Fisher, E.D., House

THE border- land between Tuscarawas and Stark Counties, in and about Lawrence Township, abounds in interesting and noted historic sites. Post's cabin, built in 1761, and occupied the following year by him and Heckewelder, stood in Bethlehem Township, Stark County, about four rods from the Tuscarawas River, and a few rods east of its southern bond. Calhoon's trading post was located almost a mile further east, on the opposite side of the river, and on the land annexed to Tuscarawas from Stark in 1847. The ancient capital of the Delawares, Tuscarawas, said also to have been previously inhabited by the Senecas and Wyandots, stood on the plains a few rods from the river, and opposite the mouth of Sandy Creek. Fort Laurens, the scene of savage warfare during the Revolution, was situated a mile and a half farther down the stream, about half a mile below Bolivar. Th« old settlers can remember when the embankments at the fort were seven feet in height The Ohio Canal pierced these works and the desecrating plowshare has leveled the most of them to the ground, but small sections may yet bo seen. The township was given its name in honor of this fort, but the orthography has been changed.

Passage source: The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, published 1884.

The Tuscarawas River enters the township from- Stark County, and soon after takes a northern bend of several miles, then returning it pursues a general southeasterly direction till it leaves the township. A southern dip of Sandy Creek brings it for a short distance into the township. Besides these, the streams of Lawrence are small and unimportant tributaries to the river. The Ohio Canal follows the western banks of the river, and the old Sandy A Beaver Canal extends from Bolivar eastward. The Wheeling A Lake Erie Railroad crosses through the valley of the Tuscarawas. The bottoms, plains and hillsides along the river, says Mr. David lant. "were covered in early times with weeds, nettles, wild rye and grass as high as a man's head. This mass of vegetation was set on fire late in the fall by Indians and early hunters, for the purpose of encircling game, enveloping the surface in a sea of flame and effectual y killing every twig of timber. No timber was thus permitted to grow upon the plains, until after these annual burnings ceased." The land away from the valleys is much more rolling than in some portions of the county, and is susceptible of a high cultivation. Farms in the township are valued at from §50 to §150 per acre. Immense quantities of shell ore have been taken from the hillsides in past years. It has been shipped to Granville, Akron, Massillon. Zoar and in small quantities to Dover. Commencing about 1835, the mining of iron ore has been an important business, but the best banks have been exhausted, and little is now produced. Some coal is shipped, but not to any great extent.

Passage source: The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, published 1884.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Lawrence Township - 6,825 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.