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

Chapter 1: Related State History

The first white men to set foot upon the Northwest Territory were French traders and missionaries under the leadership of La Salle. This was about the year 1670 and subsequent discoveries and explorations in this region by the French gave that nation practically undisputed possession of all the territory organized in 1787 as the Northwest Territory. It is true that the English colonies of Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts claimed that their charters extended their grants westward to the Mississippi river. However, France claimed this territory and successfully maintained possession of it vmtil the close of the French and Indian War in 1763. At that time the treaty of Paris transferred all of the French claims east of the Mississippi river to England, as well as all claims of France to territory on the mainland of North x\merica. For the next twenty years the Northwest Territory was under the undis])uted control of England, but became a part of the United States by the treaty which terminated the Revolutionary War in 1783. Thus the flags of three nations have floated over the territory now comprehended within the present state of Ohio - the tri-color of France, the union jack of England and the stars and stripes of the United States.

History will record the fact tliat there was another nation, however, which claimed possession of this territory and, while the Indians can hardly be called a nation, yet they made a gallant fight to retain their hunting grounds. The real owners of this territory struggled against heavy odds to maintain their supremacy and it was not until the battle of Tippecanoe, in the fall of 181 1, that the Indians gave up the unequal struggle. Tecumseh, the Washington of his race, fought fiercely to save this territory for his people, but the white man finally overwhelmed him, and "Lo, the poor Indian" was pushed westward across the Mississippi. The history of the Northwest Territory is full of the bitter fights which the Indian waged in trying to drive (3) the white man out and the defeat which the Indians inflicted on General St. Clair on Xo\ember 4, 1792, will go down in the annals of American history as the worst defeat which an American army ever suffered at the hands of the Indians. The greatest battle which has ever been fought in the United States against the Indians occurred in the state o'f Ohio. This was the battle of Fallen Timbers and occurred August 20, 1794, the scene of the battle being within the present county of Defiance. After the close of the Revolutionary War the Indians, urged on by the British, caused the settlers in the Northwest Territory continual trouble and defeated every detachment sent against them previous to their defeat by Gen. Anthony Wayne at the battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Although there was some trouble with the Indians after this time, they never offered serious resistance after this memorable defeat until the fall of 181 1, when Gen. William Henry Harrison completely routed them at the battle of Tippecanoe.

Ohio was the first state created out of the old Northwest Territory, although Indiana had been previously organized as a territory. When the land comprehended within the Northwest Territory was discovered by the French under La Salle about 1670, it was a battle ground of various Indian tribes, although the Fries, who were located along the shores of Lake Erie, were the only ones with a more or less definite territory. From 1670 to 1763, the close of the French and Indian War, the French were in possession of this territory and established their claims in a positive manner by extensive exploration and scattered settlements. The chief centers of French settlement were at Detroit, Vincennes, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Fort Crevecour and at several missionary stations around the shores of the great lakes. The French did not succeed in doing this \\'ithout incurring the hostility of the Iroquois Indians, a bitter enemity which was brought about chiefly because the French helped the Shawnees, Wyandots and Miamis to drive the Iroquois out of the territory west of the Muskingum river in Ohio.

It must not be forgotten that the English also laid claim to the Northwest Territory, basing their claim on the discoveries of the Cabots and the subsequent charters of Virginia. Massachusetts and Connecticut. These charters extended the limits of these three colonies westward to the Pacific ocean, although, as a matter of fact, none of the three colonies made a settlement west of the Alleghanies until after the Revolutionary War. New York sought to strengthen her claim to territorv west of the Alleghanies in 1701, by getting from the Iroquois, the bitter enemies of the French, a grant to the territory from which the French and their Indian aUies had previously expelled them. Although this grant was renewed in 1726 and again confirmed in 1744, it gave New York only a nominal claim and one which was never recognized by the French in any way.

English traders from Pennsylvania and Virginia began in 1730 to pay more attention to the claims of their country west of the AUeghanies and north of the Ohio river. When their activities reached the ears of the French the governor of French Canada sent Celeron de Bienville up and down the Ohio and the rivers and streams running into it from the north and took formal possession of the territory by planting lead plates at the mouth of every ri\er and stream oi any importance. This peculiar method of the French in seeking to establish their claims occurred in the year 1749 and opened the eyes of England to the necessity of taking some immediate action. George II, the king of England at the time, at once granted a charter for the first Ohio Company ( there were two others by the same name later organized) , composed of London merchants and enterprising Virginians, and the company at once proceeded to formulate plans to secure possession of the territory north of the Ohir) and west of the ^Mississippi. Christopher Gist was sent down the Ohio river in 1750 to explore the country as far west as the mouth of the Scioto ri\'er, and made se\'eral treaties with the Indians. Things were now rapidly approaching a crisis and it was soon evident that there would be a struggle of arms between England and France for the disputed region. In 1754 the English started to build a fort at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, on the site of the present city of Pittsburgh, but before the fort was completed the French appeared on the scene, drove the English away and finished the fort which had been begun.

The crisis had finall}' come. The struggle which followed between the two nations ultimately resulted in the expulsion of the French from the mainland of America as well as from the immediate territory in dispute. The war is known in America as the French and Indian War and in the history of the world as the Seven Years' War, the latter designation being due to the fact that it lasted that length of time. The struggle developed into a world-wide conflict and the two nations fought o\"er three continents, America, Europe and Asia. It is not within the province of this resume of the history of Ohio to go into the details of this memorable struggle. It is sufficient for the purpose at hand to state that the treaty of Paris, which terminated the war in 1763, left France without any of her former possessions on the mainland of America.

With the English in control of America east of the Mississippi river and the French regime forever ended, the Indians ne.xt command the attention of the historian who deals with the Northwest Territory. The French were undoubtedly responsible for stirring up their former Indian allies and Pontiac's conspiracy must be credited to the influence of that nation. This formidable uprising was successfully overthrown by Henry Boucjuet. who led an expedition in 1764 into the present state of Ohio and compelled the Wyandots, Delawares and Shawnees to sue for peace.

Northwest Territory .And Quebec Act

From 1764 to 1774, no events of particular importance occurred within the territory north of the Ohio river, but in the latter year (June 22, 1774). England, then at the breaking point with the colonies, passed the Quebec act, which attached this territory to the province of Quebec for administrative purposes. This intensified the feeling of resentment which the colonies bore against their mother country and is given specific mention in their list of grievances which they enumerated in their Declaration of Independence. The Revolutionarv War came on at once and this act, of course, was never put into execution.

During the War for Independence ( 1775-1783), the various states with claims to western lands agreed with the Continental Congress to surrender their claims to the national government. In fact, the Articles of Confederation were not signed until all of the states had agreed to do this and Maryland withheld her assent to the articles until March i, 1780, on this account. In accordance with this agreement New York ceded her claim to the United States in 1780, Virginia in 1784, Massachusetts in 1785 and Connectiait in 1786, although the latter state excepted a one-hundred-and-twenty-mile strip of three million five hundred thousand acres bordering on Lake Erie. This strip was formally relinquished in 1800, with the understanding that the

United States would guarantee the titles already issued by that state. Virginia was also allowed a reservation, known as the Virginia Military District, which lay between the Little Miami and Scioto rivers, the same being for distribution among her Re\-olutionary veterans. There is one other fact which should be mentioned in connection with the territory north of the Ohio in the Revolutionary period. This was the memorable conquest of the territory by Gen. George Rogers Clark. During the years 1778 and 1779, this redoubtable leader captured Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Vincennes and thereby drove the English out of the Northwest Territory. It is probable that this notable campaign secured this territor\^ for the Americans and that without it we would not have had it included in our possessions in the treaty which closed the Revolutionary War.

The next period in the history of the territory north of the Ohio begins with the passage of a congressional act (May 20, 1785), which provided for the present system of land sur\eys into townships six miles square. As soon as this was put into operation, settlers - and mostly Revolutionary soldiers - began to pour into the newly surveyed territory. A second Ohio Company was organized in the spring of 1786, made up chiefly of Revolutionary otflcers and soldiers from New England, and this company proposed to establish a state somewhere between Lake Erie and the Ohio river. At this juncture Congress realized that definite steps should be made at once for some kind of government o\er this extensive territory, a territory which now includes the present states of Ohio, Indiana. Illinois, ^Michigan, Wisconsin and about a third of Minnesota. \'arious plans were proposed in Congress and most of the sessions of 1786 and the first half of 1787 were consumed in trying to formulate a suitable form of government for the extensive territory. The result of all these deliberations resulted in the famous Ordinance of 1787, which was finally passed on July 13, 1787.

Ordinance Of I 787

There ha\e been many volumes written about this instrument of government and to this day there is a diiTerence of opinion as to who was its author. The present article can do no more than merely sketch its outline and set forth the main provisions. It was intended to provide only a temporary government and to serve until such a time as the population of the territory would warrant the creation of states with the same rights and privileges which the thirteen original states enjoyed. It stipulated that not less than three nor more than five states should ever be created out of the whole territory and the maximum number was finally organized, although it was not until 1848 that the last state, Wisconsin, was admitted to the Union. The third article, "Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged," has given these five states the basis for their excellent system of public schools, state normals, colleges and universities. Probably the most widely discussed article was the si.xth, which provided that slavery and involuntary servitude should never be permitted within the territory and by the use of the word "forever" made the territory free for all time. It is interesting to note in this connection that both Indiana and Illinois before their admission to the l^nion sought to have this provision set aside, but every petition from the two states was refused by Congress in accordance with the provision of the Ordinance.

