Richland County, Ohio - Chapter 22: The Surveyors, 1880

ORDINANCE FOR THE SuRvEY oF THE NorrHWssT TERRITORY - RANGES - TOWNSHIPS - JAMES HEDGES, MAXFIELD axp Witiiam LupLtow AND JoNATHAN Cox - DescrRiPTions OF THE SurvEYoRS' Fretp NOTES, ETC.

day to prepare for the survey of the lands. In May, 1785, that body passed an ordinance prescribing the mode of such a survey. In 1787, the Territory was accepted by the General Govyernment, and Gen. St. Clair was appointed Governor in October, and soon after came to Marietta, to perform the functions of his office.

The ordinance prescribing the mode of the survey of the lands northwest of the Ohio River, stipulated that a corps of surveyors - one from each State - should be appointed by Congress, and placed under Thomas Hutchins, Geographer of the United States. This corps of engineers was to divide the Territory into townships, each six miles square, by running lines due north and south, and crossing these by other lines running due east and west, the squares thus formed to constitute the townships. This was to be the rule over the entire Territory as far as practicable. It will be observed, however, that it was not followed in many parts of Ohio, the Western Reserve being surveyed into townships five miles square.

The point of beginning the survey was at the Ohio River, at a place due north from the western termination of the southern boundary of Pennsylvania. From this point lines were run north and west, extending through the Territory. The townships, whole or fractional, were to be numbered from south to north, from a certain base line. What that line is in the survey of Richland County, Mr. John Newman, the present Surveyor, says he cannot determine. It is some irregular line, as the numbers of the townships differ very materially. The ranges were numbered progressively westward. Had the same base line been used for all ranges, the townships would have all had the same number in corresponding ranges, as they progressed from east to west.

After the county was surveyed into townships, these were to be divided into thirty-six sections, of 160 acres each, each township having 640 acres. Since the survey was first made, the sections have been divided into quarters, eighths and sometimes sixteenths.

The first range of townships in Richland, as originally created, was range numbered sixteen. This included the townships of Hanover, Green, Vermillion, Montgomery and Orange. These were numbered 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23. The next range, 17, included - following the numbers, as the townships were then not named - Nos. 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. Range 18 includes Nos. 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23; Range 19 contains also the same numbered townships. The 'three ranges, 16, 18 and 19, were evidently numbered from the same base, as their numbers are all the same. Range 20 includes Townships Nos. 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22.

The county was surveyed in 1807, by James Hedges, Jonathan Cox and Maxfield Ludlow. Gen. Hedges was a citizen of Virginia, and was a Deputy United States Surveyor under Mr, Hutchins. He was born in Ohio County, Virginia, ina family of eleven children - nine brothers and two sisters. His parents were from Eastern Virginia. He came to Qhio about 1800, and settled in Belmont County, but in a short time returned to Virginia and studied surveying, then an excellent employment for young men. He received an appointment as Deputy Surveyor, and, returning to Ohio, entered on active field work. The labor was very arduous, not ta say dangerous, and required not only bodily strength, but nerve and discretion. Gen. Hedges assisted in the survey of this county, as will be observed from the description of the survey, and while here entered three quarters of land now covered partly by the city of Mansfield. He was the prime moyer in locating the city. After the location of the village destined to be the county seat, he returned to Belmont County, where he was elected Sheriff. When the war of 1812 broke out, he received the appointment of Captain of cavalry in the regular army, and served with distinction during the war, under the immediate command of Gen. Harrison. Soon after the close of the war, he resigned his commission and returned to Mansfield to look after his interests here, and those of the town identical with his own, and remained here in the active pursuits of life until his death, October 4.1854. For many years he was Register of the Virginia Military Lands, then a very important office. He also served a term in the Ohio Legislature. He was always a prominent man in the State military operations, and became a Major General of militia.

