(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) 50 - HISTORY OR JACKSON COUNTY. periences with the fierce Shawanese, and his scout life during the War of 1812, is yet a mine of virgin ore, untouched by historian or novelist. He was born near Staunton, Virginia, in 1764, and the first twenty-two years of his life were spent in the Old Dominion. It was the life of a backwoods boy on the margin of the wilderness, full of hardships and perils from wild animals, and wilder men. But nature had amply equipped him for the struggle, and when he reached manhood's estate he was stalwart of frame, measuring six feet and two inches, and weighing nearly two hundred pounds. Shortly after reaching his majority he left his home and kin-dred and disappeared into the wilderness to the west. The time and cause of his departure are in dispute, and some of the writers that have discussed the subject have even tampered with his reputation. Colonel John McDonald's version is to the effect that he fled from home, red-handed; that, "returning one night from a journey, he had ocular proof of the infidelity of his wife, killed her paramour, and instantly fled to the woods." McDonald states that this account was related by Hewitt to his father, but the fact that Hewitt related an entirely different account to James Emmitt naturally throws suspicion on both. Emmitt states that "just after Ffewitt had merged into man-hood his father died, and, as is customary to this day, a row occurred over the division of the old gentleman's property, which was quite considerable. Some of the children were disposed to exhibit swinishness, and tried to gobble the old man's estate, to the exclusion of the interests of less aggressive members of the family. The performances of this little knot of family banditti utterly disgusted Hewitt, and he disappeared." These conflicting versions prove that Hewitt's ready wit never failed him when the curious sought his secret. His disappoint-ment in love was too painful a subject to discuss with every crony, and, besides, few of the prosaic natured pioneers would have believed his romantic tale, although they readily accepted his stories of murder or covetousness. The truth is that Hewitt loved and lost. Another won for his bride the girl that had won his heart, and the world turned black HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 51 to him. As sometimes happens to shy, gentle hearted, great hearted men, he could not endure his fate, and he fled from it. In Europe he would have entered a monastery, but living in colonial Virginia, he entered the forest, and left behind home, kindred, friends, love and all but life. Some writers claim that this happened in 1790, but the most probable date is 1787. As already indicated, the Virginians who followed General Lewis into the hills of Southern Ohio in 1774 carried back glowing accounts of the wonderful game resort which they had discovered on one of the smaller branches of the Scioto, where they had seen herds of buffalo, deer, elk and smaller game in great numbers. Hither Hewitt pursued his course. Although tired of the world, he had no intention of throwing his life away, and he had come equipped with rifle, hunting knife and backwoodsman's ax. When he arrived in the neighborhood of Salt creek he found game, as had been described. But he found Indians also. They were engaged in salt boiling. This was not a misfortune, however, and he soon determined upon a course of action. Watching his opportunity, he entered their circle, and they beheld in their power, a pale-faced giant, whose peaceful overtures soon disarmed all suspicion. His melancholy mien, which was not assumed, his shyness, reserve and aimless wanderings, impressed the Indians, and ere long they came to regard him as partially demented. Such per-sons were considered by the Indians as under the direct protection of the Great Spirit, and Hewitt soon found himself as secure from hostile attack as if he had been inside a fortress. Permitted to wander at will, he began his hermit career of some forty-seven years, thirty-three years of which were spent in Jackson county, and fourteen years in Pike county. After flowing past the licks, Salt creek turns suddenly to the northward and flows through a gorge which it cut for itself during the last glacial period. Along this gorge, which is several miles in length, there are many cave shelters, and in one of them Hewitt made his first permanent home in Ohio. During the summer months he would leave his cave for weeks at a time, tramping hither and thither, camping where night found him, hunting, fish- 52 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. ing, trapping. With game abundant, the Indians always friendly, and life, all serenity, Hewitt lived down his sorrow, but did not tire of his solitude. One is almost tempted to envy this hunter hermit, his return to a primeval existence. Clad in buckskin from head to foot, living on venison, fish and bear meat, pawpaws, wild plums and berries, drinking the delicious waters of the conglomerate springs, and breathing the pure air of the hills, he needed nothing but love to make his life complete, and that he had lost. The first white salt boilers settled in Jackson county in 1795, and before the end of the century there was a large camp at the Scioto salt licks. Many of these salt boilers had been Revolutionary soldiers, who had afterward become rovers, and not a few of them were reckless. In short, this early mining camp much resembled the later camps in the mining regions of the wild west. The proximity of such neighbors did not please Hewitt, and he followed the departing game into the fastnesses of the hills. He established his camp on the headwaters of the creek which now bears his name, and built his house, half dugout, half cabin, on land now owned by Dan D. Davis of Jefferson township. Here he lived for about ten years. Scioto county, which was erected May 1, 1803, took in Hewitt's Fork valley. The coming of homesteaders into the rich bottom lands of the Ohio drove the squatters back into the hills, and Hewitt soon had neighbors more undesirable than the salt boilers, from whose presence he had fled. Many of these early squatters in the hills of Southern Ohio were noted for their thieving propensities, and this brought trouble to Hewitt. In 1808 the sheriff of Scioto county determined to make a raid into Hewitt's Fork after some bold hog thieves. He arrested Hewitt and his nearest neighbor, one William Peterson, took them to Portsmouth and lodged them in jail. Peterson was identified and convicted, and punished at the stake with seventeen stripes. Hewitt declined to defend himself, but as no evidence against him was offered, the sheriff finally dismissed him with an apology. The hermit felt humiliated, and on returning to the hills he determined to abandon his camp, and moved to a cave shelter below the Scioto salt licks, where he spent twelve years. The War of 1812 was now at hand, and Hewitt deserted the HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 53 paths of peace to serve his country as a soldier. His long life in the woods had prepared him for the duties of scout, and his aversion to carrying a gun in the ranks caused him to ask to be assigned to that work. During nearly two years of life as a scout he rendered valuable service. He had thrilling experiences and hairbreadth escapes too numerous to describe in this work. In July, 1812, he joined the expedition of General Tupper into Northern Ohio. Tuppr had raised about one thousand men in Gallia, Jackson and Lawrence counties for six months' service, and Hewitt deserves much of the credit for the success of this campaign. On July 29, 1813, he joined Captain Jared Strong's company, as a private, and marched with it into the Indian country for the relief of Fort Meigs, which was then besieged. During his career as scout he remembered the many kindnesses received at the hands of the Indians, and although he captured many of them single-handed, he neyer shed a drop of Indian blood, and for his treatment of them the Indians called him the "mad" scout. Jackson county was organized March 1, 1816, and Hewitt cast the first vote of his life ,at the spring election held April 1, 1816. But he did not take kindly to the growth of the Salt Lick settlement, for that drove away the game on which he lived. He lingered on for a few years, but about 1820 he bade farewell to the licks, in whose proximity he had lived for a generation, and trampea down into the Scioto valley. Finding a suitable cave shelter at the base of Dividing Ridge, in Pike county, he pitched his camp. Enclosing the open front with a stone wall, he soon had a rock house, in which he spent the rest of his life. He had learned one bad habit with age, the love of liquor, and his visits to the towns became more frequent. One day, in 1834, he went to Waverly, and while there was taken ill with pneumonia, which caused his death. And now begins a chapter in his history like those of the mummy kings of Egypt, or the bones of Columbus. His body was interred in the old Waverly graveyard, but it was not allowed to rest in peace. Dr. William Blackstone gave it an immediate resurrection. After selecting a part of the skeleton for mounting, he buried the other bones in his lot. There they were found in 1852, 54 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY by Edward Vester, a cellar digger. He carefully reinterred them in another part of the lot, and soon forgot all about them. But in 1883, thirty-one years later, they were disturbed again. Vester was engaged in digging a cellarway, and suddenly came upon them a second time. Emmitt had them gathered and shipped to Dr. T. Blackstone of Circleville, who owns the skeleton, and who has kindly furnished me the following description of it: Circleville, O., Feb. 20th, 1897. Mr. D. W. Williams, Jackson, O.: Dear Sir—All the bones of Hewitt, the hermit, that I now have in my possession are the three bones of' the right arm, humerus, radius, ulna, and the entire skull without the lower jaw. The skull has been sawed in two just above the brows. The bones sent me by Mr. Emmitt were crumbling when received from him, and continued to do so till they were in powder. The other bones that I now have are perfect, solid and well preserved. Five teeth and a piece of one remain in the upper jaw, none of them showing signs of decay. One has a large cavity, which has never been filled. The skull is of good size, of symmetrical shape, and is thicker and heavier than the average. It shows, with the teeth, that it belonged to a strong man, past the prime of life. Yours respectfully, T. BLACKSTONE. Such is a brief outline of the life of William Hewitt, who took up his abode in the Northwest Territory in 1787, one year before the coming of the Marietta pioneers, who lived a hermit for forty-seven years, never shed blood, never willfully harmed man or beast, and yet did not find love in life, or rest in the grave. ESCAPE OF SAMUEL DAVIS—The last noted prisoner brought to the licks by the Indians was Samuel Davis, the spy employed by the Governor of Kentucky to watch, together with others, the movements of the Indians along the border. In the fall of 1792 the spies were discharged, and Davis and William Campbell went up Big Sandy on a winter's hunt. On their return, they slept one night on a small island, where, before HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 55 morning, they were found by Indians, who made them prisoners, and at once started for their towns in Ohio. After they had reached the Licks, they camped for the night, securing their prisoners in the following manner. They took a strong tug made from the raw hide of the buffalo or elk. This tug they tied tight around the prisoner's waist. Each end of the tug was fastened around an Indian's waist. Thus with the same tug fastened to two Indian's, he could not turn to the one side or the other without drawing an Indian with him. Notwithstanding all their precautions, Davis finally escaped. The story of his escape, as told by McDonald, is as follows: One morning, just before day began to appear, as Davis lay in his uncomfortable situation, he hunched one of the Indians to whom he was fastened, and requested to be untied. The Indian raised up his head and looked round, and found it was still dark, and no Indians up about the files. I-le gave Davis a severe dig with his fist, and bade him lie still. Davis' mind was now in a state of desperation. Fire and fagot, sleeping or awake were constantly floating before his mind's eye. This torturing suspense would chill his soul with horror. After some time a number of Indians rose up and made their fires. It was growing light, but not light enough to draw a bead. Davis again jogged one of the Indians to whom he was fastened, and said the tug hurt his middle, and again re-quested the Indian to untie him. The Indian raised up his head, and looked round, and saw it was getting light and a number of Indians about the fires. He untied him. Davis rose to his feet, and was determined, as soon as he could look around and see the most probable direction of making his escape, to make the attempt at all hazards. He screwed his courage to the sticking point. It was a most desperate undertaking. Should he fail to effect his escape, death, instant, cruel death, was his doom. He rose to his feet, stood a minute, between the two Indians, to whom he had been fastened, and took a quick glance at the Indians who were standing around him. In the evening the Indians had cut two forks, which were stuck into the ground; a pole was laid across these forks, and all their rifles were leaned against the pole. If he made his start back from the Indian camp, the rifles of the Indians, 56 - HISTORY Or JACKSON COUNTY. who were standing round the fires, and who, he knew, would pursue him, would be before them, and as they started after him, they would have nothing to