Preble County, Ohio - Chapter 1: Related State History, 1915 (part 2 of 2)

Montgomery county was formed from Ross and Hamilton May 1, 1803. The soil is fertile and its agricultural products are most excellent. Quarries of grayish-white limestone are found east of the Miami. Dayton is the county seat, situated on the Great Miami at the mouth of Mad river. A company was formed in 1788, but Indian wars prevented settlement. After Wayne's treaty in 1795, a new company was formed. It advanced rapidly between the years 1812 and 1820. The beginning of the Miami canal renewed its prosperity in 1827. The first canal-boat from Cincinnati arrived at Dayton on the 25th of January, 1829. The first one arrived from Lake Erie in June, 1845. Col. Robert Patterson came to Dayton in 1804. At one time he owned Lexington, Kentucky, and about one-third of Cincinnati.

Morgan county was organized in 1818, March 1. The surface is hilly and the soil strong and fertile, producing wheat, corn, oats and tobacco. Pork is a prolific product and considerable salt is made. The first settlement was made in 1790 on the Muskingum. McConnelsville is the county seat. Mr. Ayres made the first attempt to produce salt in 1817.

Morrow county was organized in 1848. It is drained by the Vernon river, which rises in it, by the East Branch of the Olentangy or Whetstone river, and by Walnut creek. The surface is undulating and the soil fertile. The staple products are com, wheat, oats, hay, wool and butter. Mount Gilead, the county seat, is situated on the East Branch of the Olentangy river.

Muskingum county was formed from Washington and Fairfield. The surface is rolling or hilly. It produces wheat, com, oats, potatoes, tobacco, wool and pork. Large quantities of bituminous coal are found. Salt is made in large quantities - the fine being obtained from a stratum of whitish sandstone. The Wyandots, Delawares, Senecas and Shawnees Indians once inhabited this section. An Indian town occupied the site of Duncan's Falls.

seat, situated opposite the mouth of the Licking. It was laid out in 1799 by Mr. Zane and Mr. Mclntire. This is one of the principal towns in the state.

Noble county, organized in 1851, is drained by Seneca, Duck and Wills creeks. The surface is undulating and a large part of it is covered with forests. The soil is fertile. Among its mineral resources are limestone, coal and petroleum. Near Caldwell, the county seat, are found iron ore, coal and salt

Ottawa county was formed from Erie, Sandusky and Lucas March 6, 1840. It was very thinly settled before 1830. Extensive plaster beds exist on the peninsula, which extends into Lake Erie. It has also large limestone quarries, which are extensively worked. The very first trial at arms upon the soil of Ohio, during the War of 1812, occurred upon this peninsula. Port Clinton, the county seat, was laid out in 1827.

Perry county was formed from Washington, Fairfield and Muskingum March 1, 1817. Fine tobacco is raised in large quantities. Wheat, corn, oats, hay, cattle, pork and wool add to the general wealth. This county was first settled in 1801. The first settler was Christian Binckley, who built the first cabin in the county, about five miles west of Somerset, near the present county line. New Lexington is the county seat.

Paulding county was formed from old Indian Territory August r, 1820. It is very rich in agriculture and produces corn, wheat, sugar beets and oats. Paulding is the county seat.

Pickaway county was formed from Fairfield, Ross and Franklin January 1 2, 1810. The county has woodland, barren, plain and prairie. The barrens were covered by shrub oaks and when cleared are adapted to the raising of com and oats. The Pickaway plains are three and a half miles west of Circleville and this tract is said to contain the richest land in Ohio. Here, in the olden times, burned the great council fires of the red man. Here the allied tribes met General Lewis, who fought the battle of Point Pleasant. Dunmore's campaign was terminated on these plains. It was at the Chillicothe towns, after Dunmore's treaty, that Logan delivered his famous speech. Circleville, the county seat, is situated on the Scioto river and the Ohio canal. It was laid out in 1810 by Daniel Dresbach. It is situated on the site of ancient fortifications.