First Stage Of Government Under The Ordin.Ance

The ordinance contemplated two grades ol territorial government. During the operation of the first grade of government the governor, his secretary and the three judges provided by the ordinance were to be appointed by Congress and the governor in turn was to appoint "such magistrates and other civil officers in each county and township as he shall deem necessary for the preservation of the peace and good will of the same." After the federal government was organized a statutory provision took the appointment of these oi^cers out of the hands of Congress and placed it in the hands of the President of the United States. All executive authority was given to the governor, all judicial authority to the three judges, while the governor and judges, in joint session, constituted the legislative body. This means that during the first stage of territorial government the people had absolutely no voice in the affairs of government and this state of affairs lasted until 1799, a period of twelve years.

The second stage of government in the territory was to begin whenever the governor was satisfied that there were at least five thousand free male inhabitants of the age of twenty-one and above. The main difference be- tween the first and second stages of territorial government lay in the fact that the legislative functions were taken from the governor and judges and given to a "general assembly or legislature.'' The ordinance provided for the election of one representative for each fi\e hundred free male inhabitants, the tenure of the office to be two years. While the members of the lower house were to be elected by the qualified voters of the territory, the upper house, to consist of five meml)ers, were to be appointed by Congress in a somewhat complicated manner. The house of representatives were to select ten men and these ten names were to be sent to Congress and out of this number five were to be selected by Congress. This provision, like the appointment of the governor, was later changed so as to make the upper house the appointees of the President of the United States. The five men so selected were called councilors and held office for five years.

Organiz.Vtion Ok The Northwest Territory

The first governor of the newly organized territory was Gen. Arthur St. Clair, a gallant soldier of the Revolution, who was appointed on October 5, 1787, and ordered to report for duty on the first of the following February. He held the office until November 22, 1802, when he was dismissed by President Jefferson "for the disorganizing spirit, and tendency of every example, violating the rules of conduct enjoined by his public station, as displayed in his address to the comention." The governor's duties were performed by his secretary, Charles W. liyrd, until ^March 1, 1803, when the state officials took their office. The first judges appointed were Samuel Holden Parsons, James Alitchell \'arnum and John .Armstrong. Before the time came for the judges to cpialify, Armstrong resigned and John Cleves Symmes was appointed in his place. The first secretary was Winthrop Sargent, who held the position until he was appointed governor of Mississippi Territory by the President on May 2, 1798. Sargent was succeeded by William Henry Harrison, who was appointed by the President on June 26, 1798, and confirmed by the Senate two days later. Harrison was later elected as the first delegate of the organized Northwest Territory to Congress and the President then appointed Charles Willing P.ynl as secretary of the Territory, Byrd's appointment being confirmed by the Senate on December 31, 1799.

The Northwest Territorv remained under the government of the first stage until September i6, 1799, when it formally advanced to the second or representative stage. In the summer of 1798 Governor St. Clair iiad ascertained that the territory had a population of at least five thousand free male inhabitants and, in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance of 1787, was ready to make the change in its form of government. On October 29, 1798, the governor issued a proclamation to the qualified voters of the territory directing them to choose members for the lower house of the Territorial Legislature at an election to be held on the third Monday of the following December. The twenty-two members so elected met on January 16, 1799, and, pursuant to the provisions of the ordinance, selected the ten men from whom the President of the United States later chose five for the Legislative Council. They then adjourned to meet on September 16, 1799, but since there was not a quorum on that day they held adjourned sessions until the 23rd, at which time a quorum was present.

At the time the change in the form of government went into efifect there were only nine counties in the whole territory. These counties had been organized either by the governor or his secretary. The following table gives the nine counties organized before 1799 with the dates of their organization and the number of legislators proportioned to each by the governor :

The twenty-two representatives and five councilors were the first representative body to meet in the Northwest Territory and they represented a constituency scattered over a territory of more than two hundred and sixtyfive thousand square miles, an area greater than Germany or France, or even Austria-Hungary. It would be interesting to tell something of the deliberations of these twenty-seven sterling pioneers, but the limits of the present article forbids. It is necessary, liowever, to make mention of one important thing which they did in view of tlie fact tliat it throws mucli hght on the subsequent history of the Northwest Territory.

Division Of 1800

The Legislature was autliorized to elect a delegate to Congress and two candidates for the honor presented their names to the Legislature, William Henry Harrison and .Arthur St. Clair, Jr., the son of the govenor. The Legislature, by a joint ballot on October 3, 1799, elected Harrison liy a vote of eleven to ten. The defeat of his son undoubtedly had considerable to do with the subsequent estrangement which arose between the governor and his legislature and incidentally hastened the division of the Northwest Territory. Within two years from the time the territory had advanced to the second stage of government the division had taken place. On May 7, 1800, Congress passed an act dividing the Northwest Territory b\' a line drawn from the mouth of the Kentucky river to Fort Recoveiy. in Mercer county, Ohio, and thence due north to the boundary line between the United States and Canada. Governor St. Clair favored the division because he thought it would delay the organization of a state and thus give him a longer lease on his position, but he did not favor the division as finally determined. He was constantly growing in disfavor with the people on account of his overbearing manner and he felt that he would get rid of some of his bitterest enemies if the western inhabitants were set off into a new territory. However, the most of the credit for the division must be given to Harrison, who, as a delegate to Congress, was in a position to have the most influence. Harrison also was satisfied that in caw a new territory should be formed he would be appointed its first governor and he was not disappointed. The territory west of the line above mentioned was immediately organized and designated as Indiana Territory, while the eastern portion retained the existing go\'ernment and the old name - Northwest Territory. It is frequently overlooked that the Northwest Territory existed in fact and in name up until March i, 1803.

Census Of Nortiiwe.St Territory In 180O

The division of 1800 left the Northwest Territory with only aljout onethird of its original area. The census of the territory taken by the United States government in 1800 showed it to ha\-e a total population of forty-five thousand three hundred and sixtv-five. which fell short bv about fifteen thou- sand of being sufficient for the creation of a state as provided by the Ordinance of 1787, which fixed the minimum population at sixty thousand. The counties left in the Northwest Territory, with their respective population, are set forth in the appended table, all of which were witiiin the present state of Ohio, except Wayne :

The population as classified by the census with respect to age and sex is interesting and particularly so in showing that considerably more than onethird of the total population were children under ten years of age.

A digression is necessary at this point in order to trace the growth of settlement of the territory now within the present state of Ohio up to 1803, when it was admitted to the Union as a state. Marietta, founded in July, 1788, by the Ohio Company, is the oldest permanent settlement in the state. A number of New Jersey settlers were organized by John Cleves Symmes, and Symmes succeeded in securing a grant of land from Congress ( 1 788- 1792) containing two hundred forty-eight thousand five hundred and forty acres, located between the Great ]\Iianii and Little Miami rivers. This grant of land is known in Ohio history as the Symmes purchase and contained the settlements of Columbia (1788) and Cincinnati (1789), although the latter place was first christened Losantiville. The man who devised this name exercised no small amount of ingenuity in its manufacture. The proposed settlement happened to be located at the mouth of the Licking river and this circumstance, with a little knowledge of Latin and a vivid imagination, was responsible for this hybrid word. The Latin word for town is "villa," which is Anglicized into "ville;" the Latin for opposite is "anti" and for mouth "os." These three Latin words account for the completed word, with the exception of the "L," and this letter is the initial letter of Licking. To make the word clear it must be read backward, syllable at a time - thus L-os-anti- \-ille, which being interpreted means the triwn opposite the mouth of the Licking.

The Virginia Military District, to which reference has been made, was settled largely by people from that state. The Connecticut Reserve, along Lake Erie, attracted many settlers from that state, among whom should be mentioned Moses Cleaveland, who, in 1796, founded the city which bears his name. The northern part of the state did not begin to fill up rapidly until after 1832, when the Ohio-Erie canal was opened for traffic. There have been estimates running from fifteen to twenty thousand as to the number of people who floated down the Oliio river within a year after the Ordinance of 1787 went into efifect.

It has already been stated that there were nine counties within the ' Northwest Territory in 1799. when it advanced to the second stage of territorial government. According to the provisions of the ordinance, the creation of new counties was in the hands of the governor, although after the federal constitution went into effect the secretary was also given the same power. Knox and Wayne counties were started by Secretary Winthrop Sargent according to this pro\'ision. Tlie state of Ohio is now divided into eightv-eight counties, ten of which were created before the state was admitted to the Union on March i, 1803. The counties organized by Governor St. Clair, or his secretary, from 1788, when Washington county was organized, up to 1803, when the state was admitted to the L^iion, are ten in number: Washington, Hamilton, W'ayne, Adams. Jefferson, Ross. Trumbull, Clermont, Eairfield and Belmont. The dates of the creation of the first six have already been given. Trumbull county was organized on July lo, 1800; Clennont and Fairfield, December 9, 1800; Belmont, September 7, 1801. Between the years 1803 and 1810, when Fayette county was organized, there were no less than twenty-four counties organized within the state of Ohio. The first session of the General Assembly of the state organized eight counties, as follows : Franklin, Gallia, Greene, Scioto, Warren, Butler, Montgomery and Columbiana. Muskingum started its independent existence on the first day of March, 1804. In 1805 there were four counties created. Champaign, Athens, Geauga and Highland. The session of 1807 added four more to the rapidly growing state. Miami, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga and Portage. The following year saw six .new counties opened for entry, Delaware, Stark, Tuscarawas, Preble, Knox and Licking. One county, Huron, was created in 1809. The five counties organized in 1810 included Fayette, Pickaway, Guernsey, Clinton and Madison. This makes a total of thirtynine counties up to and including the year 18 10. In this year Cincinnati, the largest citv of the state, boasted of a population of two thousand three hundred and twenty.

