Montgomery County, Ohio - Chapter 6, 1882

Chapter 6

First Settlements - Emigrant Settlers - In the Clearings - Cabins an Cabin Life - The Squatter Settlements - Tomahawk Eights - Discout aged Squatters - Order of Township Settlements - Farming - Food- Cabin Affairs - Stock - Sugar Camps - Mills - Log Eollings - Wedding!

THE settlements then on the Miami, at the mouth of Mad Eiver and below an those up the Mad Eiver Valley, on lands that are now in Montgomen Greene and Clark Counties, were made late in the winter of 1795-96, an early in the spring following. The men who had, fortunately, been connects with the surveying parties the summer before, had the choice of lands - nota bly, D. C. Cooper. Capt. John Dunlap, Benjamin Van Cleve, Jonathan Mercei David Lowry, Jonathan Donnel and William Gahagan. These choice tracts o lands were secured by the surveyors for themselves, or for some member of th party, by establishing lines and corners of the desired tracts, then incorporatin the field notes of such special surveys, with the notes of the general survey, tliij giving correct description of the chosen tract, for proper entry at the Goveri ment Land Office.

The Emigrant Settlers

Later in the year, yet closely crowding in the wake of the pioneer colon} came the steady stream of emigrant settlers as re- enforcements to the little ban of brave sprits who first ventured into the task of clearing the dense woods c the hills and valleys of the Miami. Some located in the bottom lands aroun Hole's Creek, others below, at Hole's Station; several selected their lands a sno: distance up Mad Eiver, near the Hamer tract, and two or three families vent ured up the Miami just above Dayton. Eoving bands of Indians forced thei all to keep within rallying distance of the larger settlement, at the mouth t Mad Eiver.

Temporary protection was first to be provided. The men were all exper: enced woodsmen. Surrounded by the dangers of frontier life, they could rel upon their own skill, experience and resources, for safety and a maintenance 1 their new forest homes; with poles, against a bank or log, they built half-facecj or three-sided huts, open in front to face the fire, and roofed with bark or skim as shelter for the families, while the men were clearing away for the cabin sites Their situation was not specially uncomfortable; and, although wearied wit the anxieties and dangers of border warfare, and their means of subsistance ei hausted by the delay at Cincinnati ; they hoped now to be able to settle dowj and provide for their families.

In The Clearings

The men were on guard night and day. By night and by day, at the cabin or in the clearings, the trusty rifle was ready for instant use. When the cabi site was selected, all timber within rifle range was cut down, to deprive prow ing Indians of shelter and temptation for a shot at the settler or his famib While the men were thus at work, felling the timber, the women, too, were buej with axes, grubbing out thickets and digging holes, here and there, wherevij possible between the roots and stumps, to plant corn and potatoes. The me were in the clearings before day, and, by the light of the blazing brush-fire

-irked until late at night. The ax was the important implement; with it the ckwoodsmen built the cabins, cleared the land, grubbed out the roots and ; imps, cut the wood, blazed and opened the roads, marked his corners, split e rails and built bridges.