Portage county was formed June 7, 1807, from Trumbull. It is a wealthy, thriving section.* It also produces wheat, corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, rye, butter and wool. Ravenna is the county seat and was originally settled by the Hon. Benjamin Tappen in June, 1799. In 1806 an unpleasant difficulty arose between the settlers and a camp of Indians in Deerfield,

Pike county was organized in 1815. The surface is generally hilly, which abounds with freestone, which is exported in large quantities for building purposes. Rich bottom lands extend along the Scioto and its tributaries. John Nolan and the three Chenoweth brothers settled on the Pee Pee prairie about 1796. Piketown, the former county seat, was laid out about 1814. Waverly, the present county seat, is situated on the Scioto river.

Preble county was formed March 1, 1808, from Montgomery and Butler. The soil is varied. Eaton, the county seat, was laid out in 1806, by William Bruce, who owned the land. An overflowing well of strong sulphur water is near the town, while directly beside it is a limestone quarry. Holderman's quarry is about two miles distant, from which is obtained a beautifully clouded gray stone. Fort St. Clair was built near Eaton in the winter of 1791-92. General Harrison was an ensign at the time and commanded a guard every other night for three weeks during the building. The severe battle of November 6, 1792, was fought under its very guns. Little Turtle, a distinguished chief of the Miami's, roamed over this county for a time. He was witty, brave and earnest and, although engaged in several severe contests with the whites, he was inclined toward peace. But when his warriors cried for war he led them bravely.

Putnam county was formed April I, 1820, from old Indian Territory. The soil is fertile, its principal productions being wheat, corn, potatoes and oats. Kalida, once the county seat, was laid out in 1834. Ottawa is the county seat.

Ross county was formed August 20, 1798, by the proclamation of Governor St. Clair and was the ninth county formed in the Northwest Territory. The Scioto river and Paint creek run through it, bordered with fertile lands. It exports cattle and hogs. The Rev. Robert W. Finley, in 1794, addressed a letter of inquiry to Col. Nathaniel Massie, as many of his associates had designed settling in the new state. This resulted in packing their several effects and setting out. A trivial Indian encounter was the only interruption they met with on their way. After Wayne's treaty. Colonel Massie and many of these early explorers met again and formed a settlement - in 1796 - at the mouth of Paint creek. In August of this year, Chillicothe was laid out by Colonel Massie in a dense forest. He donated lots to the early settlers. A ferry was established over the Scioto and the opening of Zane's trace assisted the progress of settlement. Chillicothe, the county seat, is situated on the Scioto. Its site is thirty feet above the river. In

1800 it was the seat of the Northwest territorial government. It was incorporated as a city in January, 1802. During the War of 1812, the city was a rendezvous for the United States troops. A large number of British were at one time guarded here. Adena is a beautiful place and the seat of Governor Worthington's mansion, which was built in 1806.

Richland was organized March 1, 1813. It was settled about 1809 on? branches of the Mohican. Two block-houses were built in 1812. Mansfield, the county seat, is charmingly situated and was laid out in 1808 by Jacob Newman, James Hedges and Joseph H. Larwell. The county was at that period a vast wilderness, destitute of roads. From this year the settlement progressed rapidly.

Sandusky county was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. The soil is fertile and country generally level. Near Lower Sandusky lived a band of Wyandots, called the Neutral Nation. They preserved their peacemaking attributes through the Iroquois conflicts. Freemont, formerly called Lower Sandusky, the county seat, is situated at the head of navigation on the Sandusky on the site of the old reservation grant to the Indians, at the Greenville treaty council. Fort Stephenson was erected in August, 1813, and was gallantly defended by Colonel Croghan.

Summit county was formed March 3, 1840, from Medina, Portage and Stark. The soil is fertile and produces excellent fruit, besides large crops of corn, wheat, hay, oats and potatoes. The first settlement made in the county was at Hudson in 1800. The old Indian portage-paths, extending through this county, between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum. This was a part of the ancient boundary between the Six Nations and the Western Indians. Akron, the county seat, is situated on the portage summit. It was laid out in 1825. In 1811 Paul Williams and Amos and Minor Spicer settled in this vicinity. Middlebury was laid out in 1818 by Norton and Hart.