do, but pick up a rifle as they ran. On the contrary, if he made his plunge through the midst of them, they would have to run back for their guns, and by that time, as it was only twilight in the morning, he could be so far from them that their aim would be very uncertain. The success of his daring enterprise depended on the swiftness of his heels. He knew his bottom was good. A large active Indian was standing between Davis and the fire. He drew back his fist and struck that Indian with all his force, and dropping him into the fire; and with the agility of a buck he sprang over his body and took to the woods with all the speed that was in his power. The Indians pursued, yelling and screaming like demons. But as Davis anticipated, not a gun was fired at him. Several Indians pursued him some distance, and for some time it was a doubtful race. The foremost Indian was so close to him that he sometimes fancied that he felt his clutch. However at length Davis began to gain ground upon his pursuers, the breaking and rustling of brush was still farther and farther off. He took up a long sloping ridge. When he reached the top, he for the first time looked back, and to his infinite pleasure saw no person in pursuit. After many privations for several days, he reached Manchester. WAYNE'S CAMPAIGN—The sixty years' war with the Ohio" Indians w as now drawing to a close. Congress had been awakened to a sense of the situation by the defeats of Harmar and St. Clair. General Anthony Wayne was sent across the mountains with an army like himself. His mission was to subdue the Indians and extend the domain of the United States to the boundaries defined by* the treaty with England. He took every step with care, fortified posts of advantage, advanced further and further into the Indian country, and on the morning of August 20, 1794, he found the Indian army and forced the fighting. By nightfall the victory of Fallen 7. imbers had been won, and the power of the Ohio Indians broken forever. Peace was secured and the border warfare was virtually over. HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 57 GREEN'S EXPEDITION—When the news of the victory, reached the settlements an expedition was at once organized to go to the Scioto Licks before winter' set in. This expedition was the first of the kind that proved a success. Others had sought the licks, but as long as the Indians remained in possession none succeeded in making salt and escaping with their lives. We are indebted to Hildreth, the Ohio valley historian, for the following graphic account of the visit of Green's expedition to the licks: Among the other privations and trials of the early settlers in the Ohio company's lands, was the dearness and scarcity of marine salt. From 1788 to some years after the close of the war, their salt was all brought over the mountains on pack horses at an expense to the consumer of from six to ten dollars a bushel. The salt was of the coarse, Isle of May variety, of an excellent quality and measured instead of weighed as it now is. A bushel of this salt weighs about eighty pounds, while one of our present bushels weighs only fifty pounds. It was as late as the year 1806 when the change took place in the mode of vending this article, after salt was made in considerable quantities at the new salines on the Big Kanawha. Its great scarcity was a serious drawback on the prosperity of the country, and a source of annoyance to the people. The domestic animals suffered from its want, as well as man; and when ranging in the woods, visited the clay banks that some times contained saline particles, licking and gnawing them into large holes. The deerlicks so common at that day were seldom anything more than holes made in the clay by wild animals and filled with water, sometimes of a brackish quality. Nearly all the salines, since worked, were pointed out to man by the deer and the buffalo. This was the fact at Salt Creek and Kanawha. It was hoped that as the country was opened and cultivated, salt springs would be found sufficient for the wants of the inhabitants; but it was a dark and doubtful feature in the future prosperity of the country, In the autumn of the year 1794, Griffin Green, esq., whose fertile mind was always full of projects for the benefit of the country, had heard from the report of some white man, who had been a 58 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. prisoner with the Indians, that while he was with them, they had made salt from a spring on a tributary branch of the Scioto river,. afterward known as Salt Creek. He described the spot as somewhere near the present location of the town of Jackson, and although it was in the midst of the Indian war, and in the vicinity of their towns, so great was the anxiety to ascertain its truth that., a company was formed to visit and search out the spring. Mr. Green associated with him in the enterprise Major Robert Bradford and Joel Oaks, he paying one-half the expense and his two partners the other. A large pirogue was provided with provisions for twelve men, for ten or twelve days, the period supposed necessary to accomplish the journey. They hired some of the most experienced woodsmen and hunters from Bellville as guides and guards. Among them were Peter Anderson, Joshua Dewey and John Coleman, all noted for their bravery and knowledge of the woods. They left Farmer's Castle in the fall of the year, at a time when the water in the Ohio was quite high; accompanied with the good wishes of their neighbors for their success, but damped with many fears and evil forebodings from the dangers that attended the enterprise. The Indians had for many years kept with jealous. care the knowledge of the locality from the whites, viewing the-spring as a valuable gift from the Great Spirit to the Red men, and with the game and fish, as perquisites to which the pale faces had no right. It was not known that any white man had ever been at the salines, except when visited by some prisoner in company with the Indians, and who even then did not let him actually see the spot, but only the salt made by them at the time of the visit. At the mouth of Leading creek the adventurers landed their boat, secreting it among the trees and bushes as well as they could. This point is about forty miles from Jackson, and probably about thirty miles from the heads of the south branch of Salt creek, but of the actual distance they were ignorant, only knowing that it lay some distance beyond the west boundary line of the Ohio company lands. After several days travel and making examinations,. they fell upon a stream which led in the right direction, and fol- 59 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. lowing it down, soon met with paths leading as they supposed to the spring. They soon discovered where fires had recently been made, and searching carefully in the bed of the creek found a hole which had been scooped out by the Indians in the sandrock and filled with brackish water. A small brass kettle which they had with them for cooking, when filled with water and boiled away,. made about a tablespoonful of salt. Although the water was weak, yet it proved that they had discovered the long talked of and desirable fountain, whose waters afforded the precious article of salt. It was like the discovery of the philosopher's stone to the alchemist, for every ounce of it could be turned into gold. After spending one night and part of a day at the place, they commenced their homeward journey, well pleased with the success of their search. They dare not stay longer and make a larger quantity, lest some straggling Indians should discover them and give notice to the village at Chillicothe, distant about twenty-five miles. They were too numerous to fear any small hunting party. Their return to the mouth of Leading creek was accomplished in a much shorter period than in going out. The night after they left Salt creek, while all were buried in sleep by their camp fire,. they were awakened by a terrific scream. All sprang to their feet,. seized their arms, and extinguished the fire, expecting every moment to hear the shot and shouts of the savages. After listening a minute or two, and no enemy appearing, they began to inquire into the cause of the alarm, and found that one of the party had been seized with cramp in his sleep and made this terrible outcry.. They were rejoiced that it was from no worse a cause, and lay down quietly until morning. When they reached the mouth of Leading creek the water had fallen ten or twelve feet, and had left the pirogue high and dry on land. It required half an hour or more to launch the boat and get under way. By the time they had reached the middle of the Ohio, proposing to cross over and go up on the Virginia shore, a party of Indians appeared on the bank at the spot they had just left, in hot pursuit. Fortunately, they were out of reach, of their shot. The adventurers 60 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY felt very thankful for their providential escape, for had their pursuers reached the river a few minutes sooner, while all hands were engaged in getting the boat into the water, they would in all probability have fallen a sacrifice to the Indians. At the treaty two years after, an Indian who was with the pursuing party, told Colonel Lewis, of Kanawha, that the whites had been discovered while at the creek boiling salt by two Indians, who were then on a hunt, and had seen the smoke of their fire. They were too weak to attack so large a party and hastened back to their town for assistance. Twenty Indians immediately went in pursuit, but greatly to their disappointment, did not overtake them until they had left the shore and were out of danger. They reached the garrison unmolested and relieved the fears of their families and friends, as to their safety, it having been in fact a very dangerous enterprise. So desirable a discovery was considered to be very valuable, and Esquire Green, in a visit he made to Philadelphia soon after, sold the right of his discovery for the benefit of himself and partners, to John Nicholson, a merchant of that city, for $1,500, who was to come into possession of the spring by purchasing the land on which it was situated as soon as it was surveyed by the United States and offered for sale. THE JAMES FORAY—In the month of February, 1795, Jonas Davis, one of the Ohio company's settlers, was killed by Indians near the mouth of Crooked creek. Major John James and three friends determined that they would avenge the murder, and started in pursuit. Following is an account of their experience as written by Hildreth: "The day after the death of Davis, a party of four young men, headed by John James, one of the most active and resolute of the borderers, proceeded down the Ohio in a canoe in pursuit of the murderers of Davis. The rangers at Gallipolis had ascertained that a party of Indians were hunting on the head of Symmes creek, and from the direction pursued by the war party in their retreat, they were led to think they belonged to the band. With all diligence they hastened on to the mouth of the Big HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 61 Kanawha, in expectation of being joined there by volunteers from the garrison; but none turned out, declining to do so on account of the armistice made with the Indians after their defeat by General Wayne. Proceeding on to Gallipolis and making known the object of their pursuit, four men volunteered their aid and joined them. From this place they hastened onward to Raccoon creek, and ranged up that stream one day, without making any discovery of the Indians. Here one of their men fell sick and turned back, while another had to accompany him, leaving only six to continue on the pursuit. The following day they reached the heads of Symmes creek, where is a large pond, about a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide, a famous place for trapping beaver. They soon fell upon signs of the Indians and on a bush by the edge of the pond found an Indian's cap made of beaver skin, which he had left to mark the spot where his trap was set. Mr. James took this into his own keeping. As it was near sunset, the party secreted. themselves behind a large fallen tree, waiting for night, when they intended to attack the Indians in their camp, make one fire, and rush on with their tomahawks, not thinking the hunting party could number more than eight or ten men, but they subsequently found they amounted to near forty, divided into two camps, one on each side of the pond. They had lain concealed but a short time when an Indian who had been out hunting came in sight, and was, closely examining the trail made by the whites, knowing that it was that of strangers. When he came within forty or fifty yards, one of the party, Joseph Miller, fired, and the Indian fell. As Mr.. James rushed up with his tomahawk, he raised the war cry, and was instantly answered by his comrades from their camp, distant not more than two or three hundred yards, for they directly came rushing up in force, before James could accomplish his purpose, and with his party he was obliged rapidly to retreat, as the Indians far outnumbered them. Seeing the whites likely to escape they set their dogs on their trail, who came yelping and barking at their heels, like hounds in pursuit of a fox.. Fortunately, it soon came so dark that their enemies could not see their trail, and followed only by the barking of the dogs. For a day or two preceding, 62 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY it had rained heavily and when they reached the east fork of the creek, it was too high for fording. They hastily made a raft of dry logs, but it became entangled in the bushes in the creek bottom, which was all overflowed, so that they had to abandon it. Their escape this way being cut off, they were forced to return to the ridge between the two branches, and travel up until they could A cross, by fording. A little