BEGINNINGS OF NEW MARKET AND GREENFIELD - 75 remains to mark the flight of time, and it has been said that if the covering could be removed from the door arch the date of its erection could be learned, for there, cut in the solid rock, are the words "Travelers' Rest, by Noble Crawford, A. D. 1812." Unlike the rock-built pyramids that dot the valley of the Nile, it does not represent the tragic history of a vanished race, but stands a living witness, marking a century of progress and civilization, amid homes of affluence and wealth, in the midst of a little city filled with .enlightened and christian citizens, with the smoke of numerous factories curling in fantastic shapes above the domes and steeples, of beautiful churches, and commodious halls and city buildings. CHAPTER V. CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS. IN THE spring of 1800 Hugh Evans with his sons and sons-in-law came into the .present area of Highland and settled upon Clear creek, on a tract of three thousand acres surveyed for him by General Massie some years before. Evans came from Pennsylvania with his numerous family, first to Kentucky, at a time when there was danger from 'hostile Indians, and he and others were escorted by soldiers to Maysville. He settled near Paris, Ky., and thence after Wayne's treaty of peace he started with his family for Ohio, first, however, coming over in 1799 with his sons to his land on Clear creek and building the cabins. From New Market there was no trace leading to the land located by Evans, and they were compelled to follow the compass to reach their destination. Hugh Evans, the father, built his cabin on the farm afterward owned by Daniel Duckevall. William Hill settled just below on the creek; Amos next, then came Daniel, Samuel, Joseph Swearinger, George, Wilson, and Amos Evans. This was the extreme frontier settlement, no other white man to the north, in a dense, dark forest, peopled only by the wild game that seemed to be placed there to meet the demands of the hour. The first thing they could do was to make sugar from the hard maple, which was very plentiful then, and enough sugar was then made to last a year. Then they cleared about ten acres ready for planting by the last of May. The ground was new and rich, and the corn planted made a vigorous growth and yielded a very large crop, while the pumpkins in golden globes covered the ground, and potatoes and turnips were almost measureless in quantity and quality. When the corn had ripened fully, Mr. Evans went to work and constructed what was called a sweat mill, which answered the purpose, and gave ample supply of new, fresh meal. Doubtless it would be of some interest to describe this new mill for the edification of the present dwellers amidst the new process roller mills. The first thing necessary in making a sweat mill is to find a sycamore gum three feet long, with a hollow two feet in diameter. Into this is fitted a dressed stone, with a hole in the center. This stone is about nine inches CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 77 from the top of the gum on the inside. Then another stone is dressed to fit exactly on the face of the first, with a much larger hole in the center through which the corn is placed when grinding. Next comes the hand pole, with a spike in the end made to fit in a small hole near the outer rim of the top stone, and as the under stone is stationary, the top stone is made to revolve being balanced on a pivot, it turns easily and will grind quite fast when one turns with sufficient velocity to bring the sweat from which the mill took its name. The miller or grinder was compelled to put the ,corn in the hole with one hand while he caused the stone to revolve with the other. The Evans settlement on Clear creek was the pioneer settlement north of New Market. The Indians were all around in great numbers, but were peaceable and quiet, and seemed disposed to cultivate' friendly relations with the settlers. The first year the Evans raised a great crop of watermelons on the rich bottom lands, and when they ripened gave them freely to the Indians who enjoyed them greatly, calling them "pumpkins." The Indians knew nothing of the use of knives and forks and plates, and were much embarrassed when asked to sit at table and imitate the example of their white brothers. At one time a company of about thirty Indians called at the home of Hugh Evans, and asked for something to eat. Mr. Evans was not at home, but Mrs. Evans at once commenced a dinner. When she began to set the table with plates and knives and forks, the .old chief shook his head and pointed to the floor of the cabin. The table was removed and the Indians squatted in a circle on the floor and began to eat, paying no kind of attention to the plates, knives and forks, but each thrusting his hand. in tho dish and eating with his fingers the generous meal. In the fall of 1800 Maj. Anthony Franklin erected a cabin on the blazed trace between New Market and New Amsterdam, some three miles east of where the village of Marshall now is. This cabin was the first improvement in that locality. The cabin at different times was made larger by additions to it, which at last gave it the appearance of a small town. Being the only habitation between the two towns, it was for many years the stopping place for travelers follow, ing this trace from Chillicothe to Cincinnati, back and forth. Many persons of note stopped at this home in the wilderness, and were sure of a hearty welcome. Among the number were Governor St. Clair, and Aaron Burr, when he was dreaming of an empire in Texas. The beginning of Leesburg may be traced back to the departure of Yathaniel Pope from Virginia with his family, in the fall of 1796, for the Northwestern territory. Knowing of the difficulty of crossing the mountains with an ordinary wagon, he constructed a narrow cart, low-wheeled, and heavy, adapted to the mountain road, with pes upon both sides, ready, should the case demand, to hold the cart from upsetting upon the mountain side. The bed and bedding were 78 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. stored in this unique vehicle, together with the goods specially prized in the household, while the kitchen and other furniture was packed upon horses and thus made the journey. Mrs. Pope rode a horse on a pack, while the rest of the family, several boys and girls, made the journey on foot, aided now and then by short rides when the ground was level. Mr. Pope with rifle upon his shoulder, and three or four good hunting dogs at his heels, marched in advance of his moving train, cheered by the presence of wife and children and the prospect of a future home for all in the delightful country known as the Northwest Territory. About the last of November the travelers reached the falls of the Great Kanawha, and there they passed the winter, accepting a kind offer of shelter by Leonard Murrice. In the month of February they prepared for their journey toward the northwest. Mr. Pope with the aid of two of his sons felled a giant tree upon the hill side and erected a scaffold upon the steep side of the hill, rolled the logs upon it, and with whipsaw made enough lumber to build a large boat which he launched and loaded with his goods, wife and younger children, cut the grapevine rope,, and floated down the Kanawha for the beautiful Ohio, on reaching which, the children stood in the bow of the boat and cheered with wild shouts the majestic river. Landing at the French stationGallipolis—they disposed of their large supply of bear and deer skins, together with the furs obtained by winter trapping, getting in return a large amount of powder and lead, tomahawks, butcher knives, Indian shawls, cotton, cloth, and other needed articles. Continuing their voyage down the Ohio river, being careful to keep near the center of the stream, and camping at night upon the Virginia side of the river, they came in sight of a far reaching space of beautiful bottom land., which Mr. Pope at once knew to be the same land - explored by himself, in company with Thomas Beal and others. He landed at the mouth of a little creek called Paddy, some miles above the Guyandot, and on the north side of the Ohio river, and the location was so pleasing, and the land so very rich, that the travelers decided to stop, at least for a season. They were joined by Pope's eldest son William, and his cousin John. Walters, who brought the horses and cattle by land, and during that summer another family came down the river and landed at the same bottom with Pope. Nathaniel Pope and Jessie Baldwin were the first settlers upon these bottoms, then came John Walter, Thomas Beal, the preacher, and his sons, Obadiah Overman, and his brother, and quite a number of others whose names and history cannot be traced. This community were all members of the Society of Friends, and Thomas Beals preached the first Friends' sermon in the Northwestern. Territory. The male portion