Cabins And Cabin Life

After the huts were made as comfortable as possible, logs were gotten out ;r the cabins, that were generally put up one and a half stories high. When i is much had been accomplished, neighbors would join in hauling logs, poles, ncheons and clapboards, on bobs and drags, to the cabin sites, and in " raisg." Puncheons were split for the floors; doors were cut out of the logs on e side of the cabins, and clapboard doors were hung upon wooden hinges, Atenedwith a wmoden latch. " The latchstring always hung out. " The roof -is of clapboards, held down by weight-poles. The chimney was built of i cks and mud. The upper floor was laid with loose clapboards, and a short Ider was used to go up and down. Wooden pins were used to fasten thenbers - nails or spikes were not to be had. The beds were constructed by i iving two stakes between the floor puncheons, poles were placed in the forks : d one end between the cracks of the logs; across these poles clapboards were ' id for the bottom of the bed. and dried grass and pelts spread oxer it. Tables lire made of a split slab, with four legs set in auger-holes; three-legged 1 >ols and benches were made in the same manner; pins were driven in the ills, on which clapboards rested for shelves or mantels. Clothing was hung pegs around the cabin, and the rifle, powder-horn and shot pouch hung >on buck-horns over the chimney-piece. This, the primitive log cabin, :omy and comfortable, the home of the pioneers of the Miami Yalley- - the st buildings erected by the whites anywhere in this region. Windows were ft needed until winter. As the cabins were not chinked and daubed, plenty light came in betwTeen the logs and by the open door. Feed for the horses d cattle was scarce, but they could find good pickings in the grassy patches :.d the young sprouts in the thickets. The settlers had no great variety of ovisions, and were often reduced to a single dish of broiled venison or wild ;rkey. This, however, arose, not from the scarcity of game, but from the fact, at they could not spare the time to go into the woods hunting until the supy of meat was fully exhausted. Their determination to establish themselves their new homes never wavered, and they, in good heart, met and conquered ery hardship. Corn, turnips, potatoes and tobacco were harvested the first ason ; nuts were gathered for winter use : wild grass and fodder was stacked r the stock; so that the little settlement was well supplied with the necessar- 3 and some luxuries for the first winter in the woods around the mouth of ad River.

Y illiam Hamer and his family, and William Gahagan, built a comforta- »e cabin on the hill at the Hamer tract, and jointly cultivated a small patch corn and garden truck. In the fall, the cabins were chinked and daubed, d made snug for the winter. Windows were made by cutting out about ree feet of one of the logs and putting in a few upright pieces, pasting on em (instead of glass) pieces of paper greased with bear's oil, which afforded me light and kept out the rain. The wooden fire-place and chimney were otected from fire by a liberal lining of clay mud.

The cabins were scantily supplied with table-ware and cooking utensils, dps of any kind were a great rarity: pewter and wooden plates and bowls pre used; spoons were made of horn: if knives and forks were scarce, wooden tes were made. A covered skillet or spider, a pot or kettle, comprised the jtchen-ware. These were kept scrupulously clean, and usually hung about the antel.

The pioneers were thus kept busy, clearing and building, through the summer of 1796. The little tract of land cultivated yielded an abundant sup ply for the following winter. The woods were full of game, such as bear, deer wild turkey, pheasants, rabbits, raccoons, opossum and squirrels. Wolves, wild cats, foxes and rattlesnakes were also uncomfortably numerous. The riven were full of hsh, and in season wild ducks and geese were plenty. Each mai and boy was the owner of a flint-lock rifle or army musket, and, from practice all were good marksmen.

Corn was first pounded in a hominy-block, then shaken through a sieve taking the finer portion for meal to make bread, hoe-cake and mush, and usin: the coarser for hominy. Walnuts gathered by the boys were the only luxuriei enjoyed - except the cob pipe. Having no candles, the only light thev ha< was from the huge log fires that so comfortably warmed the cabins. In thi long winter evenings, additional light was had by throwing on the fires sea soned fagots and the bark of shelly hickory.

The women attended to all household affairs, milked the cows, cooked spun, wove, made all the clothing, tended the garden and cared for the winte: truck. Fur skins were used for moccasins, clothing and harness; bear-skim and other pelts were used on the floor and beds. The men hunted and brougk in the meat, planted, plowed and gathered the crops, cleared the land am cared for the stock. Coon-skin caps were generally worn. The hunting- shir was made of linsey or deer-skins; it was long, covering the hips. Legging; were worn over the breeches, wrapped with thongs tied to the moccasins ti keep out mud and water.

The weather of that first winter in these backwoods proved favorable fo out-door work; all were busy clearing more ground for the next spring's plant ing, the women working with their husbands in the clearings, rolling logs ami burning brush, thus providing for the support of their families by extending the tract of ground for cultivation. In addition to the little patch cleared fo garden truck, it was necessary also to prepare a piece of ground for flax and hern}, for. while the men and boys could be clothed with garments made of buck-skin, i was not so with the women. They had to spin and weave cloth for their owl clothing.