before morning they halted and rested themselves until daylight, the dogs for some time having ceased to pursue them, or by barking to give notice of their position. Soon after this, they found a fordable place in the creek and crossed over. Here they lay an hour or two, waiting for the Indians, expecting them to pursue the trail with daylight, and intending to fire upon them in the water; but they did not come, having probably crossed higher up the stream. When they reached Raccoon creek, that was also full, and had to be crossed on a raft. The party reached Gallipolis the next day at evening. Colonel Robert Safford, of Gallipolis, then acting as a ranger, went out the next morning and found the trail of the Indians pursuing the whites to within a short distance of the town. The pond of Symmes creek is distant about one hundred miles from Belpre, and shows this to have been one of the most hazardous, daring and long continued pursuits after a depredating band of Indians which occurred during the war; reflecting great credit on the spirited men who conducted it. It was the last warfare with the savages from this part of the territory. The pond referred to above was located on the Black 'Fork of Symmes creek. TREATY OF GREENVILLE—General Wayne remained in the Indian country until he had accomplished all that he had been sent to do. It was not enough to subdue the. Indians. They could not be exterminated nor removed from the territory, but it was necessary that they be induced to bury the tomahawk. He worked to secure a treaty that all the tribes would recognize. After much conciliatory work the Great Council assembled at Greenville on June 10, 1795. During its sessions the chiefs were won over one by one, and on August 3, 1795, the treaty of Greenville was signed HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 63 by General Wayne and ninety chiefs and delegates of twelve tribes. By this treaty all the territory south of the Greenville line was ceded by the Indians to the whites, for a consideration. The ceded territory included what is now Jackson county, and the date above saw the Indian dominion over it, ended forever. THE FIRST SALT BOILER—The time had now come for a permanent settlement at the Scioto licks. Their location was common property and only fear of the Indians had kept out squatters. The honor of being the first salt boiler to settle at the licks belongs to Joseph Conklin. When the Great Council at Greenville was in session, he was living in Mason county, Kentucky. He had his thoughts on the rich licks in the woods, however, and when the news of the treaty reached him, he at once gathered together his effects, and taking his family with him, he set out into the wilderness. A companion or two joined him. They crossed the Ohio and took the Guyan trace. One evening they reached the sulphur spring that wells out at the foot of Broadway. There they rested and camped for the night, and the history of Poplar Row began. Conklin at once set to work to build a cabin. Its location is not known, but judging from the circumstances and the condition of the surface surrounding the licks, it is believed that he built near the sulphur spring already mentioned. This done, the work of making salt was hastily undertaken to secure a supply before the fall rains set in.. He used the salt water basins that the Indians had cut in the sandstone at the riffle just below the mouth of Givens' run and built his first furnace on the bank near by. This furnace was a very simple affair, being little more than a kettle or two something like a molasses camp. All hands worked hard at salt making. It was not long until a few persons came in from the Ohio Company's lands to make some salt before winter. There also came other visitors, not as desirable, viz, the Indians. After the treaty of Greenville, several bands came to the licks, little thinking that the white man was already there. They were peaceable, however, and soon discovered that the white man was a convenience after all. The Indian warriors disliked the drudgery 64 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. of salt making, and they were well pleased when they found that Conklin, and his companions were willing and anxious to barter salt for game and other necessaries. Thus commenced a trade with the Indians that continued for several years, some of them visiting the salt works even after the organization of the county. Among them were Shawanese, Senecas, Delawares and representatives of many other tribes. Conklin prospered at the licks, but he was only a squatter, and he foresaw that conditions would change before many years had passed. In 1801 he had a fine furnace and one of the richest wells, and when William Givens proposed to buy them, he sold out and moved away, settling near Wheeler's Mills, in Scioto county. CONGRESS ACTS—John Nicholson never came into posses-sion of the springs. Their discovery and location soon became known to the General Government, and they were set aside for the use of the whole people. This action was taken May 18, 1796, when an act of Congress was approved, providing for the sale of lands in the, territory northwest of the Ohio. The reference to the licks is found in the third section of that act, which is as follows: Section 3. Be it further enacted, That a salt spring lying upon a creek which empties in the Scioto river, on the east side, together with as many contiguous sections as shall be equal to one township, and every other salt spring which may be discov-ered, together with the section of one mile square, which includes. it, also four sections at the center of every township, containing each one mile square, shall be reserved for the future disposal of the United States; but there shall be no reservations except for salt springs, in fractional townships, where the fraction Is less than three fourths of a township. THE SECOND SALT BOILER--John Martin, who came to, the Scioto licks in 1796, was the second salt boiler of whom there is record, and the first to remain in the neighborhood. He thus became the founder of the oldest family in the county. The first HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 65 ancestor of whom there is record was James Martin, who was born in Ireland in the early part of the last century. Like many another young Irishman, he emigrated, and settled in Pennsyl-vania. He found his wife there. In a few years he went south to Maryland. Little is known of their family. A son was born to them in 1772, whom they named John. Two other sons were named Hugh and James, but our story concerns John only His youth covered the stormy years of the Revolution, when he could enjoy only few advantages, but he developed that sturdy manhood which made America free. Nothing is known of his Maryland life except that he acted as teamster for a time and hauled flour from the Ellicott mills to Baltimore. When the news came of the successful issue of the Indian war in Ohio, Martin was one of many whose thoughts turned toward the west. In 1796 he started through the wilderness for the new born Buckeye state, and did not stop until he reached the Scioto Salt Works, now known as Jackson. Here he found employment at the salt works, which occupation he followed for many years. He worked for the firm of Ross & Nelson, and afterward for John Johnson and others. Other members of his family came here, including his father. The latter left in later years and went to Tennessee, where he died in 1816, after marrying a second time. The manufacture of salt became less profitable with the discovery of stronger brine in other parts of the state, and John Martin then turned his thoughts to farming. He entered a large tract of land in what is now Franklin township, and removed there to live, where he spent the rest of his life until 1856, when he returned to this city to live with his son Courtney. He died December 15, 1858, aged 86 years, 11 months and 6 days. He had been a member of the M. E. Church here for 45 years. His remains were interred in the old cemetery, but were removed to Fairmount in 1900 His wife survived him and lived with her son Court-ney until her death, which occurred December 26, 1866. She was born in Maryland December 25, 17.86, her maiden name being Margaret Shoup. Her family came to the salt works at an early day, where she was married to John Martin in 1805. Another 66 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. sister, Mrs. Sylvester, lived here until recent years. Both united with the M. E. Church in 1801, and Mrs. Martin was a member for 65 years. The Methodist meetings were held for many years at her home on Poplar Row, long before Jackson was laid out. John and Hugh Martin joined the Tupper expedition to Sandusky in the War of 1812. Hugh was taken ill on the way and was left behind, but John served throughout the campaign, which was short but severe. John and Margaret Martin had a family of five children, who grew to maturity. They were. Courtney M., John M., Elizabeth, Nancy and Eliza. Courtney McIntyre Martin was born in Lick township, in this county, September 14, 1806. Nancy Stephenson was born in Tacy's Valley, Cabe11 county, Virginia, August 22, 1806. They were married October 16, 1831, Rev. Truit officiating. Both died July 2, 1894. Their funeral was held July 4,. at 9 a. m., and both were buried in the same grave side by side. Born within 23 days of each other, dying the same day, and buried in the same grave, their lot may be said to have been peculiarly happy. The second son, John M., was born in Franklin township in 1808. He came to Jackson and went into business at an early period. He was elected Treasurer of the county in 1834, and served until 1841. He was elected Recorder in 1861 and served until 1867. He was afterward postmaster of Jackson. He died January 20, 1884, aged 75 years. Elizabeth was married to Harmon Lowry. They removed to Vinton county in the fifties, and she died at McArthur several years ago from the effects of burns. Nancy was born January 29, 1820. She was married to Daniel Stewart and became the mother of eight children. She died August 4, 1892, aged 72 years, 6 months and 5 days. Eliza was the youngest and she survives. SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY —The growth of the settlement at the licks was very slow until after Ohio was admitted into the Union. The cause is not far to seek. As already mentioned, HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 67 Congress by the Act of 1796 reserved a township of land surrounding the licks for the use of the Government. This made it an impossibility for any one to enter land in the township. At the same time Congress neglected to make any arrangements for leasing the salt wells, and this left them at the mercy of the squatters. The period of Squatter Soverignty lasted from 1795 till the spring of 1803. Little of the history of this period has survived. The squatters did not feel justified in making improvements, for only the common law of the camp would secure their title, and that did not hold if they absented themselves from the licks. The majority of the salt boilers of this period were thus forced to, be transients. They came here in the summer, made salt for a few months, and when the waters rose in the fall, flooding the bottoms, they returned to their homes, in the territory of the Ohio Company, Virginia or Kentucky, as the case might be. A very large proportion of the early settlers of Southern Ohio visited the licks during this period. Felix Renick, Joseph Harness and Leonard Stump of Virginia were among the visitors in 1798, and Colonel Return J. Meigs and Paul Fearing of Marietta passed through if, 1799, when on their way to Cincinnati. Joseph Vance, afterward Governor of Ohio, worked here as a salt boiler, and William Salter, afterward a citizen of Portsmouth, spent a few years here. The pioneers came from all parts of the state to get salt. Judge Silvanus Ames of Athens county came here in 1802 by way of Chillicothe. Many others might be mentioned. GEORGE L. CROOKHAM—Occasionally young men would secure employment here and remain permanently. Of the number were John Kight and George L. Crookham, who came to the licks in 1799. The latter became one of the leading men of the settlement and lived in the county until his death. He was born at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, November 18, 1779. He had a taste for learning and soon qualified himself to teach. When only twenty years of age he came to the licks and went to work at a salt furnace. But he kept up his studies. Even at night, while watching the kettles, he pursued his studies, and John Farney is au- 68 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY thority for the statement that he included astronomy among them. Mathematics engaged his attention the oftenest, but he was a student of Nature and her works, even down to insects. In 1812 he volunteered for the war, and rendered his country valuable service, for which he received in later years a land warrant. He was a great lover of freedom, and when the slavery question began to attract attention in 1836 he became an Abolitionist. This made him very obnoxious to many of his neighbors, and that led to an act of incendiarism, which disgraced the county and lost to posterity a very valuable book. He had a school house on his farm, two miles west of Jackson, where he taught the children of the neighborhood. In this little house he kept his library, his collection of curiosities and relics, and a manuscript history of the salt works from the earliest days. One night the building was fired by some pro-slavery people, and it was destroyed with all its contents. Mr. Crookham was the father of sixteen children, fourteen of whom survived him. He died February 28, 1857, at the home of his son-in-law, J. W. Hanna, east of Jackson, the most learned man in the county, and respected by all. The bells of the town were tolled on