The period from 1787 to 1803 in the Northwest Territory was marked by several bitter conflicts with the Indians. Just as at the close of the French and Indian War had the French stirred up the Indians against the Americans, so at the close of the Revolutionary War did th.e English do the same thing. This inciting of the Indians by the British was one of the causes of the War of 1812, a struggle which has very appropriately been called the second War for Independence. The various uprisings of the Indians up to 1794 retarded the influx of settlers and was a constant menace to those who did venture into the territory. Three distinct campaigns were waged against the Indians during this period before they were finally subdued. The first campaign was under the command of Gen. Josiah Harmar, 1790, and resulted in a decisive defeat for the whites. The second expedition was under the leadership of Gen. Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Territory, and marked by one of the worst defeats ever suflfered by an American army at the hands of the Indians. A lack of knowledge of Indian methods of warfare, combined with reckless mismanagement, sufficiently accounts for both disasters. It remained for Gen. Anthony Wayne, the "Mad Anthony" of Revolutionary fame, to bring the Indians to terms. The battle which closed his campaign against the Indians is known as the battle of Fallen Timbers and was fought on August 20, 1794. The scene of the battle lies along the jMaumee river within the Hmits of the present cciuntv of Defiance. This crushing defeat uf the Indians, a rout in which tliey had lost twelve out of thirteen chiefs, was so complete that the Indians were glad to sue for peace. On June lo, 1795, delegates from the various Indian tribes, headed by their chiefs, met at Greenville, Ohio, to formulate a treaty. The United States government appointed General Wayne as commissioner plenipotentiary to draft the treaty and, after nearly two months of bickering, a treaty was drawn up on August 3, 1795. It was signed by General Wayne on behalf of the United States and by ninety chiefs and the delegates of twelve interested tribes. The treaty was faithfully kept by the Indians and ever afterwards Little Turtle, the real leader of the Indians, was a true friend of the whites. It may l)e said that this battle of h'allen Timbers was the most important battle fought in America between the close of the War for Independence and the battle of Tippecanoe in the fall of iSii. To General Anthony W^avne will remain the honor of opening the way for permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory.

The three years intervening between the creation of Indiana Territory (May 7, 1800) and the admission of Ohio to the Union (March i, 1803), are marked by an acrimonious struggle during which Governor St. Clair was constantly growing in disfavor with his Legislature and the great mass of the people oi the territory. The Legislature wanted a state f<jrmed as soon as possible and succeeded in getting Congress to pass an act, April 30, 1802, authorizing the calling of a constitutional convention. This act established the limits of the proposed new state as follows : "That part of the Northwest Territory bounded east by Pennsylvania, south by the Ohio river, west by a line drawn from the mouth of the Big Miami river due north to an east and west line passing through the south extremity of Lake Michigan, and by this line and the Canada line through Lake Erie to the west line of Pennsylvania." Since these boundaries omitted the eastern half of the present state of Michigan which had been left a part of the Northwest Territory by the division of j\Iay 7, 1800, it was denounced as a fraud by the Federalists in the omitted territory. However, it is very plain that Congress carried out the intent of the Ordinance of 1787 by their act and the charge of political trickery fails of substantiation in the light of the specific provisions thereiii set forth regarding the creation of states out of the Northwest Territory. The enabling act provided for an election of delegates to the constitutional convention to be held in September of the same year (1802), the delegates to meet at Chillicothe on the first Monday of the following November. The thirty-five delegates met at the appointed time and by a vote of thirty-four to one, the negative vote being cast by Ephraim Cutler, decided to proceed at once to the organization of a state government and the formation of a constitution. The convention was in session until November 29th, at which time it had completed the first constitution for the state and the one which lasted until 1 85 1, when a second constitution was adopted.

It is interesting to note the difficulty which Ohio historians have had in tr\ing to fix upon the date which marks the formal admission of the state to the Union.

The natal day of Ohio has given rise to more dispute than the natal day of any other state in the Union. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that Congress never passed an act formally admitting it to the Union. There ha\e been no less than five dates assigned by as many different authorities and each group of historians substantiate their claim by the citation of facts. These five dates are as follows: April 30, 1802; November 29, 1802; February 19, 1803; March i, 1803; March 3, 1803.

The first date (April 30, 1802) has for its chief sponsor the editor of the "United States Statutes at Large." This date is not tenable at all, since the territorial judges were in office for several months after this date and were, by the congressional act of Februaiy 21, 1806, paid their full salaries up to March i, 1803. The second date (November 29, 1802) is advanced by Hickey in bis volume, "The Constitution," on the ground that the constitution was adopted on that day. The third date (February 19, 1803) has been held by several good autliorities, notably, Caleb Atwater, in his "Political Manual :" G. W. Pascal, in his "Annotated Constitution," and the late president of Marietta College, I. W. .\ndrews. It was upon this date that Congress passed an act to "provide for the due execution of the laws of the United States within the state of Ohio." This would seem to indicate that Congress recognized February 19, 1803, as the date of the admission of Ohio to the Union, but when it is recalled that Congress had not yet appointed the necessary judicial officers it must be concluded that this is not the proper date. The fourth date (March i, 1803) is now recognized officially as the actual <la)- on which Ohio f(irmally entered the Union, although it was an act of Congress passed nearly three years later which definitely settled this fact.

The question arose in 1806 in Congress regarding the payment of the territorial officers and the act of February -2ist of that year ordered that the governor and judges be paid for their services up to March i, 1803. There can be no question but that Congress placed its official approxal on this date as being the first day of Ohio's existence as a separate state. The fifth and last date (March 3, 1803) was advanced as the real date of the admissi(_)n of the state, for the reason that on this date Congress gave its appro\al to certain changes in the constitution of the state which had been adopted on November 29, 1802. These changes related to the disposition of certain school lands within the state and were of minor importance and in no sense advocated any radical changes in the constitution of the state. Howe\er, on March 3, 1803, the state had been in full operation for a space of three days and exercising all the rights and privileges of a state ; the governor had been installed ; the Legislature was in session and the various state officials were discharging their duties in accordance with the constitution. Thus it must be concluded from all a\ailable evidence that Ohio was admitted to the Union on March i, 1803.

Capitals Of Northwest Territiry And Ohio

The capital of the Northwest Territoiy was located within the present limits of Ohio during the whole existence of the Territory both before and after the division of the Territory in 1800. When the Ordinance of 1787 was formally put into operation, on July 17, 1788, the capital was established at Marietta, the name being chosen by the directors of the Ohio Company on July 2, 1788. The name of ^Marietta was selected in honor of the French Queen Marie Antoinette, compounded by a curious comljination of the first and last syllables of her name.

The capital remained at ^Marietta until 1800, when it was mo\ed by the congressional act of May 7tli of that year to Chillicothe and by the constitution adopted in 1802 the ca])ital was to remain there at least until 1808. The Legislature of 1809 moved the capital to Zanesville until such time as a permanent site should be selected. The Legislature at the same time that it moved the capital to Zanes\-ille appointed commissioners to re])ort at the following sessions "the most eligible and central spot for permanently estaljlishing it." The approaching War of 1812 made it necessary to take the capital back to Chillicothe, where there was less danger from attack Ijy the Indians and British. The commissioners appointed by the Legislature of 1809 se- lected a small village by the name of Dublin, on the Scioto, about fourteen miles north of Columbus, but the Legislature refused to abide by their choice. The capital was permanently located at Columbus by the legislative act of February 14, 181 2, although no less than nine different sites were under consideration before tlie final decision was made. The act selecting the site did not choose a name for the proposed city and this honor belongs to Joseph Foos. the senator from Franklin county, who had been largely instrumental in the selection of the Legislature. .\t that time there was a solitary log cabin on the site and the whole tract was covered with a dense forest. The act of February 17, 1816, formally designated Columbus as the capital "from and after the second Tuesday of October, 1816." During the War of 1812, and until the buildings were ready at Columbus, the capital remained at Chillicothe.

Constitutional History Of Ohio

Tiie state of Ohio has had four constitutional conventions: 1802, 1850-51, 1873-74 and 1912. The constitution of 1802, it is interesting to note, was never submitted to the people for ratification. Between the adoption of the first and second constitutions there was an effort to hold a constitutional convention. A resolution, passed December 25, 1818, authorized a vote on the question of holding a constitutional convention, but at the election which was subsequently held it was decided adversely by a vote of 29,315 to 6,987.

The main facts concerning the second constitutional convention may be briefly summed up as follows. The Legislature on October 9, 1849, authorized a vote on the question of holding a convention and the voters of the state cast a majority of 94,531 in favor of the constitutional convention. The vote stood 145,698 for and 51,167 against the convention. On April 1. 1850, the one hundred and eight delegates were elected and on the 6th of the following May they met at Columbus. The convention was in continuous session until July 9, 1850, and then, not having yet completed their deliberations, adjourned to meet again on December 2, 1850. The second session continued to hold daily meetings until March 10, 1851, when it finally concluded its labors after having spent a total of one hundred and sixty-three days. The constitution was submitted to the people of the state on June 17, 1S51, and adopted by a vote of 125,564 to 109,276.