of the congregation were dressed in leather, and the females in fabrics of their own manufacture, mostly linen and cotton. The eldest son of Mr. Pope was a first- CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 79 class woodman and hunter. In the year of 1798 he contracted with Criah Paulding to furnish his salt works with meat through the fall and winter, and they killed during that time eighty-three bears, ten buffaloes, with deer and turkey almost without limit. This meat was placed upon pack horses and delivered at the salt works, while the skins were sold to the French traders at Gallipolis. During the summer of 1798, it was discovered that the land upon which they had "squatted" could not be bought for a fair price, and with much sorrow and regret the settlement was broken up, and the major part of the families journeyed to the rich bottom land on the Scioto. Nathaniel Pope wintered at the falls of Paint, and sold most of his stock to General Massie, and in the following spring, with goods and family, cut his way through the woods to the spot where Leesburg now stands in Highland county. With the strong force of stalwart boys at his command, he soon cleared a lot of land on Lee's creek bottoms and planted a crop of corn and prepared to establish a home, of which no defective title could rob him in the coming future. He had purchased this land at a very low price from Gen. Massie, and was told by the General to make his own selection as to locality. The first wheat ever raised within the present limit of Highland county was a few acres by Nathaniel Pope on his farm on the land now occupied by the town of Leesburg. John Walters, who came to Ohio, with Pope, settled on the land since known as the old Pavey place, just across the creek from Leesburg. The same fall James Howard came to this locality and built his cabin on the hill, covering a portion of the present site of the village. This was the entire settlemdnt, except the Indian neighbors, who had made their encampments all along Rattlesnake creek as far down as the falls. They came almost daily to the "white man's camp" .and, while friendly, were always hungry, and were willing to eat when invitation was given, which was never neglected or forgotten. When the corn crop was gathered, there was but little work to engage the hands of the settlers, and as hunting was necessary and profitable it was the main industry during the late fall and winter. The Indians frequently engaged with the ;whites in their hunting expeditions. Meal was obtained by carry. the corn to the mill at New Amsterdam, and taken in connection with pounded hominy, which was prepared at night and upon days when the weather was too inclement to venture out. This diet of Johnny-cake and hominy, with bear meat or venison steak washed down with pure sweet milk, or a blood-red tea, made from the aromatic sassafras or spice wood, conduced to good health and strength, and the continued out door labor of men and women gave the bright eye and the glowing cheek of the matrons and maids of that early day, that the paint and powder of the present cannot 80 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. rival. Bear and buffalo skins made warm, soft beds, while the wide fireplace with its burning log heap sent a cheerful warmth and glow in the cabin home. The Indian became quite social, and as they learned the meaning of some English words, and the white people a few Indian words, communication and conversation was frequent, and the Indians pointed out where when hunting on Lee's creek, Rattlesnake, Hardin's and Fall creek, they had captured white prisoners. At one time late in the fall the Popes were out hunting on horseback on the waters of Hardin's creek, the dogs started a bear. In the chase the dogs passed within hearing of an Indian camp and the Indian dogs joined the chase. An Indian with his gun approached and intimated his desire to join in the sport if one of the whites would dismount and make the race on foot. William Pope accepted the banter, and he and the Shawanee set out afoot. They soon drew ahead of the horsemen, and passing down the hill, where the residence of Beverly Milner stood afterward, Pope outran the Indian, but when they came to the creek the Indian plunged right through, while Pope made a curve a few yards below. This gave the Indian the advantage, but as he was creeping near to the spot where the dogs had the bear treed, so he could make a sure shot, Pope took rest by the side of a tree and fired. The bear tumbled from his perch badly wounded, and in a moment bear and dogs were engaged in a fierce combat. At length the bear caught one of Pope's favorite dogs and was killing him, when Pope motioned the Indian to kill the bear with his tomahawk. The Indian simply said "White man," when Pope rushed into the fight with tomahawk and knife and soon had poor bruin dead enough. After skinning the bear the meat was divided with the Indian, who departed well pleased, often to meet and hunt with Pope, for they soon becai the best of friends, and enjoyed many exciting chases which the abundant game in the unbroken forest afforded. In the spring of 1801 James B. Finley came from Chillicothe settled on a farm his father had purchased on the waters of White-oak creek, and built his cabin. Mr. Finley tells us the story of his early life in a quaint, graphic way interesting to read. He says: "I was just married and my father-in-law, not being well pleased with his daughter's choice, refused to allow her to take her clothes when she left home. I had nothing, she had nothing, and we se out to realize the old story of love in a cottage. Brothel. John helped me build my cabin, and we ,moved in, so to speak, fo we had neither bed, bedding, bag nor baggage, cow nor horse, pig, cat, nor anything, but a. wife, gun, dog and axe. FOr a bed we gathered leaves and drying them in the sun, used them in a tick instea of feathers or straw. For a bedstead forks were driven into the floor of the cabin, which like its roof was of bark, then placing pole CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 81 across we covered them with bark, upon which we placed our tick of leaves, which with bear skin covering made a fine bed. This done the next thing was to provide something to eat." Meat was always plentiful Finley's gun kept a store on hand but bread was needed now and then. Finley went to the New Market neighborhood and cut and split one hundred rails for a bushel of potatoes, which he brought home on his back at another time he worked a day, for an old hen with three chickens, which he carried home in his hunting shirt. Being without horse or plow, he grubbed out a wild plum thicket, and dug holes with a hoe and planted in this way about one and one-half acres of corn, which, when gathered gave him something near one hundred bushels. During the summer he and his wife built a neat cabin and fixed it up snug and warm the for cold weather expected in the winter. He placed his husked corn on the loft, contemplated his earthly possessions and realizing that he had sufficient goods to last the year, he was perfectly indifferent to the approach of the snow and storms of the cold season. Finley declares that no couple on earth lived more happily or more contented than he and his wife in their snug little cabin in the woods. Late in the fall, Robert W. Finley and family, made of up John, William, Samuel and Robert, Jr., moved to the neighborhood and settled near James, and a little while afterward John Davidson, driven by sickness from the valley of the Scioto, settled in the White Oak district. This community now numbered some fifteen persons, neighborly and social, no rivalry intruded to spoil the harmony and disturb the peace. No class distinctions were known when one wanted all turned out to aid and assist to the extent of their ability. Bear meat was prized more highly than any other class of wild meat, while turkey breast baked served in many cases in place of bread. Near Christmas time they made their turkey hunt, killing large numbers of them. They were able to keep this class of meat through the summer by cleaning them, cutting them in half, then salting them in troughs, and afterwards hanging them up to dry; when needed for use they were cooked in bear's oil. Bread was scarce, the nearest mill being some thirty miles away. John Davidson was at one time forced to go to Cherry Fork in Adams county to buy corn, which he brought home, then sending his two sons on pack horses with the corn to the mills at the falls of Paint creek `to have it ground. There were so many ahead of them, that the boys could not get their grinding done for three days, so they returned home. Mr. Davidson went for the meal himself, the whole distance traveled to get the corn and meal, being one hundred and sixty miles. The one supreme difficulty the early settlers had to overcome was the scarcity of salt. This necessary article sold at