the day of his funeral. OTHER PIONEERS—Little is known of John Kight, and nothing is known of Shoup, except his name, and the date of his arrival, -viz: 1800. Daniel F. Dean came here before the end of the eighteenth century, and was the first man to lose his life at the licks by accident. He met his death at a rolling, a heavy log crushing him to the earth. His grave may be found on McKitterick's Hill, and a stone marked the place when I came to Jackson in 1889. Davis Mackley, who became editor of The Standard before the pioneers had all passed away, published a number of notes, from which the following extracts are quoted: I had frequent con-versations during their life time with John Farney, John Kight, John Martin, Vincent Southard and Mother Sylvester. John Kight informed me that he came to the salt licks in 1799, and there were then a few persons settled around the salt wells. These salt wells were located around the western outcrop of the conglomerate, or HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 69 salt rock, and the salt water to this day comes to the surface. The western edge of the salt rock comes up in the bed of Salt creek, near Diamond Furnace, and the water dashing over it has cut quite a hole below the rock and causes a fall of nearly four feet. The water was drawn from the salt wells in wooden buckets with a balance pole, or sweep pole, as it was called. The water was boiled in the common sugar kettles. The first white man who made salt here as a regular business was Mr. Conklin His furnace was in the bottom, nearly north of where Globe Furnace is now located. The different wells and furnaces received such names as were suggested by the character of the persons by which they were surrounded. There was a well and furnace near the railroad bridge, between Star Furnace and town, which was one of the most extensive establishments. The persons operating this establishment lived in cabins on the high bluff, where is now the residence of James Chesnut, and where the Presbyterian Church stands. This was called Purgatory. The wells and furnaces near the Infirmary were called Paradise, and the next group, beyond the residence of H. C. Bunn, were named New Jerusalem. The salt water or brine was weak, and it took several hundred gallons of it to make a bushel of salt. It was boiled down with wood, which was cut from the surrounding hills. When the wood became scarce near the furnaces and wells, other furnaces were erected nearer the timber, and the water was taken from the wells to the timber in logs, bored through and spliced together. It was sometimes taken nearly a mile from the wells to these furnaces. The salt boilers were utterly ignorant of the nature and use of stone coal, and although these salt wells were located in the vicinity of the best coal in the world, yet they never used a bushel of it. There is a tradition that an owner of a salt well who needed stone to erect a furnace, used blocks of coal, which soon burned down and dropped his kettles to the ground. (This was up near Petrea.—Ed.) The pioneers related many anecdotes about the licks: The story about being shot with a packsaddle at the licks has gone into history. Some of the men above named were pres-ent and told me how it occurred. But I must first tell what a pack- 70 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY: saddle is. It was made by taking two pieces of wood, so crooked that they would fit on a horse's back. On the under side was fastened on each side boards some eighteen inches long. These boards were fastened to the crooked pieces with wooden pins, and the under side was padded with linen, and between the padding and the boards it was stuffed with straw, chaff or hair. On these packsaddles our fathers transported salt as far as Pomeroy, and West Columbia, West Virginia. I must go back to the shooting with a packsaddle. One of the kettle tenders at a salt furnace out of pure "cussedness" threw a packsaddle into the furnace. It belonged to a man who had come some distance for salt. The owner said but little and went home. He procured another packsaddle, and put a quantity of gunpowder in the pad, and returned to the same furnace. Some time in the night this- was also thrown into the furnace. The furnace was destroyed, but fortunately no one was hurt. VETERANS OF THE REVOLUTION—Many of the first settlers were veterans of the Revolutionary War, but no complete list of them is in existence. A few old pension papers are on file at the Court House, and the declarations in them are given a place here: George Whaley declared Jan. 27, 1821, that he was enlisted for one year at Lewisburg, Greenbrier county, Virginia, on or about the 15th day of November, 1776, and served in the company of Captain Matthew Arbuckle of the Twelfth regiment of Virginia, and that he continued to serve in said company in the service of the United States, in the Continental army, against the common enemy until about the 15th day of November, 1777. He was again enlisted at Lewisburg in state and county aforesaid, in the company of Captain Matthew Arbuckle 'of the Twelfth regiment of Virginia, commanded by Colonel John Newel of General Hand's brigade; that he continued to serve in said corps, or in the service of the United States, in the Continental army, against the common enemy, until about the 15th day of November, 1779, when he was honorably discharged at Fort Randall, at the mouth of Big Kanawha, and that he was in service three years in the who-le time.. Was at Fort Randall when attacked by the Indians in 1778. HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 71 Henry Hughes declared June 26, 1821, that he enlisted in the year 1779 for eighteen months, in a company commanded by Captain John Andrews, which said company belonged to a regiment ,commanded by Colonel Hawes of the North Carolina line, on the, Continental establishment; was in the battles of Guilford Court House, Camden, Eutaw Springs, and in several 'other skirmishes; was wounded at the battle of Camden, and that he was discharged from the service in the year 1781, by Major Snead, at Salisbury, North Carolina. A grandson of this man now lives in Franklin township. James Dawson declared October 6, 1820, that he served three years and seven months in the Thirteenth Virginia regiment of regulars, and was in battle against the Indians at the town of Coshocton, on the Muskingum river, in the state of Ohio; also in battle against the Indians at the mouth of White Woman's Creek; also in battle on Big Beaver, and many others. He has many descendants in the county. William Darby declared June 26, 1821, that he served in the Revolutionary. War as follows: That he served as drummer in Captain Davis' company until he, Captain Davis, was killed; then in Captain Carbery's company, that Colonel, Hoobly commanded; when he was discharged he belonged to General Wagner's division, and that he served five years and ten months during the Revolutionary War in the Pennsylvania line on Continental establishment. Thomas Craig declared October 17, 1820, that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows: In the First regiment, under Colonel Rollins, Second company, commanded by Captain Richard Davis, of the Maryland line, and that he has received a pension, and that the certificate is No. 10780; that he enlisted in the year 1776, and was taken prisoner at Fort Washington, and was not discharged till 1784. Seth Larrabee declared June 29, 1821, that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows, to-wit: That he was enlisted for three years at Windham, in the state of Connecticut, on or about the month of January, 1777, under Captain Nino Elderkin, belong 72 - HISTORY OF' JACKSON COUNTY. ing to a regiment commanded by Colonel Herman Swift, and that he continued to serve in said company in the service of the United States in the Continental army, against the common enemy, until about January, 1780, when he was honorably discharged at Morristown, New Jersey, about the month of December, in the year 1781. He was again enlisted at the town of Windham, in the state of Connecticut, for three years, under Captain Joseph Thong, belonging to Colonel Thomas Swift's regiment. He continued in said regiment to serve against the common enemy for the term of three years, when he was honorably discharged at West Point. He served in the whole six years on Continental establishment against the common enemy; was in the battles of Germantown and Monmouth. James Hulse declared June 26, 1821, that he served in the Revolutionary War in the Virginia Continental line, for the term of three years, for which he received a bounty in land from that state; that he enlisted at Shepherdstown, Virginia, in the company commanded by Captain Abraham Shepherd, and served under him in the Twelfth Virginia regiment. William Clarke declared October 16, 1820, that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows: In the First Virginia state regiment of artillery three years; was in a battle against the British at Hampton, the regiment commanded by Thomas Mar-shall; was in North Carolina when Colonel Bluford was defeated. John Exline declared May 19, 1825, that he served as a private soldier in the Revolutionary War, in the Virginia Continental line, for the term of eighteen months; that he was enlisted in Hampshire county, Virginia, in the year 1781, by Captain Thomas Waiman, in whose company he served until after the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, at which he was engaged as a besieger in said company. After the surrender to Washington by Corn-wallis, at Yorktown, this deponent and the company, with a, de-tachment of about 800, he thinks, moved off and pressed on to Cumberland Court House, where they remained during the winter succeeding said surrender. In the spring they were marched to Savannah, in Georgia, or near the same, at a place called HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 73 Widow Givens. He was marched to Georgia in a company commanded by Captain Beverly Roy, the whole detachment under Colonel Posey; a stop for a time at a place called Eleenegantown, after which he came to Charleston, South Carolina, where he remained until he was marched to Cumberland Court House, again, when at the expiration of his eighteen months he received an hon-orable discharge under Gen. Charles Scott and Colonel Posey. The discharge was signed by said Scott. He states he does not now remember the number of the company and the regiment, but believes the Colonel's name was Gist. THOMAS OLIVER--The last survivor of this band of heroes was Thomas Oliver, whose remains lie buried in Mt. Zion cemetery. The people of Jackson held a celebration July 4th, 1843, and two old -veterans were brought to town and placed on the stage during the exercises. They were James Dawson and Thomas Oliver. The latter lived until February 23, 1844, and was 80 years old at the time of his death. His son by his second wife, Hiram Oliver, has furnished us the following data concerning him: "My father, Thomas Oliver, was a native of Maryland. He was born May 10, 1763, on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay. His father died when he was 14 years old, and he then went to live with his Uncle David Loffland in Loudon county, Virginia. He remained with him about three years, when he enlisted in the Revolutionary army. He joined the Sixth Virginia regiment, commanded by Colonel Muhlenberg. This was in 1779. He enlisted for seven years, or for the war, and when the war was ended he was dis-charged, having served three years and seven months. For this service he was pensioned in 1834, getting a pension of $80 a year. He was married three times. His first wife was Sarah Edwards, daughter of Joseph Edwards, a Welshman. This marriage occurred when he was 27 years of age. Eight children were born to them, all of whom grew to maturity. They were William, Thomas, Charles, Wesley, Nancy, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Sarah. His wife died in Mason county, Virginia. In 1816 he came to Ohio and settled on Symmes creek, in this county, leasing a part of the school land. 74 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY HARRISON'S RECOMMENDATION — The condition of affairs at the Scioto licks during this period was not what Congress had contemplated when it passed the act of 1796, reserving a township of land for the use of the Government, but four years were allowed to elapse before the next action was taken. On February 19, 1800, W. H. Harrison, the Ohio delegate in Congress, communicated the following recommendation to the Lower House: That, upon inquiring into the situation of the salt springs and licks, the property of the United States, they have been informed from respectable authorities, that those on the east side of the Scioto, on the east of the Muskingum, and one or two near the Great Miami, are now in the occupancy of a number of persons, who are engaged in the making of salt to a very considerable extent, and that these persons, by a destructive waste of the timber in the neighborhood of the springs, are daily diminishing their .value. The committee therefore think it advisable that measures should be immediately taken to secure to the United States the benefits arising from these springs, and therefore submit to the House the following resolution: Resolved, That all the salt springs and licks, the property of the United States, in the territory northwest of the Qhio, ought to be leased for a term not less than .., nor more than .. years. GALLATIN'S SUGGESTION—The Harrison resolution was never carried into effect by Congress, for the people in the eastern part of the Northwest Territory were already thinking of statehood, and the leasing of the licks was allowed to wait until the state should get possession of them.' When the question of passing the Ohio Enabling Act came before Congress, Mr. Giles, Chairman of the committee having the matter in