An attempt to adopt a new constitution was made in 1874, but failed. On March 30, 1871, the Legislature provided for a vote on the question of holding a constitutional convention and at an election held October 10, 1871, it was decided, by a vote of 267,618 to 104,231, to hold such a convention. On April 6, 1873, the one hundred and five delegates to the convention were elected and on the 13th of the following month they met and organized. The convention continued in session from that date until August 8th, and, after a recess, met on December 2d and remained in continuous session until May 15th of the following year. The convention held daily sessions for one hundred and eighty days, one of the longest constitutional conventions ever held in the United States. With all this deliberation it would seem that a satisfactory constitution could have been framed, but the voters of the state, on August 18, 1874, rejected it by a vote of 250,169 to 102,885. This expensive attempt to make a new constitution was sufficient to thwart all efforts along this line for several years. Hovicver, the changes in economic, social and industrial conditions became more pronounced year by year, and on March 9, 1909, the Legislature submitted the question of holding a constitutional convention. At an election held on November 8, 1910, it was decided, by a vote of 693,263 to 67.718, to select delegates to a constitutional convention. The convention met on the second Tuesday of January, 1912, and remained in session until June 8, 1912, when it finally concluded its labors. This convention submitted forty-two changes in the existing constitution and on September 3d of the same year the qualified voters of the state accepted all but eight of the proposed amendments. The eight amendments lost are as follows : Suffrage, good roads, advertising, injunctions, capital punishment, voting machines, eligibility of women and elimination of word "white" from the constitution. The amendments which carried by various majorities concerned the following subjects : Jury system, depositions, suits, wrongful death, initiative and referendum, investigations, limiting veto, mechanics' lien, welfare, compensations, conservation of natural resources, eight-hour day removal of officials, expert testimony, land titles, prison contracts, extra sessions, reform of the judiciary, county judges, justices, school boards, school commissioners, insurance, abolishing of board of public works, taxation, corporations, double liability, state printing, civil service, submission of amendments, home rule for cities, schedule and license. The fight was the most bitter on woman's suffrage and the initiative and referendum. The vote on the first proposition was 249,420 to 336,875 and was defeated largely on account of the activity of the liquor interests. The initiative and referendum carried by a vote of 312,592 to 231,312, despite the fact that every ruse and trick known to professional politicians was used to compass its defeat.

On November 3, 1914, there were four constitutional amendments submitted to the voters of the state and the two which caused the most discussion, viz.. woman's suffrage and prohibition, were defeated. The other two amendments related to home rule for cities and the regulation of the liquor traffic.

Military Record

The state of Ohio has had its citizens in four wars in which the United States has engaged since 1803; the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. It is very unfortunate that the public records of Ohio contain no list of the soldiers of the state who fought in the War of 1812, although large numbers of the citizens served in the field under various commanders. The records as regards the Mexican War are fairly complete and show that a total of 5,536 men were sent to the front by the state. When the call was first issued for troops, Ohio was called upon to furnish three thousand men and within a short time forty companies reported at Camp Washington, near Cincinnati. Thirty companies were formed into three regiments, commanded by Cols. Alexander M. Mitchell, George W. Morgan and Samuel R. Curtis. These troops were sent down the Ohio in July, 1846, and joined General Taylor on the Rio Grande. In 1847 additional troops were sent from Ohio, but none of them saw any active service. The regiment under the command of Mitchell was the only one to take part in a battle, and it distinguished itself in the storming of Monterey. The state of Ohio suffered a severe loss in the death of Brig.-Gen. Thomas L. Hammer, one of the most prominent men of the state at that time. He was a member of Congress at the time of the opening of the war, but left Congress, enlisted as a private and soon after received a commission as brigadiergeneral. He was in the operations around Monterey and shortly afterward was stricken with a fatal disease and died on December 30, 1846.

The part which Ohio played in the Civil War can be only briefly noticed in this resume of the history of the state. That Ohio did her full duty as a loyal member of the Union is a fact which is known to everyone. Within twenty-four hours from the time the President issued his first call for troops on April 16, i860, the Legislature had passed a bill appropriating one million dollars for military purposes. Two days later (April 19th) two regiments of Ohio troops left by rail for Washington. The ease and quickness with which this was accomplished is an indication of the intense loyalty of the state. It is a glowing tribute to the state of Ohio that although tliere were only thirteen regiments assigned to the state under the first call, enough men presented themselves to make more tlian seventy regiments. This outburst of lovalty was such that the Legislature authorized the governor to accept ten more regiments, and the state itself equipped and paid these additional men and enrolled them for the defense of the state. By October i, 1862, the state had enrolled militia to the number of 425,147 and the state sent out for duty outside of its own limits 319,659 men, although their quota was only 306,322. This gives the state the honor of furnishing more than one-tenth of the total enlistment of men in the Northern army. In number of troops furnished, Ohio was third among all the states and in losses was second. The soldiers were a part of every amiy, participated in every campaign, fought in every important battle from Bull Run to Bentonville, from Sabine Cross Roads to Gettysburg. No less than forty-three Ohio regiments of infantry were present at the sanguinary engagement at Missionary Ridge and they were in like proportion at the other battles. Twelve thousand brave Ohio men were killed or mortally wounded and at least forty thousand received wounds of some kind. Thirteen thousand died of disease in the service and twenty thousand were discharged for disability arising from wounds or disease. These figures give some idea of the prominent part which the soldiers of Ohio played in the great struggle.

It is pertinent to say something of the activity of the anti-war party in the state during the time the struggle was going on. In the summer of 1863 the Democrats of the state nominated Vallandigham for governor, a man who was very outspoken in his denunciation of the war, but John Brough, a stanch Union man, had no difficulty in defeating him for the governorship. The part which Vallandigham subsequently played in the history of his state is sufficient proof that it was for the best interests of the state that he was defeated.

The Spanish- American War of 1898 has been the last one in which troops from Ohio have taken any part. Following the call of President McKinley for seventy-five thousand volunteers, Ohio had no difficulty in filling their quota. This war opened officially on April 25th and formally came to an end by the signing of a protocol on August 12th. The battles of Manila Bay, Santiago, El Caney and San Juan Hill were the only engagements of importance. According to the treaty of Paris, which was signed December 12, 1898, Spain relinquished her sovereignty over Cuba, ceded to the United States Porto Rico and her other West India possessions and the Island of Guam, and transferred her rights in the Philippines for a sum of twenty million dollars paid to her for public works and improvements which belonged to the Spanish government.

The Land Grants Of Ohio

Ohio was the first state organized out of the territory north of the Ohio river and east of the Mississippi river and was divided into several grants, reservations and mihtary districts of one kind and another. These various divisions have led to an endless amount of confusion in the surveying of lands in the state and in many cases in expensive litigation. A brief summary of each one of these divisions is here presented.

The Ohio Land Company Purchase

This company was organized ]March 3, 1786, at Boston and on October 27, 1787, bought from the government 1,500,000 acres and received, outside of the portions reserved by Congress. 1,064,285 acres. Congress set aside the sixteenth section of each township for school purposes, the twenty-ninth section for religious purposes and the eighth, eleventh and twenty-sixth for such purposes as Congress might determine in the future. This tract included what was known as the "Donation Tract" of 100,000 acres, the same now being the northern part of Washington county. For this immense tract the Ohio Company paid the government sixty-six and two-thirds cents an acre.

The French Grant

The secretary of the United Board of Treasury, William Duer, was instrumental in helping the Ohio Company to secure from Congress the option on 3,000,000 acres lying west and north of the original purchase of this company. The title to this tract remained in the government and out of this peculiar arrangement arose the Scioto Company, which was organized in France. Hundreds of deluded Frenchmen invested their money in this tract and received cloudy titles which caused no little trouble in later years. A large number of these French settlers landed on the banks of the Ohio on October 20, 1790, on the site of the present city of Gallipolis, which they founded and named. The Scioto Company was incompetently managed, became insolvent and the land on which the unfortunate Frenchmen had settled reverted to the United States government. While the most of them remained, there were many of them who went on farther west and located where other French settlers had previously established themselves. The United States treated the remaining French settlers in a very generous manner and by the

The Symmes Purchase

In 1788 John Cleves Symmes and other men of New Jersey organized the Miami Company and bought from the United States 1,000,000 acres, for which the company agreed to pay sixty-six and two-thirds cents an acre. As in the case of the purchase of the Ohio Company, the government made reservations of school and church sections, as well as three additional sections for general purposes. The Miami Company later found out that they had contracted for more than they could pay and the records show that thev received and paid for only 3x1 ,682 acres in the southern part of the tract. It is interesting to note that the present site, of Cincinnati was sold by the company to one Matthias Denman for the sum of five hundred dollars. The city of Cincinnati was founded the following year and the monument in that city on Third street, between Broadway and Ludlow streets, marks the location of Fort Washington, which was erected to protect the infant city from the Indians.

Connecticut Reserve

In the year 1786 the state of Connecticut relinquished all her claims to lands in the Northwest Territory with the exception of a strip of 3,500,000 acres bordering Lake Erie. This immense tract became an integral part of Ohio as the result of two separate acts on the part of Connecticut. The state granted 500,000 acres in the western part of the reserve in 1792 to those citizens of Connecticut whose homes had been burned by the British during the Revolutionary War. The towns of Norwalk, Greenwich. Fairfield, New Haven and New London furnished the greater part of the eighteen hundred who took advantage of the generous ofifer of their state. The land was sur- \-eved into townships of five miles square and divided among the settlers in proportion to their losses. In 1795 the Connecticut Land Company purchased the rest of the reserve, amounting to 3,000,000 acres, and on April 28, 1800, the United States government passed an act which paved the way for the final absorption of the tract by the state of Ohio. In May, 1800, the Connecticut Legislature accepted the ofifer of the United States and formally renounced all claims to the territorv in favor of the state of Ohio.