eight dollars H-6 82 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. per hundred pounds, and often could not be had at that price. The circulating medium of exchange in those days was the skins of wild animals, and at the rate salt was selling, it would take one large bear skin, four buck skins, or sixteen coon skins to pay for fifty pounds of salt.. When salt could not be obtained, they cured their meat with strong hickory ashes. The next spring found the Fin. leys and their neighbors in good condition for work. Plows had been obtained and other farming implements, and with high hopes they engaged in their summer work. A very large crop of corn rewarded their improved industry. The winter proved to be uncommonly severe, and the bears, their principal article of food of the meat kind, had all "holed up." That is, gone into some giant hollow tree to spend the winter. The winter before had been mild and open and as the mast was plentiful the bears did not go into winter quarters until very late in the winter. But the cold coming earlier and much more severe at this time, Mr. Bruin concluded he had better retire. The Finleyi were considerably put out about the matter, and began at once a search for trees that might possibly contain a bear. At last they found a great poplar tree which by the evidence of the scratches upon the bark, indicated the home of a bear. They, with great labor, cut the tree, and there, sure enough, was the bear snugly hoitsed. They continued the sear for bear trees, and in a week's time found and killed eleven bears three of them old ones, and the largest weighing something ove four hundred pounds. In the fall of 1800 Thomas McCoy and his wife came from Bourbon county, Ky., to Ohio, and after living about one year on Cherry fork of Brush creek, settled down on the tract of land since owned by the John Haigh heirs. Mr. McCoy, when a very old man, telling a friend his trials and difficulties in that early day, said "in those days in order to build a log cabin we had to collect help from five or six miles around and could get but a few hands at that. Often our women would turn out and help us in rolling and raising our cabins. But I can say that we enjoyed ourselves with our hard labor and humble fare, although deprived of many of the neeessaries of life. I had to go twenty-seven miles for two bushels of corn and pay three shillings and six pence per bushel. This was the spring after I settled on the west fork of Brush creek.. The wolves were so bad that neither sheep nor hogs could be raised. Game was, however, abundant and the settlers could always rely upon that for meat." . "In the fall of 1800," in the language of one who knew the parties long and well, "a settlement was formed three or four miles south of New Market by as jolly a set of Irishmen as ever collected this side of their native island. Their names were Alexander Fullerton, John Porter, Samuel McQuirty, William Ray, William and James CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 83 Boyd, James Farrier, Hector Murphy, and Alexander Carrington. A little stream, bearing the classic name of 'Smoky Row,' in memry or a cherished locality in Ireland, wended its way lazily through the land of John Porter, who was moved to profit thereby. In the course of a few years he set about building thereon a grist mill of most singular construction, and when it was completed, he greatly rejoiced thereat. A thunder gust was seen forming in the west, affording a prospect of speedily trying the capacity of the mill for business. A sack of corn was dashed into the hopper, a jug of whisky was procured to celebrate the occasion, and all things made reandy, when the winds blew and the floods came of such unusual height that at. one mad rush the dam, the mill, the race were swept away. John hastily snatched the jug of whisky and leaping to the bank, waved high his jug in defiance of the storm, and mingled his shout and huzza with the roar of the thunder and the flood." But John Porter was not easily discouraged, and in a little while he built a horse mill which was kept in running order up to the year 1812, when he joined the American army to fight the British, and was killed at the battle of Brownstown. In 1801 Elijah Kirkpatrick came with his family from Chillicothe and settled on Smoky Row. Kirkpatrick was the first collector of taxes in Highland county. Lewis Summers, George Rowe, and Joseph Myers came to New Market during the spring of 1801, and in the fall of the same year, Isaac Laman and family and George Cailey settled in the town. There had been no deaths in the town up to this date, and scarcely any sickness. The first persons to be buried in the New Market grave yard were Adam Medsker, who had lately come into the neighborhood, and Robert Bronson, from Rocky Fork. These deaths occurred in 1801. Robert Finley was the first reacher in New Market, and perhaps the first in the county within its present limits. The preaching place was the woods. Some time during the winter of 1801-2, Rev. Henry Smith, a Methodist, would now and then preach in New Market. While things were thus progressing in New Market, White Oak was receiving increase of population. Adafn Lance and George Fender and Isaiah Roberts joined this settlement, and in the fall James McConnell and Joseph .Davidson came also. Some time before this young Joseph Van Meter and Isaac Miller, of Kentucky, had settled on the East fork of the Little Miami. The father of Joseph Van Meter was also Miller's guardian, and had given each of them a hundred acres of land, axes, hoes, plows, and meal enough to last them through the summer. ire refused to give them meat, telling them to "hunt for it." They had the misfortune to lose one of their hoes on their journey, and it became the source of much trouble and embarrassment to them. They could not conceive the idea that one might plow the corn and the other follow with the hoe. 84 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. but that both must plow it at the same time until that work was done, and then each take a hoe and go over the field again. It was finally settled that they could not get along without another hoe. New Market was fourteen miles away, but Isaac made the journey and succeeded in borrowing a hoe from John Eversol with the understanding that if it was damaged in any way, it should be paid for. Robert and Terry Templin came from Chillicothe, Robert locating on a branch of the Rocky fork, now known as Medsker's run, and Terry on the Little Rocky fork on. the land since owned by Bennett and Creed. They were among the first settlers that came to Chillicothe, having emigrated in company with Governor Massie in 1796. Simon Shoemaker, Sr., came with his family from Virginia and settled at -Sinking Spring in 1800. Frederick Brougher had been engaged in clearing out his farm, and building additional accommodations for the traveling public, which was largely on the increase along this trade, and the Brougher tavern was the first stopping place out of Chillicothe, a distance of nearly fifty miles. Nathaniel Pope, as we have before stated, sowed the first wheat in the county, and when the harvest time came, he started his two sons down Paint until they found enough hands and whisky to save the harvest. Each hand was instructed to bring sickles as none could be obtained in Pope's locality. The hands came in full force and soon had the field cleared of its golden grain. They gathered all the field at one place, made a threshing floor, and with flails made of young hickories threshed it all out and had it cleaned up before night. Some of the men then went hunting, others went to cut a bee tree. At night they had a feast of venison and honey, washed down with whisky, a complete celebration of the first harvesting done in Highland county. The first road cut from the Falls of Paint to the settlement on Lee creek was made by Pope and Walters for the accommodation of their friends who were moving out from Quaker Bottom, and after this road was opened out, the neighborhood filled up rapidly. John and Jacob Beals, sons of old Thomas Beals, with their widowed mother, came to Lee's creek and were the first to tell the sad story of their father's death, the venerable and much beloved preacher. His death was the result of his horse running under a leaning tree. He died in a few hours after the accident, in the woods on the banks of Salt creek. It was impossible to get plank or other material of which to make a coffin, so they selected a walnut tree, cut the same into the proper length and hollowed out a coffin from the solid wood ; fitted a slab of walnut for a lid; performed the sad rites in the silent woods, and left the grand old man in his restful repose, amid the solemn solitude of the primeval forest. Some years ago the Friends meeting of Fairfield township appointed a committee to attend to this lonely grave, which they did by enclosing it with a stone