hand, solicited Hon. Albert Gallatin for some observations on the disposal of the licks. The latter submitted the following on February 13, 1802: The grant of the Scioto salt springs will at present be considered as the most valuable, and alone would most probably induce a compliance on the part of the new state with the conditions proposed by Congress; and, if it be considered that at least one-half of the HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 75 future population of that district will draw their salt from that source, the propriety of preventing the monopoly of that article falling into the hands of any private individual can hardly be disputed. Acting on this suggestion, the committee recommended to the House on March 4, 1802, that the following be one of the propositions made to the Convention of the Eastern State of the Northwest Territory: 2. That the Six Miles Reservation, including the salt springs, commonly called the Scioto salt springs, shall be granted to the State of when formed, for the use of the people thereof;. the same to be used under such terms, conditions and regulations as the Legislature of the said state shall direct; provided, the said Legislature shall never sell nor lease the same for a longer term than .... years. LEASING THE LICKS—The Ohio Enabling Act was passed; April 30, 1802, and the limit of the salt leases was fixed at ten years. The first Constitutional Convention met November 1, 1802, at Chillicothe, which had been made the capital by the act of Congress of May 7, 1800. The convention accepted the salt reserve proposition of Congress, formulated a Constitution, and adjourned November 29, 1802, all its labors over. On February 19, 1803, Congress passed an act recognizing Ohio's statehood, and the First General Assembly met at Chillicothe March 1, 1803. One of the first matters that came up for consideration was the leasing of the Scioto salt licks. This coming to the knowledge of the squatters at the licks, they secured the services of Major John James to go to Chillicothe to present a petition to the Legislature. The Journal record is to this effect: On March 25, 1803, James "presented a petition from sundry inhabitants of the Scioto Salt Lick township, praying for privilege of continuing their business as formerly for the present season." The petition was read and referred to the committee in charge of the matter. It was presented too late, however, for the following resolutions had been reported by the Committee of the Whole to the House on March 23, 1803, two days before Major James' arrival: 76 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. Resolved, That it is inexpedient at this time for the Legislature to make any provisions for renting the salt springs for any longer period than the 1st day of April, 1804. Resolved, That an agent, or agents, be appointed, who shall procure and keep a book or books of entries, for the purpose of entering all the kettles or other vessels used in boiling salt water at the different salt works, specifying the size, and that all persons shall make entry with such agent, and shall pay to him the sum of .... cents per annum, on each gallon his kettle or other vessel may contain, which money shall be paid by said agent into the treasury of the state. Resolved, That it shall be the duty of said agent to ascertain by experiment or otherwise, before the next session of the Legis-lature, what quantity of water will produce one bushel of salt, the expense attending the reduction of said water, to explore the township and sections containing the salt springs, ascertaining the quality of the land, state of the timber, etc.; to enquire whether in the neighborhood of either of the salt springs any quantity of stone coal can be found, also of what quality it may be, and whether it will answer as a substitute for wood in boiling the water; to ascertain the extent and situation of the springs; what number of wells may be dug, or what number of furnaces may be erected, and the value of the present improvements, and to make report thereof to the next Legislature. Ordered, That Mr. Patton and Mr. Silliman prepare and bring in a bill, pursuant to the said report. William Patton and Wyllis Silliman, appointed to draft the bill, made all due haste, and it was reported to the House and read the first time April 6. It passed April 9, and went to the Senate. It passed the Senate April 12, and became a law April 13, 1803. Following is a copy of it: AN ACT REGULATING THE PUBLIC SALT WORKS—Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Ohio, That an agent be appointed by a joint ballot of both Houses for one year, to commence from and after the 1st of May next, who shall, previous to entering on the duties of his office, enter into a HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 77 bond with good freehold security, to the governor and his successors, for the use of the state, in the penal sum' of two thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties required by this act. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of said agent to provide a book or books, and open an office at the Scioto salt works, on the 1st day of June next, of which he shall give twenty days' notice, by advertisement in the Scioto Gazette, and also at some public place at the said works, and keep. said office open to all persons having business to transact therein. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any of the occupiers of the furnaces or wells, which may be erected or sunk before-the said 1st day of June, shall choose to continue in the occupancy thereof, they shall, on the day last mentioned, make application, to the agent for a license for that purpose, who is hereby required to grant the same for any period not exceeding one year, such applicant first producing to said agent a written list, signed with his name, containing a true account of the furnaces and wells he may then be in 'Possession of, together with the number and capacity of the kettles he intends to use in making salt at said works, which list shall be carefully filed in said, office, and a fair entry thereof made by said agent in a book to be provided, as, aforesaid, for that purpose; but if any of the occupiers, as afore-said, shall refuse or neglect to make application on the day above-mentioned, then it shall be the duty of the said agent to rent such furnaces and wells to any person who may apply therefor, such person first producing a like list as is required of the occupier& aforesaid, whereupon the agent shall grant a license to such applicant in the same manner as is required in the case of occupiers; provided, always, that the occupiers shall have a reasonable time to remove their kettles and other movable property from such furnaces and wells; and, provided also, that no person or company shall, under any pretense whatever, be permitted to use, at any time, a greater number of kettles than one hundred and twenty, nor less number in any one furnace than twenty kettles. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That upon application 78 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. made to the said agent by any person for the privilege to erect furnaces or sink wells at the said salt works, the said agent is hereby required to assign to such applicant a convenient lot or lots for that purpose, taking care that the erection of such furnaces or sinking such wells Shall not injure those already erected or sunk; and such new furnaces and wells shall be under the same regulations and the kettles therein subject to the same rent, as is provided in the case of those already erected or sunk. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That every person obtain-ing a license as aforesaid shall pay, or cause to be paid to the said agent, quarter yearly, the sum of three cents per gallon, according to the capacity of the kettles or other vessels used in making salt as aforesaid; and for the better securing of said rent, the kettles of each person so renting shall be considered to stand pledged to the state until all arrears of rent are satisfied and paid, and any sale thereof made while such rent remains unpaid shall be deemed void and of no effect. Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That when any person or company, who may own or occupy any furnace or furnaces agree-able to the provisions of this act, shall fail to pay the sum. or sums which may be due the state, agreeable to law, the agent shall be and is hereby authorized and required to make distress on and sale of the property of any such person or company so failing to make payment; provided, always, that the said agent shall in all oases give fifteen days previous notice, in writing, at five of the most public places within the township where the works lie, of any such sale. Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall, after the said 1st day of June, make, or cause to be made, any salt at the said salt works, without first obtaining a license there-for, agreeable to the requisitions of this act, such person shall upon conviction thereof before any court having cognizance of the same, forfeit and pay the sum of five dollars for every such offense, with costs of suit, to the. said agent for the use of the state, for each kettle he, she or they may use in making salt, contrary to the intent and meaning of this act. HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 79 Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That the said agent shall pay to the Treasurer of this state quarter yearly all monies which he may receive by virtue of this act; and the Treasurer is required to give his receipt for the same, which shall be countersigned by the Auditor. Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the agent aforesaid to ascertain as near as may be the quantity of salt water requisite to make fifty pounds of salt, and the neces-sary expenses attending the same, and also to ascertain whether or not there is contiguous to said works any considerable quantity of stone coal, and whether it can be used to advantage in boiling said water. Also to examine how far the salt water may extend in said township; likewise to examine the quality of the different sections of land, and whether they are well timbered or otherwise; also to ascertain the number and quality of the dwelling houses and the other improvements made in said township, and make a fair and accurate report thereof to the next General Assembly, together with the state of the furnaces and number of kettles entered in his office, Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That the agent aforesaid shall receive as a compensation for the duties and services required of him by this act the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars yearly, to be audited by the Auditor of Public Accounts and paid by the Treasurer of the state, out of any public monies not otherwise appropriated. And the said agent shall moreover be allowed such compensation for performing the duties required by the ninth section of this act as the next Legislature may think proper. THE FIRST AGENT—Immediately after this bill became a law the following resolution was introduced in the House: Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the two houses will on tomorrow (being Thursday, April 14) meet in the Representatives' chamber, at 10 o'clock, and proceed to elect an agent agreeably to the provisions of "An act to regulate the public salt works." This resolution was passed at once and sent to the Senate, 80 - HISTORY OP JACKSON COUNTY which concurred the next morning. At the appointed hour both houses assembled and proceed to elect the agent by ballot. A count of the ballots showed that James Denny had been elected. The rule of the squatters was now over. Denny came to the salt works and at once proceeded to regulate the business in the interest of the state. He also went to work to explore the township, this being the initial geological survey in this state. He made his report to the Legislature December 3, 1803. Unfortunately the report was not preserved,, or it was burned at the burning of the State House at Chillicothe. Denny was paid $82 for exploring Salt Lick township. THE FIRST ROAD—The Ohio Legislature appropriated the sum of $800 on February 18, 1804, "for the purpose of opening and making a road from Gallipolis, in the county of Gallia, to Chillicothe." On the same day; Samuel S. Spencer, Esq., was selected by joint resolution as a commissioner to lay it out He selected the route now known as the Gallipolis and Chillicothe road, passing through Jackson. This was the first road established in the territory now including Jackson county. THE LAST ROAD APPROPRIATIONS—The Ohio Legislature passed a law on February 26, 1820, making appropriations of the three per cent. fund granted by the United States for laying out, opening and improving roads in this state. One section of this law relates to Jackson county and reads as follows: Section 28. Be it further enacted, That there shall be appropriated in the county of Jackson the sum of one thousand dollars, to be applied on roads as follows: On the road leading from Jackson towards Burlington and Little Sandy, the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars; on the road towards Gallipolis, the sum of two hundred dollars; on the road towards Wilkesville, the sum of one hundred dollars; on the road towards Athens, the sum of one hundred dollars; on the road towards Adelphi, the sum of one hundred dollars; on the road towards Portsmouth, the sum of fifty dollars; on, the road towards Chillicothe, the sum of two hundred dollars, for the purpose of securing and repairing the bridges on the Chil- HISTORY OP JACKSON COUNTY - 81 licothe road, to be drawn and appropriated by a special order of the Commissioners of Jackson county. On the same day Commissioners were selected by joint resolution to lay out or improve the