Ashland County, Ohio - Chapter 13: Indian Trails, 1880

An examination of the maps and trails of the territory of Ohio throws much light on the expeditions of the Indians against the border settlements in Pennsylvania and Virginia. A knowledge of those trails enabled the early settlers to trace the flight of the Indians to their villages i on the Muskingum, and at Sandusky, after committing ; depredations upon the persons and property of the pioneers. It was along these tiails or paths that in subsequent years many of the first settlers in Ohio traveled to locate lands, and finally reached their new homes, in tiie absence of roads through the forests.

It is a subject of remark that the Indian trails, as well as those of the buffalo, have furnished the best location for canals and railroad-'., not only in Ohio, but west of the Mississippi, where those trails have been followed through the mountain gorges, and along the streams and rivers until the Pacific has been reached. Fremont and Carson, and in fact all the earlier emigrants to the Pacific slope, were well aware of the superior engineering qualities of the Indian and the buffalo, and did not hesitate to follow the paths marked out by them.

In former numbers we have alluded to certain expeditions, and paths of adventure through and across this county. It will, therefore, Do interesting to notice the early Indian traits amid the forests and along the streams flowing through this county, and this, because along these trails many of the pioneers reached their future homes'!

The first great trail was from fort DuQuesne to Sandusky. It commenced opposite the present site of Pittsburgh and ran a little north of .west to the mouth of Big Beaver, twenty-five miles; from thence to the junction of Sandy and Tuscarawas creeks at the south line of Stark countv, ninety-one miles; from thence to the cast line of Paint township in Wayne county, thence a little northwest through east Union township, along the south side of where Wooster now is, and crossed Killbuck three or four rods north of the bridge on the j Ashland road, and continued along south of Little Killbuck, crossing the Muddy fork of Mohican near the present site of Reedsburgh thence to Mohican Johnstown, where it crossed the Jerome fork of Mohican, fifty miles; * thence probably by the route of Rogers to Junandot or Wyandot Town, (Castalia) in the county, forty-six miles; thence to Fort Sandusky, on Sandusky bay, four miles; thence to Fremont on Sandusky river, twenty-four miles; - the entire distance from Fort Du-

We are inclined to the opinion that this was a much traveled trail for perhaps a century before the forests of Ohio had been penetrated and taken possession of by the European.

It is also quite certain that from Mohican Johnstown this trail branched off a little south of east passing through Plain township by the "Long Meadow," or perhaps a little south, by Mohican John's Lake in Clinton township, in Wayne county, thence across Killbuck some twelve miles south of Wooster, where Rogers crossed that stream, and where we feel quite certain that Colonel Crawford also crossed, and encamped a short distance north of what is now known as Ode Ls lake, then known as Mohican John's Lake, on his expedition to the Moravian settlement on Sandusky creek, in Crawford county.

From Mohican Johnstown there was also a trail, running southwest, to the Delaware village of Greentown, by or near the former site of Goudy's old mill, to the Quaker springs, in Vermillion township; thence, continuing southwest, over Honey creek, to the west part of Green township, to a point about three miles west of Perrys ville This trail was, subsequently, known as the i old Portage road, t anu was traveled by many of the ! pioneers to their new homes in Green township. The | trail continued thence, in the direction of the present j site of Lucas, to near Mansfield.

From Mohican Johnstown there was also another j trail, running up the east side of the Jerome fork, much traveled by the JlA>/iegatis, in their hunting excursions ; on the Black river; and, in the north part of this county,

I H. Larwill, non deceased, lie finds a nun, which was made at the land office at Cincinnati al a very early day for Mr. Larwills own use. and j is no dotibl positively accurate, as it was nude from the held notes of the surveyors of whom lie was one.

of Montgomery township, where it crossed, and passed near the residence of Moses Latta and Burkholder's mill, and thence up the creek, past the old Gierhart farm. Here resided a proud old Indian hunter, named Catotawa, after whom the stream was undoubtedly named. Some of the pioneers of Montgomery remember him well.

At, or near, the former residence of the late Mr. Samuel Burns there was another path, or trail, which ran past the residence of Mr. Newell, continuing up the creek, to the former residence of Daniel Carter, sr., a few hundred yards north of the bridge on the Harrisburgh road; thence, up the stream, to the'preseni residence of Mr. David Sloan; thence to Mr. Leo Wertman's; thence to near the old Cunningham residence; and from thence to the Vermillion lake, and down the Vermillion river, in the direction of the Huron, into Richland county. This trail does not seem to have been traveled as much as that of the Catotaway.

There was aLo a trail passing down the east side of the Black fork from some point above Mifflin, -to Greentown, where it met the trail from the direction of Lucas. From Greentown, as we are informed by colonel John Coulter, Mr. Alexander Rice and Mrs. Otho Simmons, who were among the earliest settlers in Green township, a trail passed down by the north side of the present site of Loudonville, nearly on the line of the Pittsburgh railroad, continuing down the valley through the lands of the Priests, in Holmes county, towards the Lake fork of the Mohican.*

Another trail kept down the south side of the Black fork from Greentown to the Walhonding proper, and then to the forks of the Muskingum; and probably was the path of the Moravians when they were enroute to their new home on Sandusky creek. These trails at the arrival of the early settlers were well marked, and were traveled by hunting parties from Upper Sandusky; and were evidently their great highways to the Muskingum, as well as TuMihas, Gnadenhutten, Shcenbiun, and Fort DuQue.sne, and the Indian village on Kulbuck, called Beaver.

Like the buffalo, the Indians always march single file; and their regular trails soon became so worn and distinct that they could easily be followed from point to point When Rodgers passed over this country in 1761, he found the Indians in possession of horses, cows and ho-rs and it is tolerably certain that the llyanJ:>ts and Mokc- &ans sometimes traveled with horses, and this circumstance also added to the distinctness of their trails. We are inclined to think that the elk and the buffalo had nearly disappeared from this region when Rodgers passed through to Pittsburgh, as they are rarely mentioned at that period.

* Another trail passed by the north aliort: of Odell's lake, thence a little northwest till it reached I'liest's prairie, tlntnee in a northwest direction north of the gap, passing near the residence of Warm" Wolf, thence across tlu north part M the lands of Hunter. Thomas MoOuirc, and near t ana > corners, thence north of (icorge Outlines, thence to Mr. Houghman's old farm, thence to and tip the Rocky fork It v, as by 1 ilia trail that Colonel O '- u ford inarched to .'sir dusky in 1 73.2.