wall.. Soon CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 85 after this death Benjamin Carr, Samuel Butler, Evan Evans, and their families came from Virginia to this locality. Edward Wright came to the falls of Paint in 1801, from Tennessee, and shortly after his arrival was stricken with fever and died. His widow, Hannah Wright, with her two sons, William and Dillon, moved to Hardin's creek, this county. In the year 1803 William Lupton came from Virginia and purchased the farm of Nathaniel Pope, and in a short time erected a saw mill on Lee's creek. The Friends' meeting house was built of logs in 1803-4, replaced in after years by the brick church in Leesburg. The good people of New Market were greatly surprised by the appearance of a young man who came among them at the close of a cold, cloudy day late in the autumn of 1801. He was dressed in the rough garb of the pioneer tramp, but upon his head, in place of a cap, he carried an eighteen gallon copper kettle. He had a large bundle strapped to his back with buffalo tugs, and carried a smaller bundle under his arm, while in his hand he carried something looking greatly like an Indian bow. This unique individual was Michael Stroup, a maker of wool hats, just from Chillicothe, looking for a place to begin business. Stroup was entirely indifferent to any criticisms upon his personal appearance. He was hunting a place to work, and soon had his kettle set in a cabin, and the sound of his bow was heard preparing the wool for hat making. He soon exhausted his stock of material, and as no wool could be obtained in the neighborhood and as his hats when sold barely covered the expenses of his journey and fixtures, he was without stock and without the means of buying more. His hats were sold at $18.00, per dozen. Just when he was in doubt and uncertainty about the future, an opportunity opened for him to make some money in another way. Simon Kenton had built a mill on Mad river, just beyond the present site of Springfield, and employed Robert Boyce, of New Market, to bring the millstones from Maysville. The journey from Maysville to New Market was not very difficult, as a comparatively good road had been opened between the two places, but after reaching New Market, the forest was unbroken on to the site of the mill. Kenton had empowered Boyce to employ men to cut a wagon road through to Springfield, promising to pay the money as soon as the stones for his mill arrived. Stroup, William Finley, and George Cailey were employed to do this work. They began the labor about the middle of February, 1802, and reached Springfield, half starved and frozen, in fifteen days from starting out. Simon Kenton was not at the mill and when found he was in his cabin four miles away and without money to pay for the labor performed or food necessary for the return journey. They obtained a meal on credit) of a log house tavern keeper in Springfield, and with all speed hastened back to Market after an absence of nineteen days, hungry, and their 86 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. clothing in rags from brush and brier. Stroup was greatly vexed, but otherwise managed to finish his stock of hats. These men opened a roadway important even down to the present, for the "Old Mead River road" survives, as a public highway. In the spring of 1802 George Parkinson moved to New Market. He had learned the hatter trade in Pennsylvania, and he and Stroup. formed a partnership. They built a hewed log house and roofed it with shingles, the first house of that character built in Highland county. These two hatters were single men and kept bachelors' hall and were compelled to work and cook, and board the men they had in, their employ.. When their cabin was completed and ready for business, Stroup mounted his horse, rode to Maysville and brought back one hundred pounds of wool, for which he paid one hundred dollars. Their hats had a ready sale, not only at home but abroad, and large numbers were packed upon horses and carried to Chillicothe and Maysville from this New Market factory. The struggles of young Stroup were such as would deter many from persistent effort for success. He left Huntington, Pa., to follow his trade as a journeyman hatter, stopping first at a settlement just formed on the banks of the Scioto called Franklinton, early in the year 1798. Stroup helped to lay out the town of Springfield. Prom Franklinton he went to Chillicothe, and at last drifted into New Market as we have seen. In 1801 John Gossett built a grist mill on White Oak, two miles south of New Market; a large structure of hewn logs, covered with clapboards, the first mill of its kind within 'Highland county. John Smith, of Scotland, was the millwright.. "Scotch Johnny," as he was called, was not only a man of fair scientific attainments, but is kindly remembered as honorable in his intercourse and dealings with others. He, was diffident and sought retirement rather than publicity. For building this mill he received one hundred acres of land, on which he settled and for the remainder of his days lived upon his farm a quiet, industrious man. It is not regarded as a large undertaking, in this day, to build a mill, but at the time this one was built, it was a large contract, exciting the wonder and taxing the faith of the people in regard to its possible success. All the plank for the forebay, water wheel and other necessary boxes and spouts had to be cut from the solid log with whip-saw, which required great labor as well as considerable skill. Workmen were scarce and the necessary machinery, which was much more difficult to obtain, having to be brought from Kentucky. 'Gossett made the millstones out of two granite boulders discovered by him in the vicinity, and did the masonry as well as the carpenter work. The work consumed nearly one year, and when the mill was said to be done there was intense excitement and great rejoicing among the settlers, whose hearts were lightened and their homes brightened by the prospect of relief from CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 87 the long and wearisome journey to the falls of Paint for their daily bread. They talked of "our mill" with pride, and paused to listen in their forest journeys, when near its modest presence, to the whin of its water wheel, or the hum of its granite burrs. Some two years after the building of the mill Lewis Gibler came from Shenandoah county, Va., with several other families and settled in the neighborhood of New Market. Gibler purchased the mill from Gossett and continued the milling business. It may be said of Gibler that none were more kindly or generous than he. It was his habit when a stanger applied for meal or flour, to ask him if he had money to pay for it. If the answer was yes, Gibler would say : "Go and purchase from some one else; my surplus of meal and flour are for those who come into the neighborhood without money, and who, in this condition, might be compelled to go without bread." The history of Gossett was one of energy and endurance, his battle with misforetune one of courage and cheerfulness. He resided upon his farm, about two miles south of New Market, up to the day of his death at a ripe old age. In the summer of 1801 a number of families moved into what is now Brush Creek township. Simon Shoemaker, Jr., and his brothers Peter and Martin, John Hatter, John Fulk, George Suter, James Williams, Jacob Roads, David Evans, George Cursewell, Jacob Fisher, Abraham Boyd, Peter Stultz, Dr. John Coplinger, Captain Wilson, John Roads, came from Virginia; while James Washburn, James Reed, Leonard Reed, Michael Smiley and John Lowman were from Pennsylvania. This number increased the population greatly and added largely to the importance of the Sinking Spring community. Henry Countryman and three sons, Martin, John, and Henry, also came from Virginia in the following year and located near the famous spring. Rev. Benjamin Van Pelt, a Methodist preacher from Virginia, was the first minister of that denomination that ever preached in that neighborhood in the year 1802. There was no money in circulation in those days. Coin was almost unknown, and few, if any, had ever seen coin or heard it spoken of. Now and then a traveler would leave a few small pieces at the taverns along the Zanesville and Maysville road. This was horded by the delighted landlords, or kept for exhibition among his friends as evidence of his wealth and prosperity. Capt. James Trimble made his second visit to Highland county in 1801 with his son Allen. Leaving Limestone they followed the trace called the New Market road to that place, reaching Squire Oliver Ross' home in the evening of the first day, and on the second day came to William Hill's on Clear creek. The next morning, while in company with Hill, searching for the lines of Treshley's survey, they came upon a camp of Indians. Hill asked Trimble if he would like to be introduced to Captain John. He assented, and, approach- 