The Squatter Settlements

In 1797, large numbers of settlers came in, who, like those of the yea before, fully intended to locate permanently upon the lands selected, and ha no idea of difficulty in securing good titles; nevertheless, as the situation de veloped, they were all squatters, with no other than squatters' rights, either i the town lots or farming lands. The whole of this county up to the openin| of the land offices, in 1801, was simply a large squatter settlement.

Men would come alone, with nothing but the rifle and hatchet to providj! themselves with food from the forests; two or three would sometimes journe together; others brought their families, and sometimes strong colonies of se\ eral families would come to the frontier to locate together. Such parties, largi and small, were often months on the way, some bringing provisions andplunde on pack-horses or in wagons, while others had no more than the men and woine conveniently packed on their backs. Other parties would load their few houstj hold goods in a dug-out, and pole up the river to Hole's Station, or Daytoi or higher up the rivers to a near point from which to pack their stuff tkrougj the woods to their lands.

Tomahawk Rights

Before the surveys, the title fully respected by the settlers of the count;) was known as the ''tomahawk right." It was made by deadening a few treej near a spring, or at some other prominent point on the tract; and by blazing tret) at the corners, or along the lines. A " settlement right " was even stronger, as the pioneer was on hand to defend his property. Either of these rights, however, were recognized as establishing a priority of claim, and were often bought and sold, as it was better to buy the improvements, rather than quarrel with parties who held them.

Except at the few open spaces of prairie and wet lands, the county was densely wooded; cabins were to be built, the forests cut down and cleared up, panthers, bears and wolves were to be exterminated. The brave pioneers, instead of looking at the immensity of their tasks, went to work to clear the land, little by little, and to till what they could the first year. Good crops of corn, tobacco, hemp, flax, beans, turnips, pumpkins, cabbage and potatoes, were harvested in 1797; wild grass and fodder were stacked for winter feed; and since that crop, the surplus product of the valley has increased steadily from year to year.

So many came without horses or oxen that neighborhoods would join in clearing; and log-rollings were kept up for half the winter; when it came time to burn, the men would fire the heaps, and the women tend the fires, working late at night in favorable weather. For the winter, the children gathered walnuts, hickorynuts, hazelnuts, butternuts, chincopins, haws and wild grapes; honey was found in great plenty in hollow trees, and often in the ground, under the roots of dead trees.

Squatters Discouraged

The fine settlements on Twin Creek; over in the broad bottoms of the Miami, at Hole's Station, and at the mouth of Hole's Creek; in the rich lands up Wolf Creek, Mad River, Miami and Stillwater Valleys, were greatly disturbed at Government delay. Settlers could not afford to waste time in improving land to which they could get no title. Many who had built cabins and cleared land, in 1797, 1798, 1799 and 1800, became discouraged, and sold out, or abandoned their claims, and pushed farther into the wilderness. So that others who came in, from 1801 to 1804, found corn patches already cleared and cabins, that could be bought cheaply, or had for nothing. Former occupants had gone up to the headwaters of the Miami, or Mad River, or had returned to the settlements nearer Cincinnati.

Without reference to date or order of organization of the townships, we give the list of the townships of the county in the order of their permanent settlement. The first settlement was made in the town of Dayton, then Mad River Township, Van Buren, Miami, Washington, German, Jackson, Jefferson, Harrison, Madison, Wayne, Randolph, Butler, Clay, Perry. Shortly after the arrival of the first settlers, at the mouth of Mad River, a few followed William Hamer to his settlement, farther up, while others settled in the bottoms below Thomas Davis, in what is nowVan Buren Township. Then -Jerome Holt, with his family, were among the next arrivals; then D. C. Cooper, Robert Edgar, Gen. Jacob Brown, Thomas Arnett, George Adams and Paul D. Butler.