Starke county was formed February 13, 1808. It is a rich agricultural county. It has large quantities of mineral coal and iron ore. Limestone and extensive beds of lime-marl exist. Frederick Post, the first Moravian missionary in Ohio, settled here in 1761. Canton is the county seat, situated in the forks of the Nimishillen, a tributary of the Muskingum. It was laid out in 1806, by Bezaleel Wells, who owned the land. Massillon was laid out in March, 1826, by John Duncan.

Shelby county was formed in 1819, from Miami. The southern portion is undulating, arising in some places to hills. Through the north it is a flat table-land. The first point of English settlement in Ohio was at the mouth of Laramie's creek in this county as early as 1752. Fort Laramie was built in 1794 by Wayne. The first white family that settled in this county was that of James Thatcher in 1804. Sidney, the county seat, was laid out in 1819 on the farm of Charles Starrett.

Seneca county was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. Fort Seneca was built during the War of 1812. The Senecas owned forty thousand acres of land on the Sandusky river, mostly in Seneca county. Thirty thousand acres of this land was granted to them in 1817 at the treaty held at the foot of the Maumee Rapids. The remaining ten thousand was granted the following year. These Indians ceded this tract, however, to the government in 1831. It was asserted by an old chief that this band was the remnant of Logan's tribe. Tiffin, the county seat, was laid out by Josiah Hedges in the year 1821.

Scioto county was formed May 1, 1803. It is a good agricultural section, besides producing iron ore, coal and freestone. It is said that a French fort stood at the mouth of the old Scioto as early as 1740. In 1785 four families settled where Portsmouth now stands. Thomas McDonald built the first cabin in the county. The French grant was located in this section - a tract comprising twenty-four thousand acres. The grant was made in March, 1795. Portsmouth, the county seat, is located upon the Ohio.

Trumbull county was formed in 1800. The original Connecticut Western Reserve was within its limits. The county is well cultivated and very wealthy. Coal is found in its northern portion. Warren, the county seat, is situated on the Mahoning river. It was laid out by Ephraim Quinby in 1801. Mr. Quinby owned the soil. His cabin was built here in 1799. In August, 1800, while Mr. McMahon was away from home, a party of drunken Indians called at the house, abused the family, struck a child a severe blow with a tomahawk and threatened to kill the family. Mrs. McMahon could not send tidings which could reach her husband before noon the following day. The following Sunday morning, fourteen men and two boys, armed themselves and went to the Indian camp to settle the difficulty. Quinby advanced alone, leaving the remainder in concealment, as he was better acquainted with these people, to make inquiries and ascertain their intentions. He did not return at once and the party set out, marched into camp and found Quinby arguing with Captain George, the chief. Captain George snatched his tomahawk and declared war, rushing forward to kill McMahon. But a bullet from the frontiersman's gun killed him instantly, while Storey shot "Spotted John" at the same time. The Indians then fled. They joined the council at Sandusky. Quinby garrisoned his house. Fourteen days thereafter the Indians returned with overtures of peace, which were, that McMahon and Storey be taken to Sandusky, tried by Indian laws, and if found guilty punished by them. This could not be done. McMahon was tried by General St. Clair and the matter was settled. The first missionary on the reserve was the Rev. Joseph Badger.

Tuscarawas county was formed February 15, 1808, from Muskingum It is well cultivated with abundant supplies of coal and iron. The first white settlers were Moravian missionaries, their first visits dating back to 1761. The first permanent settlement was made in 1803. Mary Heckewelder, the daughter of a missionary, was born in this county April 16, 1781. Fort Laurens was built during the Revolution. It wras the scene of a fearful carnage. It was established in the fall of 1778 and placed under the command of General McIntosh. New Philadelphia is the county seat, situated on the Tuscarawas. It was laid out in 1804 by John Knisely. A German colony settled in this county in 1817, driven from their native land by religious persecutions. They called themselves Separatists. They are good people, strictly moral and honest.

