together: sometimes these cavalcades mustered a score : they were important as a means of mutual protection. for. in those days, there being neither ex- change nor express it was necessary for the merchant to carry his money with him, and thus by reason of numbers they were always safe-guarded.
Along the national road there were at convenient intervals exceptionally fine tav- erns for the accommodation of the traveling public, and there was always a large and profitable patronage from those going and coming over the national highway. This great Conestoga route was constructed by the government, and was originally intend- ed to extend as far westward as St. Louis, but it was only completed to Terre Haute, in Indiana; it was the means of opening up and populating the great Northwest, and "became the connecting link between the east and the west.
It is doubtful if any other public work ever did so much for the development of the country as this great highway: over it from the cast came the families of the pioneers, seeking homes in the west: and New England, Virginia, Pennsylvania and other states found means of communication
It was over this great highway that Henry Clay, the great commoner, passed. year after year, from the blue grass lands of Kentucky to the National capital; and it was over this great highway that the com- merce of the east came in exchange for the cruder trade and barter of the frontier ; it served its purpose, and its day and generation, but it has at the same time clear- ly demonstrated the fact that great high- ways are as necessary today as they were when the Appian Way led the people of the Roman Empire from Porto Capena to Brundusium.
FREE TURNPIKES.
Logan county is blessed with as fine ines of highways as can be found anywhere in the west.
In the early times the roads were cut through the timber and little effort was made for their improvements; in the sum- mer they were not only passable, but were in most instances in a fair condition for traveling, excepting in the very dry season when the dust became almost unindurable ; in winter and early fall and spring. they were simply horrible: so far as travel was concerned navigation closed early in the fall and opened late in the spring.
I have in my time known the road from Bellefontaine to West Liberty to be one great gulf of mud and siush, and it would require a half day's time to go a few miles at best: the roads in the other directions were no better, and the more especially when it came to the black lands lying north, west,
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
and cast ; through these floundering marshes the trade of the country must be carried, if carried at all.
One means of repair and construction was by building corduroy --- that is, by laying small logs or rails across the low and swampy places in the public roads; if one needed exercise for digestion a single ride over a few miles of corduroy would have been sufficient to have corrected the stagnant livers of a whole household : when the spring rains came these logs and floating rails, upon the top of the super- abundant water supply, made these roads al- most impassable.
The streets of Bellefontaine and the stir- rounding towns were simply ses of mud during the beginning of winter, and the opening of spring; nearly everybody rode on horseback, and wheeled conveyances were almost unknown.
The doctors, visiting patients in differ- ent sections of the county, carried their in- struments and remedies in saddle bags. thrown over the horse .. and indeed saddle bags were almost a necessity for the traveler.
Leggings, made of good, strong mate- rial, were worn by almost every person trav- elng, and long skirts of nankeen were worn ly the women.
The public roads were improved by a tax per capita, laid upon all persons between the ages of twenty-one and forty-five, requir- ing three day's work, or the equivalent in cash to be paid the supervisor of roads.
It was not until 1867, that Bellefontaine took the lead in the movement looking to the improvement of the public roads com- ing to the county seat, and the council of Bellefontaine by ordinance directed the is- suance of fifty thousand dollars in bonds, the proceeds to be distributed to all roads
coming into the corporation in proportion to the mileage and cost of cach.
The legislature had by law provided for a two-mile assessment upon the adjoining lands on either side of the highway, after the majority of the land owners lying with- in the said two miles, should petition the county commissioners asking for said im- provement.
The movement thus began, spread to all parts of the county and today Logan county has as fine a system of public roads as can be found anywhere in the west.
Within the limits of the county, there and now four hundred and fifty-three and ninety-four hundredths (453.94) miles of free turnpike, which cost the land own- ers of the county one million one hundred nineteen thousand six hundred seventy- four dollars and ninety-eight cents ($1,- 119.674.98).
You can go into every section of the county, summer or winter, and drive over thoroughfares almost as fine as the Appian Way.
CHAPTER X.
RAILROADS-MAD RIVER & LAKE ERIE RAILROAD-EARLY RAILROAD BUILDING-THE ROUND PRAIRIE-THE DELIEFONTAINE & DELAWARE R. R .- THE T. & O. C. R. R .- THE OHIO SOUTHERN R. R .- THE UNDER- GROUND R. R .- ELECTRIC R. R .- OLD AND NEW RAIL- ROADS COMPARLD.
Railroad building began in the United States as early as 1820: the first roads were short sections intended for use in quar- ries or for connection between points near
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HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LOGAN COUNTY.
and not requiring steam power, and horses gree of advancement. what a marvelous sys- were used in hauling the cars from point to point. tem will be in operation at the end of the present century.
Not until 1837 was there an attempt to use steanı.
Authorities differ as to the roads first constructed: some claiming that the Bal- timore and Ohio was the first railway to use steam, and others that the Camden and Am- boy, of New Jersey, was the first.
There is an engine in the museum at Washington which it is claimed was the first used on the Camden and Amboy, and . the first in the United States: it was an ex- ceedingly crude affair and diminutive speci- men of machinery when compared with the great steam giants of today.
The growth in railroad building has been marvelous, and the capital invested has amounted to almost incalculable millions ; there are in operation today in the United States in round numbers about one hun- dred and seventy thousand miles of rail- way, with a total investment of capital for construction and equipment of more than eleven thousand millions of dollars.
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