88 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. ing the camp, Hill said to an Indian who was sitting down mending his moccasin, "Captain John, thit is Captain Trimble from Kentucky." The Indian arose to his feet with his piercing black eyes fixed upon the white man and said : "Me know him very well me Ottoe boy [meaning, of the Ottawa tribe], and go long with Dickson, make him prisoner. Fight much white man. Make friends now." Captain Trimble was greatly surprised that after a lapse of thirty years the Indian should recognize in the man the mere boy he had taken prisoner in Augusta county, Va. Captain John gave Trimble much information about the country, and delighted his ear with the description of the rich lands in the Scioto bottoms. In the Indian's quaint manner he said, "Good lands—raise heap corn, but sick too much," and he went through a regular spell of fever and ague to explain his words, then said, "Indian came here—hunt—get well—leive squaw hoe corn and shake." This graphic description decided Captain Trimble in favor of Highland county. But this noted soldier and Indian fighter was fated never to enjoy his new home. Returning to Kentucky after another visit to Highland in 1803, having at that time built a cabin upon his land and prepared for his return in the fall of that year, he suddenly sickened and died in his old Kentucky home, leaving to others the settlement and development of his large estate in Highland. Rev. Edward Chaney came to Highland county about 1801 and settled upon the land he had purchased some time before upon Clear Creek, a short distance above the Evans settlement. His neighbors were few and scattered, but his Indian friends were many and near at hand. They were of the Wyandot tribe, and, while friendly, were not the most agreeable in manners and character, for a refined and cultured minister of the gospel. Rev. Chaney, however, felt that he ought to instruct these men of the forest in the knowledge of the true God, and soon induced them to come to his house and listen to him preach. While unable to understand all that he said, they knew that he was talking to them of the "Great Spirit," and kept a reverent and profound silence while he talked, shaming by their manners the restless and uneasy feeling manifested by the modern congregation of today. After the preaching was over, in perfect silence they left the room in single file to the place of their encampment. Mr. Chaney was the first Methodist preacher in that region, and while not in the traveling connection, did much to advance the cause of Methodism in his large and faithful service as a local preacher. Jesse Chaney, son of the preacher, was then a young man and aided in making the improvements in the county. He claimed to have made the first rails on the spot where Hillsboro now stands, cutting the timber and making the rails at the present crossing of Main and West streets. Salmon Templin came from the Chillicothe settlement to Highland CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 89 county and Penn township about the same time his brothers Robert and Carey came to Rocky Fork 11801). He lived for many years in that vicinity, a useful citizen and an honest man. The family name is not extinct in Highland county and wherever found gives evidence of that early training, intellectual and moral, that were distinctive features in their pioneer ancestry. In 1801 John Brown came from Virginia and settled on Rocky Fork, much higher up that stream than any of his neighbors, building his cabin on the face of the hill on the north-side of the creek, where afterward he erected a more elegant home. He was a Quaker, in religion, and highly esteemed by the people everywhere. On arriving upon his land he at once began the work of planting an orchard and in a few years had an abundant supply of most excellent fruit. He built himself a cider press, the first in the county, to which his neighbors had free access. To persons unacquainted with the vast and, unbroken forests of Northwest Territory, it would be incredible that within the present limits of Highland county a child was lost and that the entire community turned out in search for the wanderer and for fourteen days persisted in the hunt without success. Yet such is the case. Noah Evans says : "In the fall of 1802 word was sent to the Clear Creek settlement from below New Market on a branch of Whiteoak, that a child was lost in the woods, and requested help. All the settlers that could possibly be spared turned out to search for the child, each man taking his rifle. They would meet at the place and form companies, would stay and continue the hunt for several days at a time, then return home to see if all was well, then fix up and go back again and renew the search. This was a remarkable case and finally drew out all the people for ten or twelve miles around. The hunters got on the trail of the child and saw signs of it for fourteen days after it was missed. Wild and ferocious beasts were in the woods ; the child was of course unprovided with anything to eat except the berries and nuts that it had the ability and understanding to gather as it wandered about, and utterly incapable of defending itself if attacked. The hunters frequently came to the bed of grass and leaves where it had spent the night and they had reason to believe that it frequently heard the voices and calls of its friends, yet was afraid to answer. They supposed it had become so thoroughly frightened and bewildered as to be afraid of everything and everybody. The search, after some three weeks' effort, was finally given up ; the child was never found or heard of afterward, and its fate remains a mystery to this day." George Nichols came from Virginia and settled in Highland in 1802. Joseph Knox, who came with Nichols and lived in his family, was a wheelwright and soon had all the employment he could handle. A wheelwright in those days was a most useful and necessary person. 90 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. His function was to make the spinning wheels that were a necessity in the economy of every cabin home, and which the settlers who brought their household goods upopack horses could not carry west with them. Knox soon had all the trade to himself and kept it until George Hobson came from North. Carolina and "put him. up a shop" at the mouth of Clear creek. Hobson was a much better workman than Knox and his reputation spread all over the country as the "little wheel and reel maker." John A. Trimble calls up a pathetic picture of those early scenes when the little and big wheels were honored members in every home. Mr. Trimble has been dead for some years, and thirty years ago, when he wrote, he called the young of his day backward for thirty-five years to see the picture his memory drew. "Who that was a child thirty or thirty-five years ago in southern Ohio," he wrote, "does not sometimes run his mind back to the long autumn evenings in the dear old log cabin on the hillside and see again the picture which the glow of its ample fire in the large fireplace in one end reveals. The father busy in front mending shoes, the eldest boy pounding hominy, the mother spinning on the humming little wheel, while Sally cards, and the younger boys and girls crack hickory nuts and build cob houses in the corner. And who of the sons and daughters of the pioneers does not recollect with swelling heart and moistened eyes that good old mother at whose feet, in company with puss, he sunk down, tired with the constant running of the day, chasing hogs from the fields, watching gaps, chopping wood, climbing trees for nuts or grapes, riding to mill, husking corn, and a thousand other things a boy must do, and was soothed into dreamland by her sweet and plaintive song mingled with the ceaseless half-base of the wheel." The first settlement in Union township was made by a man by the name of Adams in 1802. He built a five-cornered cabin on Turtle creek, on the land that afterward came into the possession of Robert McDaniel. The fifth corner of this cabin was a fireplace. No one knew whence Adams came or whither he went. His principal occupation was hunting, and after a year or two of residence in his quaint home he packed his wife and two white-haired children on his pony and silently disappeared and was never heard of in that. country again. Daniel Scott, in describing those early pioneer times, said: "There were .two classes of persons who, in the early days of the Northwest, formed the vanguard of advancing civilization, both of whom disappeared at its approach. The first was the regular Indian fighter, the spy, the trapper and hunter, who scorned any labor less noble than that which brought for reward the delicious meat of the buffalo and bear, and the rich peltries of the beaver and the marten. They despised the effeminacy that erected a house for shelter and required bread for subsistence. No sound of the