Union county was formed from Franklin, Delaware, Logan and Madison in 1820. Extensive limestone quarries are also valuable. The Ewing brothers made the first white settlement in 1798. Col. James Curry, a member of the State Legislature, was the chief instigator in the progress of this section. He located within its limits and remained until his death, which occurred in 1834. Marysville is the county seat.

Van Wert county was formed from the old Indian Territory April i, 1820. Van Wert, the county seat, was founded by James W. Riley in 1837. An Indian town had formerly occupied its site. Captain Riley was the first white man who settled in the county, arriving in 1821. He founded Willshire in 1822.

Vinton county was organized in 1850. It is drained by Raccoon and Salt creeks. The surface is undulating or hilly. Bituminous coal and iron ore are found. McArthur is the county seat.

Washington county was formed by proclamation of Governor St. Clair July 27, 1788, and was the first county founded within the limits of Ohio. The surface is broken with extensive tracts of level, fertile land. It was the first county settled in the state under the auspices of the Ohio Company. A detachment of United States troops, under the command of Major John Doughty, built Fort Harmar in 1785 and it was the first military post established in Ohio by Americans, with the exception of Fort Laurens, which was erected in 1778. It was occupied by United States troops until 1790, when they were ordered to Connecticut. A company under Captain Haskell remained. In 1785 the directors of the Ohio Company began practical operations and settlement went forward rapidly. Campus Martius, a stockade fort, was completed in 1791. This formed a sturdy stronghold during the war. During the Indian war there was much suffering in the county. Many settlers were killed and captured. Marietta is the county seat and the oldest town in Ohio. Marietta College was chartered in 1835. Herman Blennerhassett, whose unfortunate association with Aaron Burr proved fatal to himself, was a resident of Marietta in 1796.

Warren county was formed May 1, 1803, from Hamilton. The soil is very fertile and considerable water power is furnished by its streams. Mr. Bedell made the first settlement in 1795. Lebanon is the county seat. Henry Taylor settled in this vicinity in 1796. Union Village is a settlement of Shakers. They came here about 1805.

Wayne county was proclaimed by Governor St. Clair, August 15, 1796, and was the sixth county in the Northwest Territory. The settlement of this section has already been briefly delineated. Wooster is the county seat. It was laid out during the fall of 1808, by John Beaver, William Henry and Joseph H. Larwell, owners of the land. Its site is three hundred and thirtyseven feet above Lake Erie. The first mill was built by Joseph Stibbs in 1809, on Apple creek. In 1812 a block-house was erected in Wooster.

Wood county was formed from the old Indian Territory in 1820. The soil is rich and large crops are produced. The county is situated within the Maumee valley. It was the arena of brilliant military exploits during early times. Bowling Green is the county seat.

Wyandot county was formed February 3, 1845, from Marion, Hardin, Hancock and Crawford. The surface is level and the soil fertile. The Wyandot Indians frequented this section. It was the scene of Crawford's defeat in June, 1782, and his fearful death. By the treaty of 18 17, Hon. Lewis Cass and Hon. Duncan McArthur. United States commissioners, granted to the Indians a reservation twelve miles square, the central point being Fort Ferree. The Delaware reserve was ceded to the United States in 1829. The Wyandots ceded theirs March 17, 1842. The United States commissioner was Col. John Johnson, who thus made the last Indian treaty in Ohio. Every foot of this state was fairly purchased by treaties. The Wyandots were exceedingly brave and several of their chiefs were men of exalted moral principles.

Upper Sandusky is the county seat and was laid out in 1843. General Harrison had built Ferree on this spot during the War of 1812. Governor Meigs, in 1813, encamped near the river with several thousand of the Ohio militia. The Indian village of Crane Town was originally called Upper Sandusky. The Indians transferred their town, after the death of Tarhe, to Upper Sandusky.