The Virginia Military District

The reservation was retained by Virginia when the state relinquished her claim to Congress in 1784, being retained by the state for the use of the Revokitionary soldiers who had enlisted from Virginia. It comprised the territory between the Little Miami and Scioto rivers, but was not to be used unless the lands claimed by Virginia south of the Ohio river proved insufficient to pay all of the bounties promised by Virginia to her soldiers. By the year 1790 it was seen that Virginia would not have enough territory south of the Ohio to satisfy all of her needs and accordingly, in August of that year, Congress passed an act allowing the state to use the optional territory north of the Ohio river. Owing to the fact that the territory was not surveyed according to any definite plan, the various allotments assigned to the Virginia soldiers frequently overlapped and in many instances confusion and litigation resulted.

The United States Military Lands

The Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War offered bounties of Western lands in order to increase enlistments, and soldiers so secured were given land warrants which they later presented to Congress and exchanged for land. On June i, 1796, Congress passed an act which called upon the surveyor-general of the United States to locate a tract in the Northwest Territory for the purpose of enabling the government to have land to take up the land warrants which it had issued during the late war. The limits of this particular tract began "at the northwest corner of the Seven Ranges, thence south fifty miles, thence west to the .Scioto river and along that river to the Green\'ille treaty line, thence along that line and east to the place of beginning." These lands were surveyed into townships five miles square and each owner received a patent for his land signed by the President of the United States.

The Refugee Tract

This tract was set aside by the Continental Congress in April, 1783, for the benefit of such people as left Canada and Nova Scotia to help the American colonies in their fight against England during the Revolution. The subsequent congressional act of 1798 confirmed the act of the Continental Congress and on February 18, 1801, Congress definitely selected "those fractional townships of the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, twen- tieth. t\vent\--first and t\vent_\--second ranges of townships joining the southern boundary line of the niiHtary lands." This tract of four and a half miles in width, and extending forty-two miles east of the Scioto ri\-er, contained more than twice as much as was needed to satisfy the claims of the refugees. The part unclaimed by those for whom it was set aside was attached to the Chillicothe land district and sold as Congress lands. It so happened that the future capital of the state, Columbus, is in the extreme western side of this tract.

Congress Lands

Some of the tracts of land already described were Congress lands, viz., the French Grant, the Seven Ranges and the Refugee Tract. Congress retained and sold all lands not specifically relinquished to land companies and established land offices for the purpose at different times at Marietta, Cincinnati, Steubenville, Chillicothe, Zanesville, Canton, Wooster, Piqua, Delaware, Wapakoneta, Lima and Upper Sandusky.

The congressional grant to the Ohio Company in 1787 reserved ten thousands acres in what is now Tuscarawas county for the use of the Moravians and Christian Indians who had previously settled there, the title being vested in the Moravian Brethren at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A few years later two thousand acres were added to the original grant and in 1823 the territory reverted to the United States, with the exception of the cemeteries, church yards and a few special leases.

Congress granted all of township 13, range 7, in Tuscarawas county to one Henry Dohrman, a Portuguese citizen, who rendered valuable services to the colonies during the Revolutionary War.

The Maumee Road Lands

In 1823 Congress granted to the state of Ohio about sixty thousand acres for the purpose of constructing a road from the lower rapids of the Maumee river to the western limits of the Western Reserve of Connecticut.

The Turnpike Lands

In 1827 Congress granted to the state of Ohio forty-nine sections of land in Seneca, Crawford and Marion counties for the construction of a road from Columbus to Sandusky.

Canal Grants

Between 1825 and 1845 Congress at different times made special grants of land to the state of Ohio for canal purposes, and a total of about one million acres were thus secured by the state. By the year 1842 the state had completed six hundred and fifty-eight miles of canals, at the staggering cost to the state of $14,688,666.97, although before they were all completed the railroads were in operation in the state.

Salt Sections

In the earlv history of the Northwest Territory salt was a commodity hard to secure and necessarily high in price. Congress reserved every place where it was thought salt could be obtained and in this way helped the settlers to get salt at least expense. In Ohio an entire township within the present county of Jackson was reserved, as well as about four thousand acres in Delaware county. In 1824 Congress relinquished its claim in favor of Ohio.

Ebenezer Zane, one of the most prominent of the men in the early history of the state, was granted three sections by Congress in 1796 in return for his services in opening a road from Wheeling to Maysville. These three sections were located at Zanesville. Chillicothe and Lancaster. Isaac Zane was granted three sections in Champaign county by Congress for valuable service to tlie colonies during the Revolution. Isaac Zane had been captured by the Indians when a small boy and spent the major portion of his life with them, and his influence with the Indians was such that he proved to be of great assistance to the colonies in handling them.

The Ministerial Lands School Sections

Provisions for pubHc schools were made in all states created by the United States after the adoption of the constitution. The Ordinance of 1787 had made specific mention of the value of schools and a wise Congress set aside section sixteen of e\-ery township, which was sur\-eyed into townships six miles scjuare. The United States military lands were surveyed into townships, five miles square, but Congress reserved one thirty-sixth of the whole area for school purposes. There are no reservations in the Connecticut Reserve and Virginia Military District for school purposes, but Congress made up for this by setting aside an amount equivalent to one thirty-sixth of the area in each tract from other lands belonging to the United States. As a matter of fact, one thirty-sixth of the whole state w'as reserved for school purposes as well as three townships for universities.

Ohio Politics

The politics of Ohio presents many interesting features, but this Ijrief summary can do little more than indicate the more important landmarks in the political history of the state. The first governor of the Northwest Territorv, Arthur St. Clair, was an ardent Federalist and undoubtedly his pronounced political views had something to do with his removal from the office on November 22, 1802. From that time until 1836 the Democratic party, or the Republican or Democratic-Republican, as it was at first called, controlled the state, and it was not until William Henry Harrison, a "favorite son," became a candidate for the presidency, that the Whigs were able to break the strength of the Democratic party in the state. In 1836, 1840 and 1844 the Whigs carried the state for the President. The panic of 1837, the popularity of Harrison and the Texas question were largely determining factors in the success of the Whigs. The Democrats regained sufficient power in 1848 to carry the state again, and repeated their victory in 1852. In 1856 John C. Fremont carried the state for the newly organized Republican party and since that year there has been only one Democratic electoral vote in the state of Ohio. In 1892 Grover Cleveland received one of Ohio's twenty-three electoral votes, but with this exception the state has cast a solid Republican vote for President every year since 1856. Ohio has furnished five Presidents of the United States : William Henrv Harrison,

\\'hile the state has been registering Republican votes for the President, it has had eight Democratic governors and has frequently elected them by large majorities. A complete list of the governors of the state, with the years of their tenure and their politics, is given at this point for reference :

The political history of Ohio can not be dismissed without reference to the amendments incorporated in the new constitution in 1912 which have made the constitution practically a new instrument of government. The general tendency of the thirty-three amendments is to make a freer expression of democracy through the medium of the initiative and referendum, direct primaries and home rule for cities. A workmen's compensation law was enacted which provides for compulsory contributions to an insurance fund by the employers of the state. IMany changes were made in providing for improvements in social and industrial conditions. Ohio now has a constitution which is sufficiently flexible to allow changes to be made by amendment without the trouble of a constitutional conx-ention.

Boundary Lines

The state boundaries of Ohio have been the cause for most animated discussions, not only in regard to state limits but county and township lines as well. In 181 7, and again in 1834, a severe controversy . arose over the boundary between Ohio and Michigan which was settled only after violent demonstrations and government interference.

In primitive times the geographical position, extent and surface diversities were but meagerly comprehended. In truth, it may be asserted they could not have been more at variance witli actual facts had they been laid out "haphazard." The Ordinance of 1787 represented Lake Michigan far north of its real position, and even as late as 1812 its size and location had not been definitely ascertained. During that year Amos Spafford addressed a clear, comprehensive letter to the governor of Ohio relative to the boundary lines between Michigan and Ohio. Several lines of sur\'ey w^ere laid out as the first course, but either Michigan or Ohio expressed disapproval in every case. This dispute came to a climax in 1835 when the party beginning a "permanent" survey began at the northwest corner of the state and was attacked by a force of Michigan settlers who sent them away badly routed and beaten. No effort was made to return to the work until the state and various parties had weighed the subject, and finally the interposition of the government became necessary. A settlement resulted in the establishment of the present boundary line between the two states, Michigan being pacified with the grant of a large tract in the northern peninsula.

Ohio is situated between the 38° 25' and 42 ' north latitude, and 80' 30' and 84° 50' west longitude from Greenwich, or y 30' and 7° 50' west from Washington. From north to south it extends over two hundred and ten miles, and from east to west two hundred and twenty miles - comprising thirty-nine thousand nine hundred and sixty-four square miles.