axe, therefore, accompanied their wide and fearless range through the forest, and no CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 91 trace of improvement marked the extent of their explorations. The second partook somewhat of the nature of the first. Indian fighters they were of necessity, if not, as was most common with them, from choice. Hunters they were compelled to be or subsist without meat; but they at the same time appreciated the value of bread and the comforts of a cabin with a wife in it. Small clearings surrounded by pole or brush fence, with a little cabin in the midst, evidenced the presence of this class of pioneers on the extreme frontier. They rarely, however, purchased the land on which they settled, or remained long enough to become the tenants of the real owners. Restless and roving in their natures, they soon pulled up and again sought their appropriate and peculiar sphere on the blending ground of civilization and barbarism, where they could but faintly hear the tread of the pioneers, of nations yet to be; the first low wash of waves where soon should roll a human sea.' " In 1802 Thomas Dick left Chillicothe and built his cabin a. short distance east of the present town of Marshall, and became a permanent resident. That vicinity was then a dense wilderness, with no mill nearer than the falls of Paint. Mr. Dick was the founder of the first Presbyterian church in this region of country, of which church Mr. Dick was a member, worthy and respected by all up to the time of his death. The first school in Marshall township was taught by him in his own house during the winter of 1802. Mr. Dick was of a modest, retiring disposition, and although possessed of a strong and cultivated mind seemed entirely indifferent to the social distinction his talents and culture would confer. Few knew the history of that quiet man, which has been narrated earlier in this volume. After his remarkable experience among the Indians, he moved from the Ligonier valley to Kentucky in 1793 after Wayne's treaty removed to Chillicothe, and later because of sickliness of the locality and the death of his wife, determined to seek health and a home among the hills of Highland. C. G. Dick, his son, was the first white child born in the present township of Marshall. In 1800 the Head families, from Kentucky, came into Highland and settled near Franklin. Dick, William and Biggar Head spent their lives upon the farm originally settled by them, one of them near Marshall, and the other in Brush Creek township as now known. They reared large families and their descendants were worthy, respectable people, contributing largely to the development of the county in its moral as well as its material advance. Some time after the arrival of the Heads, Joseph, John and Benjamin West came from Virginia and established themselves near Sinking Spring. This West family were connected by ties of blood (first cousins) with the great historical painter, Benjamin West, who, while born in this country was educated and lived most of his years in &gland. 92 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. Incidentally we have spoken of the presence of the Christian minister in the midst of the dangers, and deprivations of frontier life. The sacred order constitutes one of .the essential elements of the social life. Society can no more exist without it than without some form of civil government. Men must have some religious ritual, the form must exist even where. the reality is dead. Men will not con- sent to occupy a place in associated communities without the recognized performers of religious rites. Conscience demands them for the living and the dead. Be the rite ever so crude or strange in form, the mother demands it for her new-born babe, and the children demand it at the obsequies of the parents. There is no stoicism, no sullen apathy, so strongly intrenched within its philosophic indifference, but that it is at some time bathed in tears. Human wisdom never erects her temple so high as to be above the tempest. A voice that is oracular must speak to men in the day of their calamity, even though the oracle be unheeded in their pride and elevation. A hand that is unseen is looked for to wipe away the tears from the face of sorrow, even though it be unsought amid the sunshine of prosperity. It were no easy matter to measure the influence the pioneer preacher exerted in moulding and shaping the character of that early age. With no human helper, and no meretricious adornment, without wealth, standing alone as God's messenger to the lonely cabins in the wild woods, the preacher with his hymn book and Bible seemed a presence from the unseen world, a voice heard from without, speaking the same words that the Holy Spirit had bee whispering within. The first sermon preached in the present town ship of Marshall was at the home of Biggar Head, by the Rev. Davie! Young, a Methodist, in June, 1802. The Indians were still quite numerous, camping and hunting along the streams and among the hills of Highland and Pike counties. Brush creek and the Sunfish hills were favorite resorts even after they had moved to their own lands in the northwest part of the State, which had been set apart for them. Every fall they would return for a hunt over the grounds which for years had been the' own. Major Franklin tells of an old Indian, called King Solomon, who encamped every fall near the mouth of a branch creek that emptied into Rocky Fork, some four miles east of Hillsboro. he and his companions hunted all over the surrounding country, were entirely peaceable and inclined to be friendly with the whites. Quite a little trade was established between the two races, the Indians anxious to trade bear meat and venison for salt and other articles used by the whites. During the summer of 1803 much alarm was felt over the rumor that the Indians had forsaken the reservation and had started upon the war path. This news spread through the sparsely settled districts of southern Ohio, and the dwellers in the log cabins made ready for defense by fortifying their own homes CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 93 or meeting at the home of some one more central in the neighborhood and preparing for defense. The settlers in Highland met at the house of Biggar Head., and after supplying themselves with a .rood stock of provision awaited the attack of their Indian foes. The house was fixed for defense as strongly as possible, while within were Biggar, Thomas and William Head, Anthony Franklin and Thomas Dick Mrs. Dick and Mrs. Bigger Head being the only women. The means of defense were four good rifles and two kegs of powder. They remained thus housed for two days when the news was brought that the alarm was false and they returned to their several homes. This alarm caused the settlers about Sinking Spring to meet and make preparation for defense. While there had been perfect peace for eight years, and the Indians had in good faith kept the treaty made with Wayne, still the memory of the cruel character of Indian warfare would revive under the least report of any disposition on the part of the red man to break his promise, and dig up the tomahawk. The Indians had been convinced for some time that they were unable to cope with the white man for the repossession of their territory, and, while sullen over their defeat, seemed unwilling to break the peace purchased by the blood of their most noted warriors in their conflict with the whites. This alarm had its origin in a mysterious murder which has never been cleared up. Captain Herrod, of Kentucky, was among those who settled near Chillicothe in 1796, and was a man of great influence in the community. In the spring of 1803, some men who were out limiting in the vicinity of his clearing, found a body of a man "tomahawked and scalped," which was identified as that of this worthy citizen. It was supposed, from the character and circumstances of the killing, that it was the work of the Indians. More careful investigation, however, disproved this suspicion. The perpetrator of this dreadful crime was never discovered, though susAton fastened upon a white man whom Captain Herrod had ddeated in a contest for captaincy of the militia. From this killing grew the startling story of the Indian uprising which so alarmed the cabin settlers remote from the scene of the murder. The excitement became so intense that Governor Tiffin sent a request to Major Manary, whose residence was upon the North fork of Paint, some distance from the locality of the murder, to raise a body of men and go to the place of the killing, and then to march to the Indian settlements and find out, if possible, what they knew of the murder, and if positive information was gained he was to make prisoner the guilty party. But the Indians were ignorant of the whole matter, and the quiet and peaceful intention of the various tribes was apparent. When the alarm was first given, the people