roads designated, as follows: For the County of Jackson:—On the road from Jackson towards Burlington and Little Sandy, George Bowen, to lay out and open; second, on the road towards Adelphi, Timothy Darling, to lay out and open; third, on the road towards Gallipolis, Hugh Poor; fourth, on the road towards Wilkesville, Jeremiah Brown; fifth, on the road towards Athens, Patrick Shearer; sixth, on the road towards Portsmouth, Alexander Anderson; and on the road towards Chillicothe, John Rankle. TIFFIN'S MESSAGE—The Scioto salt works were now considered of such importance that Governor Edward Tiffin, in his annual message to the General Assembly December 5, 1803, referred to them as follows: The "act regulating the public salt works," expiring of itself, in demand your attention, and as it is required of the agent in that department to make an accurate report to the General Assembly of the productiveness and state of the public salt works, you will be enabled to make such dispositions, and provide for working those yet unoccupied in such way as may appear most conducive to the public good. As nature has placed this valuable article of salt, so necessary to the sustenance of man, in the bosom of our state, and as monopolies of that article have been effected in a neighboring state, would it not be advisable, if it can be effected, to prevent its exportation from the state, that our own citizens may reap all the benefits accruing, from its use at home, or in salting their surplus provisions for exportation at as moderate a price as possible. Acting upon the Governor's recommendation, the Legislature passed on January 27, 1804, a second act to regulate the salt works. It provided that the agent's bond should be fixed at $4,000; that the agent should lay off 800 acres in 20-acre lots, for leasing for cultivation; that a space of four poles in width be left along the creek for a road; that a space of at least thirty feet be left fronting 82 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. works; that each salt boiler or mechanic be allowed to rent one or two lots for cultivation; that salt making be licensed at four cents a gallon; and that the agent should inspect each barrel of salt and mark it "inspected." The provisions of this act indicate that the Legislature was beginning to appreciate the necessities of the case. Attention may be called to the fact that this law was the first in this state to provide for the inspection of a product. A POSTOFFICE ESTABLISHED—The Government established a postoffice at the works on October 1, 1804. It was named Salt Lick, and Roger Seldon was appointed the first postmaster. On July 1, 1817, the name of the office was changed to Jackson, and Dr. Nathaniel W. Andrews appointed postmaster. It remained the only office in the county, until Oak Hill was established, March 11, 1837, with Levi Massie as postmaster. Berlin X Roads was established June 28, 1850, with Levi W. Salmans as post-master. OTHER SALT LICK LEGISLATION—The second act was amended February 20, 1805, to reduce the rent to two cents a gallon, and to place the furnace capacity of each company at from 3,000 to 4,000 gallons. A fourth act was passed January 24, 1807, ordering the agent to have a map of the Scioto salt works made annually, showing wells, timber, etc., and directing him to lay off 100 acres about two and one-half miles from the center of the township into 10-acre lots, for renting for cultivation. "An act to amend the several acts regulating the public salt works was passed February 13, 1808, which reduced the rent to one cent a gallon, gave permission to use aqueducts or tubes, and gave authority to condemn right of way for the same. This was perhaps the first time in the history of the state that condemnation of right of way was provided for. As a reason for such legislation the General Assembly had adopted a resolution January 20, 1808, showing that salt was very scarce in the state. "An act to regulate the Scioto salt works" was passed February 19, 1810, repealing all former acts relating to them, and HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 83 providing among other things that the agent should be appointed for three years,; that the limit of licenses should be January 1, 1813; that the rent should be reduced to five mills a gallon, and that whoever, leasing lot for salt making, finds water, of which 250 gallons will make one bushel of salt, to supply 40 kettles, shall get a lease of ten years from the discovery. This provision was intended to encourage boring for stronger brine. An act was passed January 30, 1811, requiring owners and occupiers of salt works and wells to enclose the same with fencing. This act was occasioned by the finding of a body of a dead man in one of the salt water vats. Murder was suspected, but not proven. Salt was becoming very scarce, and the next Legislature passed the following law February 17, 1812: AN ACT TO ENCOURAGE EXPERIMENTS AT THE SCIOTO SALT WORKS—Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Ohio, That the Governor of this state be authorized to appoint a suitable person or persons to perforate the rock at the Scioto salt works, for the purpose of obtaining salt water of a superior quality, by descending two hundred feet into said. rock, unless such water in strength and quantity as is provided for in the fourth section of the law to regulate the Scioto salt works, passed nineteenth of February, one thousand and eight hundred and ten, should sooner be obtained; and such person or persons so appointed shall receive for such service an adequate sum, not exceeding three hundred dollars, to be paid out of the treasury of the state, upon satisfactory evidence being made to the Governor of this state within eighteen months from and after the taking effect of this act that such service has been duly and faithfully performed; and it is hereby provided that the place where such experiment shall be made shall not interfere with the right of any other persons. Section 2. Be it further enacted, That the person appointed by the governor, agreeably to this act to perforate the rock at Scioto Salt works, shall, if successful in the experiment, have the 84 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. right to lease and occupy the water so discovered, free from rent; for the term of five years, as an additional compensation, and for that purpose, the agent at the said salt works, shall on application, execute to such person, a lease for the term of five years, for the well containing the salt water as aforesaid, and such lot of land as will be necessary to carry on the manufacture of salt. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of May next. It appears that no experiments were made under this act, for on February 5, 1813, there was passed "An act to authorize experiments to be made at the Scioto Salt works." This act designated Abraham Claypool as an agent to contract for the perforating of the rock, at two places, "provided the first trial is unsuccessful," and to report his proceedings to the next session of the legislature. A sum not exceeding $1,500 was appropriated for his expenses. Claypool did not succeed, and on February 7, 1814, an act was passed to encourage the manufacturing of salt at the Scioto Salt works. William Givens, Joseph Armstrong, John Johnston, Ross Nelson, John W. Sargent, John Prather and Asa Lake had petitioned for assistance to dig each a salt well, they to bear incidental expense, and in return to have exclusive use for five years. In this connection it may be mentioned that John Nelson did sink a well to the depth of 240 feet, John Wilson to the depth of 260 feet, and Henry Harmon to the depth of 276 feet. But no stronger brine was discovered. An act to make further experiments, passed February 15, 1815, directed William Givens to sink a well to the depth of 350 feet and to be two and a quarter inches in diameter at the bottom, for which he was to be paid $700. Givens found many difficulties in the way, and on February 24, 1816, an act was passed extending his time to April 1, 1816, to finish and tube his well. HILDRETH'S NOTES—The number and character of the acts relating to the Salt works indicate their great importance in the eyes of the pioneer statesmen of Ohio. Hildreth's notes on the Scioto saline written in 1837 deserve a place here: HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 85 Muriate of soda, or common salt, is so intimately connected with the economy and comforts of civilized man, that a short sketch of its early history (although in a manner foreign to a geological report), and of its manufacture in Ohio, can hardly fail to be interesting, and worthy of our notice. As a branch of the geology of the State, there is no portion of it more vitally con, netted with the welfare of the people, than those deposits which furnish the materials for our salt wells. From the period of our first organization as a member of the Union, the "Salt Springs" arrested the attention, and received the fostering care of our legislatures. Even before we had become a State, and were yet a territory, the great value of the salines had attracted the notice of our most sage and prudent citizens, and, in the compact made with congress, distinct and express stipulations were entered into for setting apart the most noted salt springs, and a considerable territory around them, for the benefit of the State; they being considered as too valuable to fall into the hands of individuals, who might create a monopoly. At the present period, when culinary salt is so cheap an article, it may seem strange to us that our fathers should have been so careful to preserve salines, the waters of which were so weak as to require six hundred gallons to make fifty pounds of salt. But when we remember that at the period referred to, before this territory became a State, the price of salt varied from four to six dollars a bushel, and that the larger portion of it was brought across the Allegheny ranges of mountains on the backs of pack-horses, we need not wonder at the high value placed upon these saline waters. At that time they were the only ones known in Ohio, and it was not even suspected or imagined, that at a depth of a few hundred feet, many portions of the valley were based on a rock whose interstices were filled with exhaustless quantities of brine, of such strength that one-twelfth part of the quantity would make a bushel of salt. This article so valuable and so scarce in those early days as to be looked upon almost as a luxury, has since been so abundant as to sell for half a cent a pound. The ancient and noted Scioto saline lies near the center of Jackson county, on an eastern branch of Salt creek, 86 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. a tributary stream of the Scioto river. Many of the old furnaces and wells may be said to have been seated within the boundaries of the present town of Jackson. It is among the earliest known salt springs in the western country, and may be ranked with the Big Bone and Blue Licks in Kentucky, for antiquity, from the fact of the fossil bones of the mastodon and elephant being found at the depth of thirty feet, imbedded in mud and clay. The remains of several of these extinct animals were discovered in digging wells for salt water along the margin of the creek, consisting of tusks, grinders, ribs and vertebrae; showing this creek to have been a noted resort for these huge mammalia at very remote periods. When the white hunters and traders first came into this country, it was visited by thousands of buffalo or bisons, deer, bear and nearly all the wild animals of the forest, who found the saline waters agreeable to their tastes, or perhaps needful to their health. So numerous and so constant were the animal visitors to these springs, that at certain seasons of the year the country adjacent was the most valuable and profitable hunting ground which the savages possessed. They were also in the practice of making salt here from very remote times, as has been ascertained from several of their white captives who had visited them in company with the Indians. The first attempt at its manufacture by the whites was after the close of the Indian war, in the year 1795. At that time, and for several years after, the stumps of small trees cut by the squaws, and the charcoal and ashes of their fires where the salt water had been boiled were plainly to be seen. The Indian women, upon whom all the servile employments fell, collected the salt water hy cutting holes in the soft sandstone in the bed of the creek, in the summer and autumn when the stream was low. These were generally not more than a foot or two deep, and the same in width. Into these rude cavities the salt water slowly collected, and was dipped out with a large shell into their kettles and boiled down into salt. The hunters and first salt makers pursued the same course, only they sunk their excavations to the depth of six or eight feet, and finally to twenty feet into the sandrock, and excluded the fresh water by HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 87 means of a "gum" or section of a hollow tree, sunk into the cavity After a few years they commenced digging wells a little higher up the stream, in the alluvion or bottom lands, near the creek, ant to their surprise, found they could dig to the depth of thirty fee before they came to the sandrock, which a few rods below fillet the whole bed of the stream. The greatest quantity of salt made at the Scioto licks, was from the year 1806 to 1808, when there were twenty furnaces it operation, making on an average, from fifty to seventy bushels per week. During this period, it was worth $2.50 per bushel, m five cents a pound. These furnaces were located along the border of the creek for the distance of four miles. At one time there were fourteen furnaces in operation near the town of Jackson. At tha early day the roads were generally mere bridle