The state is generall}' higher than the Ohio river. In the southern counties the surface is greatly diversified by the inequalities produced by the excavating power of the Ohio river and its tributaries. The greater portion of the state was originally covered with timber, although in the central and northwestern sections some prairies were found. The crest or watershed between tlie waters of Lake Erie and those of the Ohio is less elevated than in Xew ^'ork or Pennsylvania. Sailing upon the Ohio the country appears to be mountaiudus, bluffs rising to the height of two hundred and fifty to six hundred feet above the bed of the river. Ascending the tributaries of the Oliiii, tliese precipitous hills gradually lessen until they are resolved into gentle undulations and toward the sources of these streams the land becomes low and level.

Although Ohio has no inland lakes of importance, it possesses a favoraijle ri\er system which gives the state a convenient water transportation. The lake on the northern boundary, and the Ohio river on the south aft'ord convenient outlets by water to important points. The means of communicatirm and transportation are superior in e\'ery respect, and are constantly being increased b\' railroad and electric lines.

Organization Of Counties And Early Events

Adams county was named in lienor of John Adams, tlie second President of the United States. Governor St. Clair proclaimed it a county on July lo. 1797- The Virginia Military Tract included this section, and the first settlement made within its boundaries was in this county in 1790-91, between the Scioto and Little Miami, at Manchester, by Gen. Nathaniel Massie. In this town was held the first court of the county. West Union, the present county seat, was laid out by the Honorable Thomas Kirker. It occupies the summit of a high ridge. The surface of this county is hilly and broken, and the eastern part is not fertile. It produces corn, wheat and oats. Its hills are composed of aluminous shale.

Ashland county, one of the finest agricultural sections, was formed Februarv 26, 1846. Wheat, oats, corn, potatoes, grass and fruit are raised. Ashland is its county seat and was laid out by William Montgomery in 1816. It was called Uniontown for se\-eral years. Daniel Carter raised the first cabin within the county limits in 181 1.

Auglaize county was formed in Febmary, 1848, from Allen and Mercer counties. Wapakoneta is its count)' seat, .\uglaize is a great agricultural countv, producing all the kinds of grain raised in Ohio.

Allen countv was formed from the Indian territory April i. 1820. Lima is its countv seat. In .Mien cmmty are some of the greatest gas and oil fields in the L'nited States and the section is also very rich in agriculture.

Ashtabula county was created June 7, 1807, and was organized January 22, 181 1. The surface is level near the lake, while the remainder is undulating. The soil is mostly clay. This was the first county settled on the Western Reserve and also the earliest in nortbem Ohio. On the 4th of July, 1796, the first surveying party arrived at the mouth of Conneaut creek. Judge James Kingsbury was the first who wintered there with bis family. He was the first man to use a sickle in the first wheat field in tlie ^^'estern Reserve. Their child was the first born on the Western Reserve and was starved to death. The first regular settlement was at Harpersfield in 1798. Jefferson is the county seat. Ashtabula is pleasantly situated on the ri\'er. with a fine harbor two and a half miles from the village. The first chtu-ch on the Western Reserve was founded at Austinburg in 1801.

.Athens countv was formed from Washington ]March i, 1805. It produces wheat, corn, oats and tobacco. The surface is hilly and broken, with rich bottom lands between. Ci)al, inm ore and salt add materiallv to its com- niercial \-alue. Athens, its county seat, is situated on the Hocking river. Ohio Universit}', the first college founded in the state, is located here.

Brown county was formed March i, 1818, from Adams and Clermont. It produces wheat, corn, rye and oats. The southern part is prolific in grain, while the northern is adapted to grazing" purposes. The surface is undulating, with the exception of the Ohio river hills. Over this county Tecumseh once held sway. Georgetown, the county seat, was laid out in 1819. Ripley is the largest business town in the county.

Belmont county was created by Governor St. Clair September 7, 1801. It produces large crops of v.'heat, oats, corn and tobacco. It is a picturesque tract of country, and was one of the pioneers in the early settled portions. In 1790 Fort Dillie was erected on the west side of the Ohio. Baker's Fort was a mile below the mouth of the Captina. Many desperate Indian battles were fought within the limits of this county, and the famous Indian scout, Lewis \^'etzel. roamed over the region. Saint Clairs\ille is the county seat, situated on the elevation of land, in a fertile district. Captain Kirkwood and Elizabeth Zane, of historic fame, were early pioneers here.

Butler county was formed in 1803 from Hamilton. It is within the blue limestone formation, and one of the most fertile sections of Ohio. Hamilton, the county seat, is situated on the Great Miami. Its hydraulic works furnish superior water power. Rossville, on the opposite side of the Miami, is a large mercantile town. St. Clair passed through this county on his Indian campaigns in 1791, building Fort Hamilton on the Miami.

Champaign county was formed March i, 1805, from Greene and Franklin. It is drained by Mad river and its tributaries. The soil is fertile, and produces wheat, corn, barley, hay, while beef and wool add to the general wealth. L'rbana. the county seat, was laid out in 1805. by Col. William Ward. He was the chief owner of the land and donated many lots to the county tinder condition that their proceeds be devoted to public impro\'ements. Joseph Vance and George Fithian were the first settlers. The Methodists built the first church in 1S07. The main army of Hull concentrated at this point before setting out for Detroit. Many Indian councils were called here and Tecumseh was located for a time near Deer creek.

Carroll county was formed from Columbiana in 1S32-33. It produces wheat, oats and corn, and valuable coal and iron. The surface is hilly. Carrollton is its county seat.

Clark county was formed March i, 181 7, from Champaign. Madison and Greene. Its second settlement was at Kreb's Station in 1796. It is highly cultivated, well watered and very fertile. Tecumseh, the old Indian warrior, was born at the ancient Indian village of Piqna, on the Alad river on the site of New Boston. Picjua was destroyed by Gen. George Rogers Clark. Skeletons, beads, gun barrels, tomahawks, kettles, etc., have been found in the vicinity. Springfield, the county seat, is situated on the national road. It has convenient transportation facilities, is handsomely laid out, and is noted for its cultured citizens. It is near Mad river and Buck creek runs through it.

Clinton county was formed in iSio. Its surface is undulating, in some parts hilly, and the soil fertile. The county was settled in 179S-99. Wil-' mington is the county seat, and was laid out in 1810. The first log house was built by W^illiam Hobsin. Clititon cmmty is rich in agriculture and is noted for its macadamized roads.

Clermont county was the eighth formed in the Northwest Territory by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, December 9, 1800. The soil is e.xceedingly rich, and the surface is broken and, near the Ohio, hilly. Wheat, corn, oats, hay, potatoes, tobacco, barley, buckwheat and rye form the main crops. Batavia, its county seat, is situated on the Little Miami river and was laid out in 1820 by George Ely.

Columbiana county was formed March 25, 1803, from Jefferson and Washington. Its soil is very fertile, ])roducing wheat, corn, oats and potatoes. It is wealthy in mineral deposits, coal, iron ore, lime and freestone being abundant. Its water-lime stone is of superior quality. It was settled in 1797. Lisbon is the count}^ seat. The first paper mill in Ohio was erected in this county, on Little Beaver creek, by John Coulter and John Bever.

Coshocton county was organized April i, 1811. Hills and valleys alternate along the Aluskingum river. Coal and iron ore add to its general importance. Coshocton, the county seat, is built on four wide, natural terraces, at the junction of the Tuscarawas and Walhonding.

Cuyahoga county was formed June 7, 1807, from Geauga county. Near the lake the soil is sandy, while a cla^-ey loam may be found elsewhere. As early as 1775 there was a French settlement within the boundaries of Cuyahoga. In 1786 a Moravian missionar)- came to the present site of Cleveland and settled in an abandoned village of the Ottawas. Circumstances prevented a permanent settlement, and the British tacitly took possession, even remaining upon the lake shores after the Revolution. The first permanent settlement was made at Clexeland in 1796. Job \'. Stiles and family and Edward Paine passed the first winter there, their log cabin standing where the Commerical Bank is now located. I-Jodolphus Edwards and Nathaniel Doane settled here. In 181 3 the town was a depot of supplies and a rendezvous for troops engaged in tlie war. Cleveland, the county seat, is situated at the northern termination of the old Ohio canal on the lake shore. In 1 814 it was incorporated as a village, and in 1836 as a city. Its elevation is about a hundred feet above the lake. Ohio City is another important town nearly opposite Cleveland on the Cuyahoga. It was incorporated in 1836.

Crawford county was formed April i, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. The entire county is adapted to grazing. The soil is generally composed of rich vegetable loam and in some parts the subsoil is clay mixed with lime. Rich beds of shell marl have been discovered. Bucyrus, the county seat, was laid out February 11, 1822, by Samuel Norton and James Kilbourn, original owners of the land. The first settler in the town proper was Samuel Norton. Crawford's sulphur springs are located nine miles from Bucyrus. The water is impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen and deposits a reddish-purple sediment. In its nature the water is a cathartic, and is diuretic and diaphoretic in its effect. The Annapolis Sulphur Spring is clear and has gained considerable fame by its curative qualities. Opposite Bucyrus is a chalybeate spring of tonic qualities.

Darke county was organized in March, 181 7, from Miami county. In this county occurred the lamentable defeat of St. Clair, and the treaty of Greenville. Greenville, the county seat, was laid out August 10, 1808, by Robert Gray and John Dover. In December, 1793, Wayne built Fort Greenville on this spot, which covered about the same extent as the present town.

Delaware county was formed February 10, 1808, from Franklin. Delaware, the county seat, was laid out in the spring of 1808, by Moses Byxbe. Because of its rich soil, Delaware is an important agricultural county. The historic streams, the Scioto and Olentangy ri\ers, run through the county a long distance.