on the North fork of Paint were called to Old Town to take measures for defense. Among the number thus called was David 94 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. Wolff, an old hunter and a man of considerable wealth and standing among his neighbors. After Wolff had been in town several days he hired two men, Williams and Ferguson, to accompany him back to his farm to see after his stock. The party went. well armed. When some two or three miles from Old Town, they saw an Indian approaching them on the same path they were traveling. This Indian proved to be the Shawanee chief Waw-wil-a-way, who had been the old and faithful hunter of General Massie and the life long friend of the white man. He was well known to all the settlers and was honored for his sober, industrious and generous character. He was married, having a wife and two sons, and their home was near the mouth of Hardin's creek in the county of Highland. Old Town was the trading place for the old chief, and he and hi sons had started that morning upon a business visit to the town. He had his gun upon his shoulder and with easy pace was approaching the white men. When they met he greeted them most kindl and asked after the health of themselves and families. Wolff asked the chief how he would like to trade guns the chief answered maybe he would and handed his gun to Wolff to examine it, at the same time taking Wolff's gun. While the Indian was engaged in his examination of the white man's gun, Wolff, who was on horseback, opened the pan of the Indian's gun and threw out the priming, without the Indian detecting the action. After this cowardly action he handed the gun back to the Indian, saying he would not trade. Wolff and Williams then dismounted from their horses, an asked the chief if the Indians had commenced war. The chic replied, "No, no ! the Indians and the white man were now all one all brothers." They then asked if he had heard of the murder of Captain Herrod by the Indians. The Indian was greatly surprised and said he could not believe it. Wolff assured him it was true. The Indian said : "Maybe whisky, too much drink was the cause of the quarrel." Wolf replied that Herrod had no quarrel with the Indians and that it was not known who killed him. "Maybe bad white man kill him," said the chief. The conversation here ended and the parties separated, the chief shaking hands with all before leaving them. After the chief had gone a short distance, only a few steps, Wolff raised his rifle and taking deliberate aim at the Indian's back fired. The ball passed entirely through the chieftain's body, but he did not fall though conscious that he had received his death shot. But he did not give up to die, as others would have done under like circumstances. "Caesar, when stabbed to his death by a friend in the senate chamber of imperial Rome, gathered his robes about him that he might fall with dignity." Not so with the gallant chieftain of a conquered race. Swiftly he turned with unerring rifle raised to face the foe standing three to one against a dying warrior. Wolff, who was betrayed as guilty of the CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 95 shot by the smoke of his gun, sprang like a. coward behind his horse. Williams' horse, badly frightened, kept changing so as to expose a vital place in the body of his rider and the chief shot that man dead in his tracks, then rushed upon Wolff and felled him to the earth, with a blow. Wolff, recovering, caught the chieftain by what he supposed was the scalp lock, and attempted to stab the Indian as he jerked him forward, but when he made the vicious jerk, Wolff fell upon his back with Waw-wil-a-way's turban in his hand. The Indian drew his knife and made a stab at his prostrate foe, who, seeing the danger, threw up his feet and caught the blow in his thigh. The handle of the knife broke in the struggle, leaving the blade in the wound. Just at this time Ferguson ran up, and the chief seized. Wolff's fallen gun and struck the man a terrible blow on the head, bringing him to the ground and laying bare his skull from the crown to the ear. This ended the battle ; and so rapid had been the fight that scarcely three minutes saw it begun and ended. The foes of the chieftain were all at his mercy and, had he been able to follow up his victory, none had been left to tell the story of the desperate and cruel onslaught of three unprincipled white men upon the friendly chieftain of the Shawanees. But the strength had gone from his own body and his sight was growing dim. He cast one glance toward his foes, then folding his arms and walked proudly a few paces from the path, falling amid the fragrant flowers of his native land, and with his face to the earth, the fearless heart of this noble redman was stilled forever. While the encounter lasted the ief never uttered a word. He fought his last battle like a hero as he was, and in his struggle against fearful odds and treachery, he proved the courage of the men immortalized in song and story. This was the blackest murder in the history of the West, and loud and deep were the words of condemnation and sense of horror among the honest settlers in the entire community. When the news of the battle reached Old Town, parties were dispatched to the scene. Williams was dead, and was carried to the home of Nathaniel Pope. Wolff was taken home in a wagon, and the knife blade taken out by a surgeon. Ferguson's head was dressed as well as it could be, but his recovery was slow and prolonged, and his suffering from pain and remorse was very great. Wolff, the instigator of the action, escaped with little injury save the loss of blood from the stab in the thigh. The body of the chieftain was taken by members of the tribe to its place of burial. The killing of Waw-wil-a-way, who was known by all to have been a strong and lasting friend of the whites, and honored and revered by his own people, created a panic among settlers and Indians alike. The Indians in the neighborhood fled in one direction, while the whites retreated in the other. To calm the public mind, and satisfy the Indians that the white men had not broken the 96 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. treaty, General McArthur collected a large body of men, and mounting them, started upon a journey to the Indian country. They went to Greenville in the Great Miami valley, where they found a large body of Indians, under the celebrated chief Tecumseh, or Shooting Star, as the word signifies. A council was held, with all the leading chiefs and warriors present. General McArthur made a clear, plain statement of all the facts in the case; told the story of the finding of the dead body of Captain Herrod, tomahawked and scalped, and also the killing of Waw-wil-away by the cruel and irresponsible white men. The Indians were entirely ignorant of all these facts, and while surprised and indignant, had no disposition to violate the treaty, but pledged themselves to stand by its terms in every respect. General McArthur desired Tecumseh to go with him to Chillicothe, which he did. On arriving at that place, it was announced that upon a certain day the great chief would address the people. A vast concourse of people assembled to hear him. He spoke through an interpreter, and his dignified and impressive presence, his native ability as a great orator, produced a wonderful impression upon the people present. His speech quieted the fears of all, and the people returned to their homes, satisfied that the danger was over and war averted. By the order of Governor Tiffin a company of militiamen were quartered at Old Town to protect the inhabitants. They remained about a week, and had a good time generally. Three or four days after the killing of the Shawanee chief, about four hundred Indians collected at the forks of Lee's creek in Highland county and encamped there. The locality was not very thickly settled at that time, Nathaniel Pope being the only settler near the encampment. He was greatly alarmed at the presence of this warrior band, but did not retreat to the fort at the falls of Paint as his neighbors had done. The Smith's old mill, then the property of General Massie, had been fortified as a place of refuge and safety in case war should follow the tragedies of the two murders. Some of the chiefs visited Pope, who sent for some of his Quaker neighbors who had not gone to the fort, and a council was held, under an elm tree, which yet stands by a spring on the farm then owned by Pope. The Indians demanded an equal division of all the provision and salt, and all the blankets that could be found. The consideration for this division was, if war should come this locality should be exempt from its ravages. Mrs. Pope objected to giving up her blankets, but when an Indian stood her youngest son, afterward General j. W. Pope, against a tree, and began throwing a tomahawk at the boy, sticking it into the tree within a few inches of her son's