paths through the woods, and nearly the whole amount of salt made was transported in bags on pack-horses, and distributed through the middle and western portions of the State. That we may understand the hie value placed on the salines both by congress and the people o: Ohio, it will be proper to revert to the legislative acts on this subject, and to know that the grant was made with the express stipulations that the State should never sell them, nor lease then for a longer period than ten years at any one time. In the yea 1803, amongst the earliest proceedings of our legislators, we fine an act regulating the leasing and the managing of the "Public Salt Works." An agent was appointed to take charge of the lands to lease small lots for digging wells and erecting furnaces, and t( see that no individual or company monopolized the manufacture of salt. To prevent which, it was expressly enacted that no one person, or company, should work more than 120 kettles, nor lest than 30. For this privilege the lessee paid a rent to the State of twelve cents a gallon, on the amount of capacity of his kettles annually. A fine of $5 per kettle was laid on every person who made salt without a license. The agent himself was forbidder to engage in any way in the manufacture of the article. In the year 1804 the rent was reduced to four cents per gallon, and the amount limited to 4,000 gallons of capacity. In 1805 the rent was 88 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. again reduced to two cents, and in 1810 to five mills. At this time, a, much stronger water had been obtained on the Kenawha, by boring into the rock strata to the depth of one hundred feet. In February, 1812, the legislature appropriated $300 to defray the expense of boring two hundred feet, and in 1813 they appropriated $1,500 for the same purpose, which does not appear to have been expended. In 1815, the State ordered $750 to pay the expense or boring to the depth of 350 feet, under the direction of William Givens, with a proviso that the water procured must be of such strength as to make 50 pounds of salt from 250 gallons of brine. It seems that Mr. Givens executed the work faithfully, and then added another 100 feet to the depth at his own expense, as I am informed by Mr. Crookham, who was amongst the earliest of the salt makers, and from whom much of the history of the first pro-ceedings in digging wells was obtained. At this depth, viz: 450 feet, the boring ceased. A stronger water was procured, but it was in small quantity and did not rise to the top of the well; probably from a deficiency of carburetted hydrogen gas, which, at several other works, rises in great volume, and forces the water for many feet above the surface. Forcing pumps for raising water were not then in use, as they now are, at the various salines. No less than 15 acts were passed on the subject of the Scioto Salt works. BRIGGS' NOTES—The following statement was written by Caleb Briggs, of the Ohio geological survey, in the same year: Brine has been obtained in the Waverly standstone series, by sink-ing through the conglomerate at the licks in Jackson county, and good water obtained, but not in quantity sufficient to be profitably used in competition with the Kenawha salt wells in Virginia. The salines at Jackson early attracted the attention of the western. pioneers, and from them alone, was obtained most of the salt used in the early settlement of the State. They were finally abandoned, in consequence of pinch stronger brine having been obtained in Virginia. These wells with the exception of those called "mud wells," were commenced in the superior part of the conglomerate, HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 89 which on this account was denominated the "salt rock." They varied in depth from 10 to 450 feet, with no sensible improvement in the strength of the brine, except in the deepest, which was bored at the expense of the State; and in this no difference was observed in the saturation of the water, till the strata had been penetrated 350 feet, when it continued to improve till the work ceased. Mr. George Crookham, by whom the information in regard to these wells was communicated, says he thinks the brine at the depth of 350 feet was equal in strength to that used on the Kenawha, but the quantity was comparatively small. The "mud wells" (referred to above), were dug to the depth of 24 to 30 feet, in clay, sand and gravel, which occupy a basin-shaped cavity in the superior part of the "salt rock" at Jackson. The brine without doubt was produced by the percolation of water through the rock into this reservoir. The wells at Jackson in addition to the dis-advantage of having been commenced too low in the series, were situated on a stream, the waters of which run in a direction opposite to the dip, through deep valleys and ravines, which so interrupt the continuity of the strata that a considerable portion of the saline matter finds its way into the water courses, and flows off in a westerly direction. SURVEY OF JACKSON COUNTY—The history of the Salt works is so interwoven with the early history of Jackson county that they can not be separated. It was the presence of the salt boilers that attracted the first settlers into the lands adjoining the licks. The earliest came as squatters, but the Indians having ceded, by the treaty of Greenville, all their claims to southern Ohio, Congress began preparations for throwing the land open to settle-ment. Accordingly, on May 18, 1796, it enacted: That a surveyor general shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to engage a sufficient number of skillful surveyors, as his deputies; whom he shall cause, without delay, to survey and mark the unascertained outlines of the lands lying northwest of the river Ohio, and above the mouth of the river Kentucky, in which the titles of the Indian tribes have been extinguished, and to divide the same in the man-ner herein after directed. Two years elapsed before the surveyors 90 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. began their work in Jackson county. When they entered the district between the Ohio company and the Scioto river, they found it necessary, according to the statement of Whittlesey, to run a correctional meridian, because of the excess in the sections abutting on the west line of the company at range fifteen. The correction was made by establishing a true meridian between ranges seventeen and eighteen, with sections of an exact mile square. Between the Ohio river and Hamden, in Vinton county, the correction north and south, amounted to a mile. The errors from the variation of the needle were such that quarter sections abutting on the true meridian on the east were nearly as large as full sections on the west. Three' townships, Milton, Bloomfield and Madison are in rage seventeen and east of this true meridian. This explains the jogging of the sections along this line, a circumstance that has puzzled many. It may be mentioned hei-e as a coincidence that Oak Hill, Berlin and Wellston are located on this meridian. The first surveying in Jackson county was done in May, 1798, under the direction of Elias Langdon. During this month, township six of range eighteen, now known as Franklin, township seven in range nineteen, now included in Liberty, and that part of township five, range twenty, now included in Scioto, were surveyed. The next month Levi Whipple surveyed township nine, range seventeen, now included in Milton township, and in July following he surveyed township seven, range seventeen, which is now a part of Madison. Elias Langdon returned to the county in April, 1799, and surveyed Hamilton township. The next surveying was done in August, 1799, by Thomas Worthington, assisted by J. B. Finley, who afterward became a noted Methodist divine. They surveyed township eight, range eighteen, now known as Washington, and that part of township seven, range twenty, now included in Jackson township. Worthington was a native of Virginia who settled in Chillicothe in 1798. He took an active interest in politics from the first, and in 1803 he was elected the first United States senator from Ohio, serving until 1807. He was elected a second time to the same office in 1810, but resigned in 1814, to accept the governorship, which office he filled for four years. Few men of today would be HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 91 willing to make this exchange, but the service ofdays State was considered the most honorable in those early days. Worthington died in 1827. There was no surveying done in 1800, and the next work done was in March, 1801, by Jesse Spencer, who surveyed township eight, range nineteen, now, included in Jackson township. Jefferson township was surveyed in June, 1801, by' John G. Macon. He surveyed that part of township six, range seventeen, included in Madison in the same year. Bloomfield was surveyed in October, 1801, by Benjamin F. Stone. The same person surveyed that part of township ten, range seventeen, now included in Milton, in the following November. Elias Langdon surveyed township six, range nineteen, now included in Scioto, and township six, range twenty,. included in Liberty, in June, 1801. He completed the survey of the county in December, 1801, with the survey of Lick township. The law of 1796 provided that the lands now included in Jackson county should be offered for sale at the Pittsburg land office, but there is no record that any land was entered until after the Chillicothe land office was established. ROSS COUNTY—The licks remained a part of Washington county for the first ten years after the founding of Marietta. In the summer of 1796, Colonel Nathaniel Massie laid out the town of Chillicothe, and the population increased so rapidly that Governor St. Clair established the new county of Ross. This occurred on August 20, 1798. Nearly all the territory now included in Jackson county was placed for the time in Ross. When Scioto. county was organized, May 1, 1803, a portion of it was cut off and placed in the new county. The part remaining in Ross was erected into a separate township. LICK TOWNSHIP—The newly organized territory was named Lick township, and it held its first election in April, 1809. Following is the roster of officers elected: Trustees, Roger Seldon, David Mitchell and Robert Patrick; treasurer, Levi Patrick; clerk, John Brander; lister, Samuel Niblack; overseers of the poor, John James and Olney Hawkins; constables, Samuel Niblack and Phillip Strother; justices of the peace, David Mitchell and William 92 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY Niblack. Hawkins refused to serve as overseer of the poor and was fined. The vacancy was filled by the appointment of Stephen Radcliff, sr. Olney Hawkins served as grand juror at Chillicothe in 1809, and Robert Patrick and William Niblack as petit jurors. The Niblacks seem to have been among the most influential fam-ilies at the works at that time. THE WAR OF 1812--When the second war with England began in 1812, the salt boilers proved themselves true Americans General Tupper, of Gallia county, came to the works looking for volunteers, and almost the entire male population enlisted under him. The following account Of his campaign is from Atwater's history: In July, 1812, General Edward W. Tupper, of Gallia county, had raised about one thousand men for six months duty. They were mostly volunteers and infantry, but. they were accompanied by Womeldorf's troop of cavalry, of Gallia county. This force was mostly raised in what are now Gallia, Lawrence and Jackson counties. They marched under the orders of General Winchester through Chillicothe and Urbana and on to the Maumee river. Having reached the Maumee in August, we believe, of that year, an Indian or two had been discovered about their camp. General Winchester ordered Tupper to follow the enemy and discover his camp, if one was near. For this purpose Tupper ordered out a small party to reconnoitre the country. This party pursued the Indians some six miles or more, and returned without finding the enemy. Winchester was offended, and ordered Tupper to send out a larger force, but the troops with their half-starved horses and without a sufficiency of ammunition, refused to go. Winchester, in a rage, ordered Tupper himself to go with all his mounted men. Obeying this order, as he was just about to march, a Kentucky officer came to him and offered to join the party in any situation which Tupper should assign him. Tupper appointed him his aide, but soon afterwards, taking Tupper aside, he showed him Winchester's orders, appointing this Kentuckian to command the recon-noitering party. This conduct so irritated Tupper and his troops that they applied to the commander-in-chief to be allowed to serve HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 93 under him. This was some time afterwards, as soon as General Harrison had assumed the command of all the northwestern army.. Tupper moved down the Maumee near to the lower end of the rapids, where they usually crossed at a fording place. The Indians in large numbers showed themselves on the side of the river oppo-site Tupper's camp. He attempted to cross the river with his troops in the night. The current was rapid, his horses and men were feeble, being half starved, and the rocky bottom was slippery. The current swept away some of the horses and infantry into the. deep water. Seeing this, disheartened those who were left behind on the eastern bank of the river, so that only a small number of men crossed over the Maumee. Those who had crossed had wetted their ammunition, and finally all returned back into their camp before day. The Indians were hovering about the camp and a few were. killed on both sides. Finally, all the British Indians along the river, anywhere near by, collected all their forces, and attacked Tupper and his troops on all sides. The enemy had from one thousand to twelve hundred men, whereas, from sickness and various casualties, our force amounted to only about eight hundred men, and they were badly supplied with provisions and ammunition. However, they, fought bravely, drove off the enemy, and killed and wounded a large number of his warriors. Their own loss was trifling, losing only twenty or thirty in all in the action. The enemy acknowledged the loss of upwards of fifty killed, one hundred and fifty wounded. It is highly probable that their loss was at least three hundred. Our troops were all sharpshooters, and real backwoodsmen, who were well accustomed to the use of the rifle in the woods, where they dwelt when at home. The fate of the enemy would have been much more disastrous had not our new recruits, half starved as they were, while pursuing the flying enemy, fallen in -with a drove of fat hogs in a cornfield. Leaving the pursuit of the enemy, they killed many hogs until attacked by the Indians, and losing four men killed, they turned on the enemy and drove him over the river. The British returned to Detroit and our troops returned to Fort McArthur. 