In 1797, others followed, locating along Hole's Creek, in Washington Township, and at the mouth of the creek; then below, where, shortly afterward, the block-house and stockade, known as Hole's Station, were built by William Hole. For a time, that station was a point from which squatter adventurers would prospect for location, up Hole's Creek, across the river and up Bear Creek, and in the Twin Creek Valleys. Choice spots, little prairies, the rich loamy lands of Washington, Miami, German, Jefferson and Jackson Townships were thus appropriated. The squatter people erected their cabins, cleared little patches of land, and tilled the soil; and thus had occupied almost the entire half of the county when the land offices were opened. There were Indian camps at different points west of the Miami, and small bands of savage hunters were constantly roving through the woods, but the squatters were made comparatively safe by the outposts of Dayton, Greenville, Piqua and Urban a. The township historians will show that, after the survey of the lands, and the opportunity for purchase was given, that most of the squatters had abandoned their claims, or soon sold out and left.

William Mason, the first squatter in Harrison Township, went up Wolf Creek and built his cabin, on Section 30, as early as the year 1800 - cleared a | little patch along the creek, and lived there in seclusion for several years. John Jj Miller and family, in the spring of 1799, settled a short distance up Wolf Creek, where they lived for several years; then entered land north of Dayton.

William King came from Kentucky, with his family, about 1801, cut a S road two miles through the woods to his cabin site west of Dayton. John Neff | entered a very large tract of land in the bend on the west bank of the Miami, in the northeast corner of Harrison Township. That part of the river is now known as Peach Tree Bend.

The first squatter in Madison Township was John Williams, the farmer, | who, in 1799, lived, with his family, in the cabins at the southeast corner of Water and Wilkinson streets, in Dayton. In 1800, he moved, with his family and stock on to lands up Wolf Creek, at the mouth of Salem Creek - lands j! that he afterward entered and farmed. He became one of the- most prominent and influential men of the county. David Ward and family settled on the rich lands at the mouth of Salem Creek, in the year 1800, and the next year entered the lands. Peter Dietrick, with his family, in 1802, and Samuel Isaac and John Cilery, with their families, settled in the township in 1803.

Most of the more thrifty of the first settlers of Mad River and Dayton, and a few up at Honey Creek and Staunton, held "tomahawk rights " to choice spots of Wayne Township lands, but sold out to actual settlers as they came in. The Indian trail to the north afterward became the pioneer road to Livingston and Staunton; it was the route used by Hull's army, in 1812, then by Gov. Meigs and Gen. Harrison; afterward became the State road, and now known as the Old Troy pike; was the line of first settlement in Wayne Township. Benjamin Van Cleve lived, for a short time, on his farm on that road, and, in 1801, the Rev. Joseph Tatman, one of the early itinerant preachers of the Methodist Church, came to the township.

In 1798, several prospectors, who afterward became pioneers of Randolph jj Township, came, horseback, across the. country, from their homes in Randolph jl County, N. C., in search of new lands, and to this end explored the Stillwater j Valley as far as the falls, selecting lands, which they entered in 1801, and, with jj their families, settled upon in 1802. These first settlers in Randolph Township were David Mast, wife and son; Daniel Hoover and family, and his nephew, Daniel Hoover, with his family, and David Hoover and family. They cut the j road through the woods to their lands, on the banks of Stillwater, in the north- jj east corner of the township.

The bottoms along Stillwater were the choice lands of Butler Township, j! and therefore were the first taken up by settlers. When the land office, at jl Cincinnati was opened, in 1801, most of the rich lowlands along the river, had been " blazed" for entry; and j the southwest corner of the township soon be- Jj came a bustling little settlement. A few years later, flat-boats were regularly jj loaded there for the Ohio River and Mississippi markets. Henry Yount, Thomas Newman, George Sinks and John Quillan were the first settlers to improve their lands.

Clay was not one of the earlier settled townships; certainly there were no squatters in that part of the county, and the cold clay lands were not in denand until in 1803. In 1804, John Rohrer, with his family, settled a little lortheast of the center of the township. Then came John Spitler, and in 1805 lie township began to till up.

If there were any settlers in Perry Township prior to 1805, they became lissatistied and sought elsewhere for richer, better- drained lands. But in 1806, ts the more desirable locations on Twin Creek, to the west, and on Stillwater, ,o the east, were taken up, then settlers began to locate on the flat, beach lands if Perry Township.