head, while the other Indians were laughing loudly over the scene, she yielded to the demand, and the Indians departed, taking William Pope and some other young CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS - 97 men with them to aid in their search for Wolff. It was a law among the Indians that the nearest of kin had the right to kill the murderer wherever he could be found. Wolff, well knowing this law, fled to Kentucky, but before going employed a man to act as his agent in fixing the blood ransom. The two sons of the chief were his blood avengers, and to them Wolff's agent appealed for terms of ransom. It was finally agreed between them that if Wolff would furnish each of them a horse, new saddle and bridle, and a new rifle, they would bury the tomahawk and forego their vengeance. To this Wolff agreed and the bargain was ratified at Old Town in the presence of a large assembly of whites and Indians. The ceremony was very impressive. A hollow square was formed, in the center of which stood Wolff with his two horses and the other articles of the compact, while the two sons of the dead chief stood near. In relinquishing their claim on the life of Wolff, the sons lifted their hands toward heaven, invoking the "Great Spirit to witness that to Him alone they transferred the blood and life of Wolff, forfeited to them by the murder of their father." The scene vas solemn and pathetic in the extreme, and many in the audience wept aloud when in the spirit of forgiveness the sons of the chief advanced and taking Wolff by the hand called him brother and smoked the pipe of peace with him, which ended the feud forever. This ended the last Indian alarm in southern Ohio. Morgan Van Meter camp to Ohio from Kentucky in 1803. He was a true type of the backwoodsman, a hunter by profession, who hoped to find a locality where game would be plentiful and not many settlers to mar the range of his hunting expeditions. He had a wife and a large family whose support depended upon his skill with the rifle. Van Meter followed the trace from Maysville through New Market on to the head waters of the East fork of the Little Miami, some fifteen miles north of New Market, which was his nearest trading place. On this spot he built his cabin home, having located his land warrant upon the land of his own selection, where years before he passed over the country with a party of soldiers in pursuit of some Indians who had visited Kentucky, stolen horses and taken prisoners and plunder northward. The location selected by Van Meter proved to be a good one, upon Kenton's trace, or the Old Mead river road, as named afterward, which was then the main line of travel north. As emigration increased rapidly from Kentucky in that direction, his home became known as a good stopping place for the tired travelers. on their journey north. After the trace was cut from Chillicothe to Lebanon, the crossing of the two traces was at the house or home of Van Meter, which increased largely the number of travelers,, and compelled the lucky owner to put up an additional building. Van Meter's H-7 98 - THE COUNTY OF HIGHLAND. tavern was a delightful place to stop, where venison and hominy, if they had no corn bread, constituted the bill of fare. Not satisfied with his success as a hotel keeper, he concluded to build a town, and soon had all the future city platted in squares and lots, with the high hope that at no distant day it would be the capital of a new county. This town was given the name of Morgantown. For a while its growth ale prosperity seqmed assured. People purchased lots and erected cabins. But alas ! when Highland county was organized, Morgantown was found in the wrong place for a county seat. Its improvement was no longer a passion in the mind of the disappointed landlord, and a slow decline set in, from which it finally wasted away until nothing remained to mark the original site, and its name was blotted out in the history of the county. After the ambitious Wishart had thrown up his commission as postmaster of New Market, Jonathan Berryman was appointed in his place, and continued as such for some twenty years, filling the office with honor to himself and fidelity to the government. Aaron Watson coming from Kentucky and establishing himself in New Market as a tavern keeper, disgusted Wishart at the prospect of the future of the place, so he sold out and moved away in the summer of 1803. The same year John Campton settled in New Market and began the business of tanning leather. His brother soon joined him and together they established a tanyard on quite an extensive scale the first in the county of Highland. While it was very necessary that the people of that community should have leather to supply their needs, it was difficult to obtain, owing to scarcity of hides, and the very high price of fish oil, necessary in the finishing of leather. Prices were very high and were not reduced when the home factory turned out its supply. The Camptons peeled their own bark and kept the price up by the plea that fish oil was so high that they could not afford to sell at a less price. But it was hinted by some that not a drop of fish oil had ever come to the town since the Camptons had begun the tanning business but that coon opossum, bear and other oils were freely purchased by them. T Camptons would not admit these hints to be true, but they also us unsalted butter when they could no longer obtain the oil of wil animals, and it passed for fish oil, in the mystery of the leather pr ess. Tanning was very profitable, and rival yards became qui common in various localities in the county. In March, 1803, our friend Michael Stroup and Polly Walk were united in marriage in the growing town of New Market. history of this wedding, as given in Scott's history, is amusing, valuable as a picture of the character and moral tone of social at that time. "Miss Walker was a very handsome, black-eyed of eighteen, who had emigrated from Fleming county, Ky., with CLEAR CREEK AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS -99 mother and stepfather, Joseph Myers, to the falls of Paint four years before, and came to New Market in 1801. She wore on this occasion a nice plain cap on her head, white silk gloves, a plain white collar, and shoes and stockings. Her dress was a very fine light-figured calico, which cost one dollar per yard. Most of those who could get it preferred white muslin worth two dollars per yard ; often however, they wore homespun, so meeting all requirements. The groom was dressed in brown dress, coat and pants, white marseilles vest, white socks and low quartered shoes and white kid gloves. Generally in those days the grooms were not nearly so well dressed. The wedding took place at two o'clock p. m. The party was small and the ceremony was performed by Squire Oliver Ross. ‘Well,' said the squire, in his peculiar Irish style, 'we have met today to join together in holy matrimony Michael Stroup and Polly Walker, as respectable a couple as iver the Lord brought together. Now I hope that not one of you will have any objections to their gettin’ married. I think there will be no objictions. Join your right hands. Wall, Mr. Mike, will you take Miss Polly, whom you hold by the right hand, and as good looking and virtuous a young lady as iver the Virgin Mary was, to be yer lawfully wedded wife. Do you promise to forsake all others (now by the Lord, Mike, you must quit your running after other girls and cling to her alone, will ye. Mike ?)"Yes, yes,' said the groom, 'Oh, by G—d, yes."Well, Miss Polly, will you take Mike, whom you hold by his right hand, to be your lawfully wedded husband (he is worthy, for he is as sprightly a young man as iver wore a pair of buckskin brokins), you promise to forsake all others—but what the devil's to make a woman promise that, when you know they won't keep their promise, but I think you are an exception—you will cling to him till it please the Lord to separate you by death, will you, Polly ? I know you will’ "Yes."Then I pronounce you man and wife, no more two but one. Now go home and raise your children for the Lord. The Lord bless you, ha! ha! ha! take your seats now, ha! the Lord bless you.’ Long and lovingly this couple lived in the enjoyment of their share of temporal blessing, seeing their fourteen children grow up like olive branches around their table." Following this wedding was the marriage of .George Parkinson and Rebecca Ross, already mentioned as the first white woman in the county of Highland, coming as a camp keeper with her father and the surveyors under Henry Massie. During the summer of 1803 a number of settlers came into the county. Among the number was David Ross, from Kentucky, who settled the farm in the present township of Union in Highland county, afterward owned by Isaac French up to the time of his death. At the time of this settlement the country there was an unbroken wilderness, inhabited by Indians and wild beasts. His