Portage County, Ohio - Deekfield Township, 1885 (part 2 of 2)

About 1700, according to what is deemed the best authority upon the mnU ter, Capt. Samuel Brady, a noted Pennsylvania Indian fif^htpr, who followed that profession throoj^h all this section of country, performed the feat within the bonnda of what is now Kent, which for daring, detemiBatioxi aod muscularity, slaadB unparalleiad in the annals of the early times. It appears he and a few companions had pursued a marauding party of Indians westward across the Cuyahoga, but the red skins being re-enforced by their friends, turnpcj npon Brady, who, seeing their snperior numbers, advised his companions to disperse singly, and every man take care of himself. But the Indiana kncnrinrr tlio desperate character of Brady, and anxious to frlnt a long-standingrevongo upon him for the many severe punishments he had inflicted upon them, pursued him only. Brady knew evmry point of importance in this section aa well as the Indiana, and so made for the narrowest part of the Cuyahoga, which was and is not far from the upper bridge in Kent. To thip spot th» Captain ran with the speevl almost of a deer, for he was a man f)f hercnleaa frame, and as active as a cat. The Indians could have shot him easily, but thay wished to capture him alive for the purpose of having one of their devilish o/gies around the torturing body of their great enemy, but their inhumanity over reached itself. Tlioy had no idea of the latent powers of Brady, and thought that as he neared the rushing stream at the JNarrows he would be com> pelled to surrender. They "reckooMl without their host," however, for when the desperate man came in sight of the river he quickly made up his mind what to do. He knew that to be cajitured was to die a cruel and lingeringdeath, and the dark rolling stream that rushed through the narrow gorge, twenty-five feet below the banks, was more welcome to him than the knife and faggot of the savage; besides, there was a chance for life and escape. By the time he had arrived within fifty feet of the river he knew what to do. nnd with a mighty effort and the speed of despair he fairly Hew through the air^ and with a tremendous spring cleared the diaam as clean aa an English th«>. rooghbred leaps a ditch. So wonder-Btriokui and dumbfounded were the savages at the boldness and agility of their supposed victim, and so unprepared were they for his eluding them, that they btood speechless and actless for & nioment^ but Boon realizing that he would escape, sent a volley of rifle shots aft«r him, one of which took effect in his thigh, but did not disable him. Not a wretch among tho lot had the hardihood to duplicate the feat of tb» gallant Brady, and they had to make their way to the crossing on the regular trail, nearly a mile away, by whidi time the Captain had gained the little }ik^ now 80 appropriately known by his name. The Indians saw him go in that direction and still lioped to capture him, but wlien Brady came to the lake ho swam under water some distance to the trunk of a tree that had fallen in, and olinging to the anbmerged branches, held his mouth in such position as to obtain air. The Indians seeing him enter the water and not reappear, supposed he was drowned. Two of thein walked out upon the very tree to whicb he was clinging, even coming close enough for Brady to ascertain what theywould say, he understanding the Indian dialect . The joy he experienced when he heard them say that he waa drowned none will ever know, and when he foand them goae. climbed out of the tree and made his way safeijr home« ward. From the eyidenoe of 8 man who was at this famons spot in 1804, it is ascertained that the distance from ro<ik to rock was aboat twentj-one feet, \ the Bido upon which ho alighted being aboat three feet lower than the other.

The statistica of crops and produce for 1884 deal onlj with the township ontside the town of Kent. Sncm statistics have been earefnlly compiled from most authentic aonrces. While they show tlie oonditioo of the township in a fair light, they must not be considered a complete review of township values or)^productions. Acres under wheat, 1,323, bushels, 15,319; rye, 30 boshels from 1 acre; oats, 7^ acres. 20,295 bnshels; barley, 15 acres, 400 bosheb; eom, 729 acres, 15,337 hi sli< 1h: 8 bnshels of broom com; 1,277 acres of meadow; 1,904 tons of hay; 259 acres of clover; 348 tons of hay and 51 bnshels of seed; 127 acres of potatoes yielded 15,529 bnabela; milk, 45,510

? gallons sold for family nse; 73,708 pounds home>made batter; 400 pounds Siotocy batter; 70,426 pounds of cheese; 8 pounds of maple sugar and 403 gallons of syrup from 1,2S0 tappings; 473 pounds honey from 11 hives; 20,703 dozens of oggs; 1 acre of vinee; 7,115 bofthela of applee; 80 of peaches; 61 ol pean; 7,639 pounds of wool; 524 mileh oows; ^8 dogs; killed 88 sheep and injored 8; animals which died of disease, 58 hogs, 83 sheep, 23 cattle and 8 horses; acres cultivated, 6,788; pasture, 2,180; woodland, 1,211; waste, 598; total, 10,777 acres. A reference to the history of mannfaotoring industries will oonvey a good idea of their yalne. Total populatioa in 1850 was 1,750, inulnding 753 youth; in 1870, 3,037; in 1880, 4,141, indnding Kent Village, 8,809. Present population estimated, 4,850.