In 1799, the whole valley, as far north as the Indian Line, was dotted with iiabins, and at Loramie's Station there was quite a busy little trading-post. The progress of the settlement of Miami Yalley was never checked; settlements increased steadily in numbers, and gradually spread over the hilly lands, yet here was always an uneasiness about the Indians, that caused precaution against outbreaks. Stockades were built, in 1799, in different parts of this bounty, and many times the people were assembled for mutual protection. In 1806, and in 1810, there was great alarm; then, during the exciting war times - 1811 to 1814 - special guard was necessary.

Farming

The yield of crops in the bottom lands soon developed the good judgment shown in their selection, although at first they were very wet. The implements used in farming were few and simple. Plows were made of jack-oak sticks, shaped and sharpened somewhat like a shovel-plow, and the first improvement was a curved branch of a tree pointed with a piece of iron. Axes were often used to cut out the sod, and between roots and stumps, to make holes in which to drop the grain, or to plant potatoes; planting was all done by hand, the big weeds were pulled out by hand or clubbed down. Seed was covered by dragging a tree- top behind a pair of bullocks. Sickles were first used, then the handles were lengthened, then the blades, then fingers were added, and that made the cradle that was used until modern machinery came in. In handling hay and other crops, wooden forks, made from forked brush- wood, were used; there were no barns for storing unthrashed grain, and the newly-cut crops were therefore stacked. Grain was thrashed with, flails, or tramped out with horses; com was gathered and shelled by hand; potato-digging was accomplished with pointed sticks or paddles.

Food

The truck-patch supplied vegetables in plenty for the table. Mush, cornpone and hominy were, for the first few years, the only bread used in the cabins. Mush and milk was a standard dish, Milk was a great item in the support of the families; and one of the first things a settler did was to buy, trade or work, to own a cow; where there was a herd, one cow would wear a bell which could be heard a great distance through the woods. One of the first duties in the morning, was to listen for the bell, the tone of which was as familiar as the voice of any of the family. When, for want of pasture, the milk supply was short, hominy and mush were cooked in sweetened water, bear's oil, or the grease from fried meat. Eggs were in fair supply from the nests of wild turkeys, geese and ducks; and the tables could be provided with venison and bear meat. The desirable locations for the cabins were near springs, branches and never-failing streams; wells were hot dug until the farms were fairly started, then the old familiar well-sweep was to be found in some shady spot near the improvement.

Cabin Affairs

All were on a social equality; rich and poor dressed alike - the men wear iug hunting-shirt, buckskin pants, moccasins and fur caps; and the women dressed in coarse garments, made with their own hands. Almost every house contained a loom, and almost every woman was a weaver. Almost every family tanned their own leather. The tan- vat was a large trough, sunk in the ground; bark was easily obtained and pounded up. The leather was coarse but durable. Bosy-oheeked lassies, in linsey-woolsey dresses, were wooed and wedded by the I hardy pioneers clad in these buckskin garments.

There were no roads through the woods, but the trees were blazed to show jj the route to the cabins; soon bridle-paths were worn that were finally cut out for roads. In this way, the roads to Springfield, Xenia, Waynesville, Germantown, Eaton and Greenville were located. Without calenders, time was reckoned accurately enough for all pioneer purposes; years were remembered by events that had occurred, such as floods, tires, continued snow or rain, hot spells, weddings, sickness and deaths. The seasons were reckoned by the routine of farm life - corn-planting, corn-plowing, harvest, corn-husking, seeding-time and frost. Time of day was designated by the hours, from sunup, midday, and the hours until sundown. Signs and traditions had very great influence over the people.

Stock

Horses and cattle were brought to the county by many of the pioneer parties that came; but both cattle and horses were small, and were not much im-|! proved until after 1820. In February, of 1799, there were continued deep snows and very cold weather, causing great suffering among the live stock through the valley, as there were no barns and but little other protection for them.