Defiance county was created March 4, 1845, from ^^^illiams, Henry and Paulding. The Maumee, Tiffin and Auglaize flow through it. The county is now one of the largest producers of sugar beets in Ohio. Defiance, the county seat, is situated on the Maumee. It was laid out in 1822 by B. Level and H. Phillips. A large Indian settlement occupied its site in very early times. Wayne arrived here August 8, 1794, captured the place, finding about one thousand acres of corn, peach and apple orchards and vegetables of all varieties. Here he built Fort Defiance.

Erie county was formed in 1838 from Huron and Sandusky. The soil is alluvial and yields large crops of wheat, corn, oats and potatoes. It possesses inexhaustible quarries of limestone and freestone. The Erie tribe is said to have once occupied the land and were extirpated by the Iroquois. As early as 1754. the I'rench had Ijuilt settlements here. In 1764 the county was overrun by Pontiac, who came here with warlike demonstrations, but made peace with the whites. Erie was included in the "fire lands" of the Western Reserve. Sandusky City is the county seat and was laid out in 181 7, then termed Portland. At that time it contained two log huts. The town is finely situated and is based upon an inexhaustible quarry of the finest limestone. In the "patriot war"' with the Canadians, this city was the rendezvous for the "patriots."

Franklin county was formed April 30, 1803, from Ross. It was in early times occupied by the Wyandot Indians. Its first white settlement was made in 1797 by Robert Armstrong and others. Franklinton was laid out in 1797 by Lucas Sulli\-ant. Worthington was settled by the Scioto Company in 1801. Colonel Kilbourn, who was interested in the work, constructed the first map of Ohio during his explorations by uniting sectional diagrams. Columbus, the capital of the state, is also the county seat of Franklin county. In 1810 the sessions of the Legislature were held at Chillicothe, in 1811 and 1812 at Zanesville, removing again to Chillicothe, and in 181 6 being located at Columbus. The town was laid out during the spring of 1812. A penitentiary was erected in 1813 and the state house was built in 1814. It was incorporated as "the borough of Columbus" February 10, 181 6. The city charter was granted March 3, 1834. It is beautifully located on the east bank of the Scioto. The Ohio Lunatic Asylum, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind and the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb are located at Columbus.

Fairfield county was formed by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, December 9, 1800. The soil is varied, being in some parts exceedingly rich, and in others very sterile. Lancaster, the county seat, was laid out by Ebenezer Zane in 1800. In 1797 he opened the road known as "Zane's Trace," from Wheeling to Limestone - now Alaysville. It passed through Lancaster at a fording about three hundred yards below the present turnpike bridge.

Fayette county was formed from Ross and Highland in 1810. Washington, its county seat, was laid out in 1810. Colonel Stewart was active in the interests of this section and his memory is sacredly revered. Jesse Millikan was prominent in early public affairs. Fayette is one of the richest agricultural counties in the state and is especially noted for the raising of fine horses.

drained by Bean creek and other small affluents of the Maumee river. The surface is nearly level and the soil fertile. Wauseon is the county seat.

Guernsey county was organized in March, 1810. It produces wheat, corn and oats. Cambridge is the county seat and was laid out in June, 1806. Mr. Graham was the first settler on the site of the town and his was the only dwelling between Lancaster and Wheeling. The first cannel coal found in the county was discovered near Mill's creek.

Greene county was formed May i. 1803, from Hamilton and Ross. It produces wheat, corn, rye, grass seed, oats, barley, sheep and swine. The Shawnee town was on the Little Miami and was visited by Capt. Thomas Bullitt in 1773. When Daniel Boone was captured in 1778, he was brought to this town and escaped the following year. General Clark invaded this county and the Indians reduced the town to ashes. Xenia, the county seat, was laid off in the forest in 1803 by Joseph C. Vance. The first cabin was erected in April. 1804, by John Marshall. The Rev. James Fowler built the first hewed-log cabin. David A. Sanders built the first frame house. Nine miles north of the town, on the Little Miami river, are the Yellow Springs, which are impregnated with sulphur.

Geauga county was formed in 1805 from Trumbull. It is situated at the head of Chargrine, Cuyahoga and a part of Grand rivers, on high ground and is subjected to snow storms more frequently than any other part of the reserve. Its first settlement was made in 1798 at Burton. Chardon is fourteen miles from Lake Erie and is si.x hundred feet above it. It was laid out as the county seat in 1808.

Gallia county was formed April 30, 1803, from Washington. The surface is generall}' broken. Its first settlement was made in 1791 by a French colony at Gallipolis. This colony was sent out under the auspices of the Scioto Company. This town is now the county seat.

Hamilton county was the second established in the Northwest Territorv by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, January 2, 1790. Its surface is generally rolling. It produces the ordinary farm products and a great variety of fruits and vegetables for tlie Cincinnati market. This county was the second settled in Ohio and the first within the Symmes Purchase. Settlers arrived at the spot now occupied b}- Cincinnati and three or four log cabins were erected. Gen. Arthur St. Clair arrived here in Januar\% 1790. The army of Wayne encamped here later, at Fort Washington. Mr. Maxwell estal)lished, in 1793, the Sentinel of the Northzvestern Territory, the first newspaper printed north of the Ohio river. In 1796 Edward Freeman became its proprietor and changed the name to Freeman's Journal. January

II, 1794, two keel-boats sailed from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, making regular trips every four weeks. In iSoi the first sea vessel built at Marietta came down the Ohio. Cincinnati, the county seat, was incorporated January 2, 1802. It was chartered as a city in iSiQ. The city is beautifully laid out and delightfully situated. Its public l)uildings are elegant and substantial, including the court house and many literary and charitable institutions.

Cincinnati is a large manufacturing city and possesses fine water-power facilities. It communicates with the world by means of the Ohio river, railways and electric lines. North Bend is another prominent town in this county, hax'ing been the residence of Gen. William H. Harrison and the site of his burial place. The town was of considerable importance in the early settlement of the state. .\l)i>ut thirty yards from Harrison's tomb is the grave of Judge Symmes.

Hancock county was formed April i, 1820. The surface is level and its soil is fertile. Blanchard"s Fork waters the central and southern part of the countv. Findlay, the ccninty seat, was laid out by ex-Governor Joseph Vance and Elnathan Corry in 1821. It was relaid in 1829. William Vance settled there in the fall of 182 1. Hancock county has extensive gas and oil fields.

Hardin county was formed .\pril i, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. A portion of the surface is le\-el and the remainder undulating. Fort McArthur was built on the Sci(it(T river but prnved a weak stockade. Kenton is the county seat, situated on the Scioto ri\'er.

Harrison count\" was formed from Jefferson and Tuscarawas, January I, 1814. The surface is hillv. aliounding in coal and limestone. Its .soil is clayey. In April, 1799. Alexander Henderson and family settled in this county, and at the same time Daniel Peterson and his family resided at the forks of Short creek. The early settlers were much annoyed by Indians and wild beasts. Cadiz is the county seat and was laid out in 1803 and 1804 by Messrs. Briggs and Beatty.

Henry county was formed from the old Indian Territory April i, 1820. Indian corn, oats, potatoes and maple sugar constitute the main products. The count^' is well supplied with running streams and the soil is unusually rich. The soil is superior for grain. Fruit thrives and all varieties of vegetables are produced in large quantities. Simon Girty, notorious for his wicked career, resided in this county. Girty led the attack on Fort Henry in September, 1777. He demanded the surrender of the fort, and menaced its inmates with an Indian massacre in case of refusal. The action began, but the fort gained the victor\-. He led a ferocious band of Indians and com-

Highland county was formed in May, 1S05, from Ross, Adams and Clermont. It is a wealthy, productive county. Its first settlement began in 1801. at New JNIarket by Oliver Ross, Robert Keeston, George W. Barrere, Bernard Weyer and others. Simon Kenton made a trace through this county in early time. Hillsboro is the count}' seat and was laid out in 1807 by David Hays on the land of Benjamin Ellicott. It is situated on the dividing ridge between the Miami and Scioto. The Hillsboro Academy was founded in 1827.

Hocking county was formed March i, 1818, from Ross, Athens and Fairfield. Its surface is broken and hilly, but is level and fertile beside the streams. The Wyandots once occupied this tract and built a large town herein. In 1798 a few white families ventured to settle. Logan is its county seat and is situated on the Hocking river.

Holmes county was formed from Coshocton, Tuscarawas and Wayne January 20, 1824. The southwestern portion is broken. Thomas Butler was the first settler in 1810. Millersburg is the county seat and was laid out in 1830. This is an excellent agricultural county.

Jackson county was organized March, 181 6. The country is rich in minerals and abounds in coal and iron ore. Jackson, the county seat, was laid out in 181 7. The old Scioto salt works were among the first worked in Ohio by the whites. Prior to this period the Indians came some distance to this section to make salt. When Daniel Boone was a prisoner he spent some time at these works.

Jefiferson county was proclaimed by Governor St. Clair July 29, 1797, and was the fifth county established in Ohio. Its resources in coal are also extensive. The surface is hilly and the soil fertile, producing wheat, corn and oats. The old "Mingo" town was on the present fantis of Jeremiah Hallock and Daniel Potter. The troops of Colonel Williamson rendezvoused at this point when they set out in their cruel Moravian campaign and also the troops of Colonel Crawford, when they started on the campaign against the Sandusky Indians. Here Logan, the powerful and manly chief of the Mingo nation, once resided. He took no active part in the old French war, which closed in 1760, except that of a peacemaker. He was a stanch friend of the whites until the abominable and unprovoked murder of his father, brother and sister, which occurred in 1774 near the Yellow creek. He then raised the battle cry and sought revenge.