"Gen. Hedges was, in all respects," says one who knew him well, "aman of mark. In person, he was over six feet high, and well proportioned ; a man of iron frame and nerve. He was also a man of extreme modesty, and strong attachment to his friends. He was an open-handed. generous-hearted man, and was universally popular among the people. He was continued in office under all administrations, and was one of the foremost men among the

The survey began at the southeast corner of the county - Range 16 and Township 19. The plat of the survey is now in the Surveyor's office, and from it the annexed facts are gleaned :

The first township (19) in this range was surveyed by James Hedges, in March, 1807. In his field-notes he gives the quality and quantity of timber he found, the character of the soil,the surface of the country, the water-courses, the springs and whatever else interested him as he passed over the land. This township, afterward named Hanover, is noted as having on the east boundary much burnt woods. On the fifth mile, going south, the surveyors came to the old Indian boundary line, "perhaps," says Dr. Hill, "the north line of the Gelloway Reservation, in Knox County. The line runs southwest across the township, passing out nearly in the middle of Section 31." Between. Sections 1 and 2, Armstrong's Creek, running southwest, was crossed. It was so named from Capt. Thomas Armstrong, an old Indian chief, who resided at Greentown, eight miles above. The Indian trail running north, and to the Gelloway settlement on the Waldhoning, is mentioned. The land of Hanover is noted as rough and poor, covered with stunted timber, much burnt on the northeast part of the town- - ship. Green Township was also surveyed by Gen. Hedges, in April, 1807. "In running the south and east boundary, Gen. Hedges seems to have been much embarrassed,' says Dr. Hill, "over the variations in his compass. In order to test the accuracy of the survey, the lines were resurveyed. He could not determine the cause of the variation." Magnetic ores may have existed in the earth on the line and influenced the needle. On the south line of this township, the timber was much burnt; underbrush was plenty. On the west boundary, Mohican John's Creek was crossed, and on the fourth mile to Muddy Fork of Mohican 'John's Creek, they crossed the stream and came to the Indian village of Greentown, which at that date contained fifty or sixty families., The village occupied rolling land, in Section 18. A number of well-used trails led in various directions from the town. The surveyors drove a section post in a corn field, which | they mention as being well cultivated. The village and graveyard were estimated to con- The Indians offered no resistance to the survey. In fact. they hardly comprehended its significance. The land in this township, down the valley, is regarded as prime, other portions, poor. The varieties of white oak, burr oak, ash and other hard timber are noticed.

The next township in this range, No. 20 - Vermillion - was surveyed by Jonathan Cox, while Gen. Hedges was surveying Green. The southern boundary was run by Gen. Hedges, in October, 1806, soon after he received his commission and orders from the Surveyor (General of the United States. Gen. Hedges experienced considerable difficulty in running this line, owing to the variations of his compass. He resurveyed it three times, and observed, "I am at.a loss to know to what cause to attribute the increased length of the south boundary of this township." On the third survey, he says: "T find the chaining correct; I am now much per- | plexed to know the cause of my westing or turning south. The variation must operate very partial, or my compass must have been un- | luckily altered." He then resurveyed the west | boundary, and, coming to the southwest corner, observes: "Here I experience troubles of a new kind. Having already spent two days and | a half waiting on an Indian chief, who appeared hostile to our business, I also labored under the difficulty of a hand being absent thirteen days on a tour for provisions; in the mean time having lived eight days on parched corn. I now find my camp robbed of some necessary articles, and two hands that I left to keep the same, revolted and run away. These difficult- | ies increased ; my range and town lines not being finished - expecting other surveyors after me to subdivide - all conspire to make me unhappy. No alternative remains but to proceed to Owl Creek, and get hands and provisions, this being the 20th day of October, 1806." This suspended operations on this township until the following April, when Jonathan Cox subdivided it into sections. The land is described as gently mountainous ; the timber of oak, hickory, ash, and other forest trees. On the eastern boundary several Indian trails were found, the majority leading to Greentown.

The range boundaries of Montgomery Township, No. 22, were surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow, in October, 1806. In running the southern boundary of this township, seventeen chains west of the southeast corner, he crossed the famous trail leading from Sandusky to the fork of the Ohio. It is described in the notes of the survey as a well-worn trail or path. It was the well-known trail followed by Maj. Rogers and his rangers in 1761, on his return from establishing the station at Detroit. It was afterward followed by Gen. Beall in his expedition to Sandusky. The eastern boundary of this township is described as "low, wet and marshy, with bottoms subject to overflow." The timber was of the kind found in all parts of the county, the principal varieties already mentioned. 'The eastern part of the township is noted as good land; the middle and western parts as rolling and good. Jonathan Cox surveyed the township into sections in November, after Mr. Ludlow had completed the boundary survey.