I). C. Cooper raised the first hogs in the county, in 1799, on his farm, in Van Buren Township, a mile south of Dayton. They were the old-time, longlegged, slab-sided, ugly, savage "elm-peelers." It was said, if an "elm-peeler " heard, a hundred yards away, an acorn rattling, as it dropped through the leaves, he could run and catch it on the first bounce every time. They increased; wonderfully in numbers, were marked by iheir owners and turned loose to feed1 and fatten; then, in the fall, when butchering time came, the settlers would!' hunt them up in the forest and shoot them with the rifle. The mast of 180b and 1802 brought in wild turkeys in such numbers that they became a nuisance to the settlement, as well as destructive to the growing corn, and to save the crop it was gathered early. The hogs fattened on the great crops of acorns and| beachnuts, and did not suffer much from the attacks of wolves, as they cad learned as a matter of defense to go in droves, and when threatened, would form a circle around the young pigs, and when a wolf approached too near, they became aggressive, and would tear him to pieces with their tusks. Sheep were; brought to the colony in the spring of the year 1800, but for many years after ward, wolves were a great drawback to sheep raising. It was not safe, at any[ time, to allow them to graze on the hills without the most careful watching, and it was necessary to keep them in strong pens at night. Wool was carded by hand, spun in the cabins, dyed, woven and made into clothing by the women. | In later years, horses and cattle were branded; hogs and sheep were marked by slitting, cropping, or cutting the ears, so that each farmer could tell his own stock, and each peculiar mark was registered with the Township Clerk.

Sugar-Making

The spring of 1797 was favorable for sugar-making, and each year, as the number of settlers increased, greater quantities of "tree-sugar" were made. Al- though kettles were scarce, camps were rigged up, and the boiling continued as loner as the sap would run. Troughs were made of bark sewed together at the ends with elm-bark strings; a stick across the center held the bulge. Split strips or elder quills were driven into a split m the tree to run the sap into the troughs.

The old camp, with its primitive appliances, is no more; the kettle has been superseded by the pan, and the trough has become a mass of crumblingdecay. The women and children are kept at home, and no longer know the oldtime delights of " sugaring- off," though in the past their services were not despised, and the whole household set up its abode in the woods. In that way sugar was made, and when the sap flowed profusely the operations were continued through the night, and the fires cast strange shadows in the woods. But, instead of a hut of logs, a permanent sugar-house is now built, and furnished with many elaborate devices to prevent waste and deterioration. One change has certainly not been for the better, and that is the abandonment of the social life of the old camps, which made sugar-time a grand frolic.

Every expedient was resorted to to get corn cracked into meal. The "hominyblock" was unsatisfactory, and grating by hand was worse. The stump-mortar was made by burning a round hole in the top of a stump; a spring pole was rigged over it, with a stone pestle attached. Hominy was first made by hulling born, soaking the grains in weak lye, then cracking in the "hominy-block," or in the improved "stump-mortar." The hand-mill, although hard, slow work, was a welcome improvement, and soon one stood in the chimney-corner of every cabin. The stones were about four inches thick, and were broken down as nearly round as possible to about twenty inches in diameter. On top of the upper stone, near the edge, one end of a pole was fixed, the other end working in a socket in a piece of timber on the floor overhead. One person turned the stone by hand, while another fed the corn into the eye. It took two hours to grind enough meal to supply one person for a day, the operators often changing places in the work. Before the cabins were all supplied with these hand-mills, neighbors sometimes shouldered a peck or half bushel of corn, and carried it five miles to the cabin of a settler who had one, grind his corn, and return with the meal.

Flour was very scarce, and, at this time, was all brought from Cincinnati, and, as we 'have said, was very expensive. Most of the settlers kept a small quantity laid by for use only in case of sickness. Those who could afford it had biscuit for breakfast on Sunday morning, baked in a spider before the fire. Corn-pone, dodgers and flap- jacks, supplied them for the rest of the week. Those who could not afford to buy flour would run the wheat three or four times through these hand-mills.

The next advance made was when these little mills were rigged to run by horse power, by fastening a pole across the stone, hitching the horse to the end of the pole, and driving him round and round a circle. The next improvement was made in running a single pair of stones by water-power. The wheel was a simple paddle wheel, run by the natural current of the stream, and, although not reliable, was good enouo-h to grind all the wheat and corn tnat the settlement needed.