However, Logan was remarkably magnanimous toward prisoners who fell into his hands. The year 1793 ^^'^^ the last spent in Indian warfare in Jefferson count}-. Fort Steuben was erected on the present site of Steubenville, the county seat, in 1789. It was constructed of block-houses, with palisade fences and was dismantled during Wayne's campaign. Bezaleel Wells and Hon. James Russ laid the town out in 1798. It was incorporated February 14, 1805. It is situated upon an elevated plain. In 1814 Messrs. Wells and Dickerson built a woolen manufactory and introduced Merino sheep to the county.

Knox county was formed March i, 1808. from Fairfield. It is drained by the Vernon river. Mount \'ernon was laid out in 1805. The early settlers found two wells on the X'ernon river built of hammered stone, neatly laid, and near b}- was a salt-lick. Their direct origin remains a mysten,-. Oilman Bryant, in 1807, opened the hr>t store in Alount Vernon. The Indians came to ]\Iount \'emon in large numljers for the purpose of trading in furs and cranberries. Each Saturday the settlers worked on the streets, extracting stumps and improving the highway. The first settler north of the place was N. M. Young, who built his cabin in 1803. Mount Vernon is now the county seat, beautifully situated on \'ernon river. Kenyon College is located at Gambler. This institutiun was established under the auspices of Bishop Chase in July, 1826, in the center of a four-thousand-acre tract belonging to Kenvon College. It was chartered as a theological seminary.

Lucas countv is of comparati\-ely recent origin. This county is situated in the Maumee valley, which was the great arena of historical e\-ents. The frightful battle of Wayne's campaign, where the Indians found the British to l>e traitors, was fought near Fort Miami in this county. Maumee City was laid out in 1S17 by Major William Oliver and others. It is situated on the Maumee at the head of navigation. The surface is one hundred feet above the water level. This town, with Perrysburg, its neighbor, is exceedingly picturesque and was in early times frequented by the Indians. The French had a trading post at this point in i68'0, and in 1794 the British Fort Miami was built. Toledo, the county seat, is on the left bank of the Maumee and covers the site of a stockade fort, known as Fort Industry, erected in 1800. An Indian treaty was concluded here July 4, 1805, by which the Indians relinquished all rights to the "fire lands." In 1832 Capt. Samuel Allen gave an impetus to the place and Major Stickney also became interested in its advancement. Speculation in lots began in 1834. The \\'abash & Erie canal interest arose in 1836. ^Ir. Mason and Edward Bissel added their energies to assist the growth of the town. It was incorporated as a city in 1836. It

Lorain county was formed from Huron, Cuyahoga and ^Medina on December 26, 1822. The soil is generally fertile and the surface level. A curious relic has been found in this county, bearing the date of 1533. Elyria is the county seat and was laid out in 1S17. The first settler was Heman Ely. Oberlin is situated about eight miles southwest of Elyria. Oberlin College has attained a wide reputation.

Logan county was formed March i, 1817. The surface is broken and hilly near the Mad river, but is generally level. The Shawnee Indians were destroyed in 1786 by a body of Kentuckians under Gen. Benjamin Logan. The whites surprised the towns. However, they returned after the work of destruction had been completed and for many years frequented the section. On the site of Zanesfield was a Wyandot village. By the treaty of September 29, 1 817, the Senecas and Shawnees held a reservation around Lewistown. April 6, 1832, they vacated this right and removed west. Isaac Zane was born about the year 1753 and was, while a boy, captured and afterward adopted bv the Wyandots. Attaining the age of manhood, he had no desire to return to his people. He married a Wyandot woman, who was half French. After the treaty of Greenville he bought one thousand eight hundred acres on the site of Zanesfield, where he lived until the year 1816, when he died, lamented by all his friends. Logan county was settled about the year 1806. During the War of 181 2 it was a rendezvous for friendly Indians. Bellefontaine, the county seat, was laid out March 18, 1820, on land owned by John Tulles and William Powell. Joseph Gordon built a cabin and Anthony Ballard erected the first frame dwelling. Gen. Simon Kenton is buried at the head of Mad river, five miles from Bellefontaine. He died April 29, 1836. aged eighty-one years and twenty-six days. This remarkable man came west to Kentucky in 1771. He probably encountered more thrilling escapes than any other man of his time. In 1778 he was captured and suffered extreme cruelties and was ransomed by the British. He soon recovered his robust health and escaped from Detroit the following spring. He settled in Urbana in 1802. He was commir^sioned brigadier-general of the militia and in the War of iS'12 joined General Harri.son's army. In the year 1820 he remo\'ed to Mad river. General Vance and Judge Burnet secured him a pension of twenty dollars a month.

Licking county was formed from Fairfield March i, 1808. The surface is generally level, diversified by slight hills in the eastern portion. Coal and iron ore of good quality add to the wealth of the county. Newark is the county seat, and is situated at the confluence of tlie three principal branches of the Licking. In 1801 it was laid out by Gen. William C. Schenk, George W. Burnet and John M. Cummings, who owned this military section of four thousand acres. In 1802 Samuel Elliott and Samuel Parr built hewed-log houses. The picturesque "Narrows of the Licking" are in the eastern part of the county. Within the county are ancient fortifications, the most noted in the state of Ohio, containing about three hundred acres. The engineering is of the best and the works have frequently been visited by European scientists. The breastworks are lined with old trees and the trenches are now great canals. Lawrence county was organized March i, 181 6. There are many high and abrupt hills in this section, which abound in sand and freestone. It is rich in minerals and the most important section of Ohio for iron manufacture. Coal is abundant and white clay exists in the western part suitable for pottery purposes. The county was settled in 1797 by the Dutch and Irish. The iron region extends through the west part of this county, fronton is the county seat.

Lake count}- was formed from Geauga and Cuwahoga A larch A, 1840. The soil is good and the surface rolling. .\s early as 1799 a settlement w-as formed at Alentor. Paines\ille, the county seat, is situated on Grand river in a beautiful valley. Painesville was laid out by Henry Champion in 1805. At Fairport the first warehouse in this section and probably the first on the lake, was built liy Abraham Skinner in 1803. This town has a fine harbor and has a light-house and l)eacv)n. Kirtland, southwest from Painesville, was, in 1834, the headquarters of the jMormons. At that time they numbered about three thousand. The old Mormon temple is of rough stone, plastered o\er, colored blue, and marked to imitate regular courses of masonry.

Madison county was organized in March, 1810. The surface is generall}' level. Jonathan Alder w'as much interested in the settlement of the county. Captured when a child, he had li\'ed with the Indians many years and had formed a lasting affection for them, and had married a squaw. He became dissatisfied with his Indian wife and this caused him to look up his own family. He succeeded through the assistance of John Moore. He left his Indian wife and joined his people.

This county was first settled in 1795. Benjamin Springer made a clearing and built a cabin. Joshua Ewing brought four sheep to this place and the Indians exhibited great astonishment over these strange animals. When the hostilities of 1812 began, the British offered inducements to the Indians to join them and they consulted Alder regarding the best policy to adopt. He advised them to preserve neutrality until a later period, which they did, and

Marion county was organized March i. 1824. The soil is fertile and produces extensive farm crops. The Delaware Indians once held a reservaiton here and conceded their claims August 3, 1829, and then removed west of the Mississippi. Marion, the county seat, was laid out in 1821 by Eber Baker and Alexander Holmes. General Harrison marched through this section during his campaign.

Mahoning county was formed in 1846 from Trumbull and Columbiana. The surface is rolling and the soil generally fertile. Bituminous coal and iron are found in large quantities. Col. James Hillman came to the Western Reserve in 1786. The settlement of the county went forward. Youngstown is the county seat.

Medina county was formed from the Western Reserve February 12, .1812. The surface is rolling and the soil is fertile, producing fine agricultural products. The first trail through the county was made by George Poe, Joseph H. Larwell and Roswell M. Mason. The first settlement was made by Joseph Harris in 1811. He was soon joined by the Burr Brothers. Medina is the county seat.

Meigs county was formed from Gallia and Athens April i, 1819. The general character of the soil is clayey, producing large quantities of wheat, oats, corn, hay and potatoes. Pomeroy, the county seat, is situated under a lofty hill, surrounded by picturesque scenery. Nathaniel Clark was the first settler of the county. He arrived in 1816. The first coal mine opened in Pomeroy was in 1 819 by David Bradshaw.

Mercer county was formed from the Indian Territory in 1820. The surface is generally flat. St. Clair's battle was fought on the boundary line between this and Darke county. Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur made a treaty on St. Mary's with the Wyandots, Shawnees and Ottawas in 1818. The odious Simon Girty lived at one time at St. Mary's. Wayne built St. Mary's fort on the west bank of the river. John Whistler was the last commander of the fort. The largest artificial lake in the world, so it is asserted, is formed by the reservoir supplying the St. Mary's feeder of the Miami Extension Canal. It is about nine miles long and from two to four broad. Celina is the county seat.

Miami county was formed January 16, 1807. from Montgomery. It abounds in excellent limestone and possesses remarkable water-power facilities. Its agricultural products rank high in quality and quantity. John Knoop came into this section about the year 1797 and its first settlement