The next township, No. 23 - Orange - was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in October, 1806. He surveyed both the boundaries and the sectional lines. On the south boundary, about three miles west of the starting corner,

"The evidences of Indian occupation in Orange Township," says Dr. Hill, "at the time of its occupation by the whites, were very numerous. The aborigines, it seems, were accustomed to assemble annually in the spring, in large numbers, to make sugar and hunt. They were here as late as 1816, and were accustomed to get Mr. Peter Biddinger, a gunsmith, to repair their broken gun-locks."

The next range of townships - 17 - now lies partly in Ashland and partly in Richland County, as it now exists. The first township in this range, No. 21 - Worthington - was surveyed by Gen. Hedges, after his return from Owl Creek, where he had gone, as has been stated, in search of hands and food. What time in the autumn he surveyed the township is not given on the records in the county, but it is probable he completed all the-townships in this range, save the north one, No. 25, before the close of the year, or before the following spring. It is certain he began Township 23 - Mifflin - October 28, as two of his note-books are yet preserved, and are in the hands of the present County Surveyor, Mr John Newman. This note-book states, that, after an absence o six days, Gen. Hedges returned from Owl Creek, having procured hands and _ provisions. This would imply that he surveyed Mifflin before Worthington and Monroe. As no records exist, the exact date of the survey of these two townships cannot now be ascertained. (ren. Hedges continued the survey of Mifflin until December 2, when he completed the township. His field-notes of this township state that the southern boundary passes over steep hills, and crosses the Black Fork, near the center of the line. He also notes the same of part of the beech, hickory, ash, oak, etc. _He was troubled again with the variations of his compass, which he was at a loss to account for, but which was probably disturbed by metallic ores in the earth. In Section 21, he noted the existence of a small lake - Petersburg Lake - into and out of which he found a stream of clear water flowing.

The next township north, No. 24, comprising partof Weller and allof Milton Townships, was surveyed by Gen. Hedges, late in the fall of 1806. The southern bowndary was found uneven and hilly ; the land, second rate; the timber, mostly beech, oak and hickory. The eastern boundary was generally level; soil good, and the timber the same as in the south, save maple, dogwood and wild cherry are also found. The land of the township is described as "of gentle ascents and descents, some places level, soil good for farming, and, generally, | more or less clayey. It has abundance of clear | water flowing from never-failing springs." In the neighborhood of the " Short farm " is found one of the strongest springs in the county.

The last township in this range, No. 25, now Clear Creek, in Ashland County, and part of Butler, in Richland County, was not surveyed and subdivided until the next autumn - 1807. The work was performed by Maxfield Ludlow. The land of the township is described in the surveyor's notes as level and second rate in places, and in others as rich and well adapted to farming. On Sections 13 and 24 he found an excellent lake of pure water, which Mr. Ludlow found to be twenty chains wide from east to west. Several Indian trails are mentioned, generally leading to Greentown, or to the main Sandusky trail below.

This township was found to contain more archeological remains than any in the county. An excellent field is here open for the student of the extinct tribes that once inhabited this region of Ohio. The remains are noted elsewhere in the chapter on that subject, and need

The next range, 18, was surveyed entirely by; Maxfield and William Ludlow, in 1806 and 1807. The records in the County Surveyor's office show but very little regarding this range. Many of the townships have no record of any returns. They were evidently made directly to the State Capitol or to the Surveyor General. After much inquiry by mail, the year of the survey of each of the remaining ranges was ascertained, but the field-books could not be found. In this range, William Ludlow surveyed Townships 21 and 22, and Maxfield Ludlow, Township 23, while together they surveyed Townships 19 and 20.

Range 19 was surveyed entirely in 1807. Maxfield Ludlow surveyed Townships 19, 20 and 21; 22 and 23 were surveyed by himself and William. Range 20, the last one in the county, was all surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow, in 1807. It is evident that the survey proceeded from the east to the west, and that this range

As was their custom, they carefully noted all peculiarities of timber, land, the springs, the topographical features, ete. Afterward, when travelers or persons came in search of land, these surveyors knew just where to take them. Gen. Hedges kept a man who had been on the survey, ready, in after years, to show settlers where desirable lands could be found. Other early settlers soon explored the country, and became, in their time, guides to those who came after them.

new lands in the West could have been published than the notes of the surveyors who trayersed the county in advance of civilization. The same is true of the West of to-day, and, did people rely more on scientific observations, many a disappointment might be averted.