The first mill built anywhere in the Miami Valley, north of the fourth range of townships, was a small tub-mill, built by William Hamer, to grind corn. It stood where Water street is now located in Dayton, just east of, and near to, the canal bridge. The water was brought across from the mouth of Mad River by a small race, and the tail race ran down the present course of the canal.

In the fall of the year 1799, D. C. Cooper started a small distillery on his farm, two miles south of Dayton, on Rubicon Creek, Van Buren Township, and between the pike and canal as now located; and shortly afterward he built a saw-mill and "corn-cracker," each run by water-power. The saw-mill power was a paddle-wheel; the "corn-cracker" was a tub-mill. He had four posts set in the || ground, about four feet apart, two on each side of the creek, forming a square; the posts stood four feet above ground, and on top of them was a puncheon [ floor, and on that a small pair of buhrs were set. To the perpendicular shaft the "runner" was attached, the shaft passed through the bed-stone, and at the lower end was the horizontal tub-wheel. Four forks were planted to hold the poles, on which were laid the clapboard roof, to keep the rain out of the hop per. The sides of the mill were not inclosed. This little mill had most of the trade from the upper Miami country, and from up Mad River as far as Spring field. Soon after that, possibly in the year 1800, a small overshot mill was built on McConnell Creek, just south of where the C., C., C. & I. R. R. now crosses the Springfield pike, in Mad River Townhsip.

Settlers, in coming to the Cooper mill, would sometimes bring pack-horses || loaded with sacks of corn, following the narrow trails through the forest. || They came equipped to camp along the way. Rifle, ammunition, an ax, compass, blankets and bells, were necessary. Halting to camp at night, the horses were unloaded, bells fastened around their necks, and they were turned loose j to graze. The fire being built, supper was cooked and eaten, after which the jj lonely traveler spread his bear-skin for a comfortable sleep; then breakfast and! an early start next morning for the mill. After such a journey, the pioneer! would often have to wait a day or two for his turn.

With the increase in population, water-wheels and mill machinery were rapidly improved after the year 1800. The mill-dams were usually made of brush,! and were often washed away by spring freshets. Millers made their own buhrsj! out of limestone or granite bowlders; "raccoon buhrs" were a later improvement.

Winter Work And Recreations

Log-rolling, house-raising, quilting-parties, eorn-huskings and shooting ' matches brought the men, women and children together for a frolic. Frequently they came twenty miles distance to participate. All hands, after performing! their share of the work, enjoyed a big dinner; the younger people dancing all; night till broad daylight, to go home for breakfast in the morning.

Early to bed and early to rise, was the motto and practice of the pioneerB. ;! Winter evenings in the cabins would have been too long and tedious; there, was, however, always some little work to be done, in which all of the family could engage, as they sat in the fire-light around the big comfortable log-fire. Some would shell corn, scrape turnips, grate pumpkins for bread, stem and, twist tobacco, plait straw for hats and break llax, all to the music of the spin ning- wheel. But little time was given to sports and indulgence in luxury, rich and poor alike being compelled to labor. Young folks would gather in the winter at some of the larger cabins for a dance. The music would begin'; early, and, as most of the boys could fiddle, they kept it up until daylight, making it merry on the puncheon floors, the dancers often having to stop to pull big splinters out of the heels and soles of their shoes. The dances were jigs, four handed reels, double- shuffle, break-downs, scamper-downs and Western-swingj It was customary for the men folks to make a "stew" for all hands. After tRe dancing was in full glee, a big fire would be built out in the road; a big kettl^j was placed on the fire, in which to boil the stew that was made as follows: Sev eral gallons each of water and whisky, sweetened with tree-sugar; allspice and butter were also used. Men and women would drink of it as they liked through the night, always, however, in decency and moderation.