94 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY. CAMP ROCK—In this connection mention should be made of the sandstone boulder standing by the roadside near the old Stinson tavern on Salt creek, in Jackson township, which is known as the "camp rock." I visited this rock in 1895 and wrote the following notes at the time: This is an immense boulder that broke off from the hill some centuries ago and rolled down to the creek, lodging just on the rocky bank. It is now about fifty feet long, fifteen feet thick and twenty feet in height. It was longer until a year or two ago, when a blast was taken out of its east end to secure stone for the abutments of a bridge some half a mile above. The road passes between the rock and the hill and always has done so. It has received the name Camp Rock from the words cut deep in the surface facing the road. Most prominent is the following legend: CAMP OP 1812. General Tupper and his army are supposed to have camped one night near this rock. The creek is fordable here, and a spring used to bubble forth nearby. Old citizens claim that there were many names of soldiers carved in the rock, but they have now disappeared. CAPTAIN STRONG'S COMPANY—Another band of salt boilers marched into the Indian country in 1813, with the command of Major Ben Daniels. This expedition was for the relief of Fort Meigs, and the men served from July 29 to August 19. The salt boilers were organized as a company with the following roster: Captain Jared Strong, First Lieutenant John Gillaspie, Ensign William Howe, Sergeants William Given, John Lake, David Mitchell, Phillip Strother; Corporals Salmon Goodenough, Alexander Hill, Joseph Lake, William Higginbotham; Drummer Harris Penny, Fifer James Markey, Privates William Hewitt, Thomas M. Caretall, Jesse Watson, Joseph Robbins, William Ellerton, James Phillips, Samuel Aldridge, John Sergeant, Samuel Bunn, Stephen HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 95 Bailey, Henry Rout, Joseph Clemens, Joseph Schellenger, John Ogg, James Higginbotham, William Black. Some of the most prominent men at the works were in this company. The captain was afterward the first representative of the county. Given will be spoken of at length later. Mitchell, Howe, Bunn, the Lakes and Schellenger have many descendants in the county. Hewitt was the noted hermit already spoken of. JACKSON COUNTY ERECTED.—The organization of the Lick township government gave the inhabitants at the works a feeling of importance. Quite a village had sprung up on the slope facing 'Salt creek, east of the site of the court house, and it had exchanged the name of Purgatory for Poplar Row. The influx of settlers into the surrounding territory caused the inhabitants of Poplar Row to indulge the fond hope that its townhouse would ere long give way to a court house, the seat of justice of a new county. The matter was talked of as early as 1810. Settlers were now rapidly entering land in that part of Gallia county bordering on Lick township. The first of whom there is record, was Lewis Adkins, who entered his land in 1810. Jeremiah Roach became his neighbor in 1811, and Hugh Poor settled farther north in what is now Bloom-field township in the same year. John Smith, Gabriel McNeal, Benjamin, Amos and Nimrod Arthur, George Burris and perhaps others entered land in the country east or south of the licks in 1812. Samuel McClure entered land in 1813, and John Stephenson, Moses Hale and others followed in 1814. These settlers had a number of squatters for neighbors, whom they did not like, on account of their thieving propensities. Their peace was disturbed too frequently also by the lawless element among the salt boilers at the licks. This state of affairs led them to think favorably of the proposition to erect a new county, with a court house at the Salt works. This was what the leaders at the licks wished for, and the new county movement at once assumed respectable proportions. A delegation was sent to Chillicothe, the capital of the State, in the winter of 1815, to bring the matter before the legislature. The petition was placed in the hands of Senator Robert Lucas, and the following 96 - HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY entry appears in the senate journal for December 22, 1815: Robert Lucas, senator from Gallia and Scioto counties, presented a petition of certain inhabitants of Ross, Gallia, Scioto and Athens counties praying that a new county may be set off in such a manner that the seat of justice may be established at the Scioto Salt works. The petition was referred to a committee of three, of whom Lucas was made chairman, to report thereon by bill or otherwise. The committee saw its way clear to report favorably, and a bill to erect the county of Jackson was introduced by Senator Lucas on Tuesday, December 26, 1815, and read the first time. It was read the second time December 27, and passed the senate December 29. It was introduced in the house the same day, read the second time December 30, and passed January 10, 1816. It was signed up Jan-uary 12, 1816, and became a law. Following is a copy of it: AN ACT TO ERECT THE COUNTY OF JACKSON. Section 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Ohio, That all that part of the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross, included within the following limits, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of township number ten, range number seventeen, and running thence east to the northeast corner of said township; thence south to the southeast corner of township number eight in said range; thence west to the southwest corner of section number thirty-five in said township; thence south to the southeast corner of section number thirty-four, in township number seven in said range; thence west to the southwest corner of said township; thence south to the southeast corner of township number five, in range number eighteen; thence west to the southwest corner of section number thirty-three in township number five, in range number nineteen; thence north to the northwest corner of section number four in said township; thence west to the southeast corner of Pike county; thence with Pike county line to the northeast corner of said county; thence north to the northwest corner of township number eight, in range number nineteen; thence east to the range line between the seventeenth and eighteenth ranges, HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 97 thence north with the same to the place of beginning, shall be a separate and distinct county by the name of Jackson. Section 2. Be it further enacted, That all suits or actions, whether of a civil or criminal nature, which shall be pending, and all crimes which shall have been committed within said counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross, previous to the organization of the said county of Jackson, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution within the counties in which such suits shall be pendings or such crimes shall have been committed, in the same manner they would have been, if no division had taken place; and the sheriff, coroner and constables of the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross shall execute, within such parts of the county of Jackson, as belonged to their respective counties previous to the taking effect of this act, such process as shall be necessary to carry in effect such suits, prosecutions and judgments; and the collectors of taxes for the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens and Ross shall collect all such taxes as shall have been levied and imposed within such parts of the county of Jackson as belonged to their respective counties previous to the taking effect of this act. Section 3. Be it further enacted, That all justices of the peace and constables, within those parts of the counties of Scito, Gallia, Athens and Ross, which by this act are erected into a new county, shall continue to exercise the duties of their offices until their term of service expires in the same manner as if no division of said counties had taken place. Section 4. Be it further enacted, That on the first Monday in April next, the legal voters residing within said county of Jack-son, shall assemble in their respective townships at the usual place of holding township elections, and elect their several county officers, who shall hold their offices until the next annual election; provided that where any township shall be divided in consequence of establishing the county of Jackson, in such manner that the place of holding township elections, shall fall within the counties of Scioto, Gallia, Athens or Ross, then and in that case, the electors 98 - HISTORY Or JACKSON COUNTY. of such fractional townships shall elect in the next adjoining town. ship or townships in said county of Jackson. Section 5. And be it further enacted, That the courts of said county of Jackson, shall be holden at the house of William Givens, within the reserved township, at the Scioto Salt works, until the permanent seat of justice for said county shall be established. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of March next. FIRST COMMISSIONERS—The legislature appointed Emanuel Traxler, John Stephenson and John Brown as Commissioners to organize the new county. Traxler was a German by descent and a Pennsylvanian by birth. When he arrived at manhood's estate he came west. His first stop was on the bank of the Ohio at the mouth of the Scioto. There he determined to make his home, and his cabin was the first erected by white men on the site of Portsmouth. This was in the early part of the year 1796. Other settlers came, but Traxler continued to be the leading citizen in the community, and in 1798 Governor St. Clair appointed him as the first justice of the peace in the settlement. Traxler neglected one important matter, however, and had to pay the penalty. In the year 1801, he discovered that Henry Massie had secured the patent from the government for the land on which his cabin and improvements stood, and he was dispossessed. He moved inland, and there built the first watermill in Scioto county. In 1813 he came to the Scioto salt works, and sunk a salt well, but it proved a duster. Later he settled on a farm in Franklin township, on Fourmile, and in 1816 he built the first watermill on that creek. John Stephenson was a native of South Carolina. After his marriage he moved to Cabe11 county, Virginia, and in 1814 he entered land in what is now Bloomfield township, in this courtly. He was the father of a large family, and his descendants in the county are more numerous than any other family His son James became Sheriff of the county a few years after its organization, and Associate Judge in 1827. His son John held a number of offices of honor and trust, and died HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY - 99 while Recorder of the county. His grandson, John S. Stephenson, held the office of Commissioner for several terms. The son of the latter, and his great grandson, was Commissioner of Pike county, while another great grandson, Hiram Stephenson, was Treasurer of Jackson county for four years. The act erecting the county went into effect March 1, 1816, and on that day these three Commissioners met at the house of William Givens, the temporary seat of justice, to organize the new county. The object of the meeting was to call an election for the purpose of choosing county officers to serve until the fall election. For convenience at this election, they divided the county into five townships, named as follows: Bloomfield, Franklin, Lick, Madison and Milton. They also appointed judges and clerks for each voting precinct. The record of this meeting is not on file at the Court House, and it has been either destroyed, or purloined by some relic hunter of the early days. THE- FIRST ELECTION—Jackson county held its first election Monday, April 1, 1816, for the purpose of electing a Sheriff, Coroner and three Commissioners. The names of all the men that voted at this election have been deemed worthy of preservation for the benefit of posterity. The old poll books, which had been supposed lost for eighty years, were found by the writer in going through old papers in the Court House attic. The names are given by townships. BLOOMFIELD—The election in this township was held at the house of Judge Hugh Poor, which stood in a central location. The officers were Samuel McClure, Moses Gillespie and Theophilus Blake, Judges, and Robert G. Hanna and Allen Rice, Clerks. Thirty-seven electors cast their ballots, the name of Reuben Long being the first registered. The others were: Theophilus Blake, Henry Humphreys, John Hale, James Hale, William Keeton, Morris Humphreys, Ellis Long, Benjamin Long, Azariah Jenkins, Joshua Stephenson, Thomas Barton, John R. Corn, John Scurlock, John Dickerson, Sharp Barton, George Campbell, Hugh Poor, Hugh