It was the custom among the pioneers tu many young. All were on a soial equality. Very little time was given to "keeping company;" the first imressions of love generally resulted in a wedding. The law permitted the carriage of "male persons of the age of eighteen years, female persons of the o-e of fourteen years, and not nearer of kin than first cousins;" and required that notice should be given either in writing, posted at some conspicuous dace within the township where the female resided; or publicly declared on wo different days of public worship." Weddings were the grand occasions f the early times. The frolic was anticipated with the brightest expectations, 'he ceremony usually took place before noon, immediately upon the arrival of he groom and his friends. The gentlemen were dressed in linsey huntingliirts, far caps, leather breeches, leggings and moccasins; the ladies in linsey etticoats, heavy shoes, stockings, handkerchiefs and buckskin gloves. Any rnaments they had were relics of old times. Jokes were practiced on such ocasions by the young bloods of the neighborhood. Grapevines were tied across he road to trip the horses, and an ambush was formed to frighten the girls nd the horses ; trees were felled in the road and other tricks were played to xcite and annoy. The dinner after the ceremony was always generous. Bear neat and venison, potatoes, cabbage and turnips were served in wooden and iewter plates, on a split slab table. Dancing began immediately after dinner, nd lasted till the next morning. Reels, square dances and jigs, were in order. |iome of the jigs were called "cut out." When either of the couple got tired, he place was at once supplied from the company, and in this way the musiians were the first to be worried out. If any of the crowd hid away during he night for rest or a nap, they were hunted up and put on the floor. It was he custom for the young ladies to steal the bride away and put her to bed. 'hey had to climb the ladder from the lower floor to the loft. The guests rould never let on that they were noticed. The young men, in the same way, onducted the groom to the bed of his bride, while the dance went on. Seats /ere always scarce, and after 'every dance each young man would hold a girl in iis lap (a kneesy position). Toward morning, some one would suggest refreshments for the new couple, when as many of the party as there was room for, rould go up the ladder with the bottle and lunch. The bride and groom were Compelled to eat and drink.

To give the young people a start in life, it was customary for all hands to urn out and put them up a cabin. A day would be designated soon after the redding for the neighbors to assemble. The party was divided into squads as hoppers, haulers and carpenters - a division to get out the puncheons, and another to split the clapboards ; four-corner men to place the logs and carry up he corners, and a squad to split the chimney sticks out of oak hearts. The :abin was built of round logs; a hole, six or eight feet wide, was left in one *nd, in which to build the fire-place of bowlders or flat stones, laid in mud mor- ;ar, and kept in place by a pen of split logs built on the outside; the chimney vas built on top of this, laid up in clay mud, and lined with mud. There vere jolly times at these raisings, sometimes taking three or four days to finish he cabin, and the whole affair would wind up with a house-warming and anther all-night dance. Then the cabin was considered ready for the newlynarried couple.

The first wedding in the Dayton settlement, of which there is a record, was marriage of Benjamin Van Cleve to Mary Whitten, August 28, 1800, at her other's house, near Dayton. The bride was described as a likely girl, young, ively, industrious and ingenuous. Her marriage portion was a few household

Another groom, with his bride, brought with them, on the wedding-day ! to their new home in the village, all of their worldly goods. He had gone on: for her on horseback, and, after the ceremony, she was placed behind him or the horse, and thus they rode home. She carried two pewter plates, two cups, a knife and fork, and a small sack of meal; these, with the horse crittter, were all they had in the world.

Cotton check cost a buckskin per yard, and, as it took five yards for j|j dress pattern, the bride who could have one in her wedding outfit was counted one of the belles.

One of the pioueer fathers, when his daughter was married, gave her a loai of bread, a piece of pork, some potatoes, and loaned her a frying-pan. Tim was all the young couple had to begin the world with the day they moved jnto! their log cabin, twelve feet square. The groom made two wooden knives and)1 forks to use at their first meal. When, in the spring, necessity required thaij he come to the village to trade pelts for a yard and a half of calico, in which tc) dress the baby, there was none to be had. In the emergency, his wife cut up a pair of his pants to make the first frock for the baby; and for a cradle, the baby was rocked in a buckeye trough.

To all whom it may concern: - Know ye that Michael Carrer and Miss Lennon, (laugh : ter of the widow Lennon, both of Staunton, will be joined in the holy banns of matrimony on Wednesday, the 7th day of October, 1801, agreeably to a law of the Territory of thf Northwest, providing for marriages. Given under my hand this 11th day of September, 1801.