50 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. vote on the first proposition was 249,420 to 336,875, and was defeated largely on account of the activity of the liquor interests. The initiative and referendum carried by a vote of 312,592 to 231,312, despite the fact that every ruse and trick known to professional politicians was used to compass its defeat. On November 3, 1914, there were four constitutional amendments submitted to the voters of the state and the two which caused the most discussion, viz., woman's suffrage and prohibition, were defeated. The other two amendments related to home rule for cities and the regulation of the liquor traffic. MILITARY RECORD. The state of Ohio has had its citizens in four wars in which the United. States has engaged since 1803; the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. It is very unfortunate that the public records of Ohio contain no list of the soldiers of the state who fought in the War of 1812, although large numbers of the citizens served in the field under various commanders. The records as regards the Mexican War are fairly complete and show that a total of 5,536 men were sent to the front by the state. When the call was first issued for troops, Ohio was called upon to furnish three thousand men and within a short time forty companies. reported at Camp Washington, near Cincinnati. Thirty companies were formed into three regiments, commanded by Cols. Alexander M. Mitchell, George W. Morgan and Samuel R. Curtis. These troops were sent down the Ohio in July, 1846, and joined General Taylor on the Rio Grande. In 1847 additional troops were sent from Ohio, but none of them saw any active service. The regiment under the command of Mitchell was the only one to take part in a battle, and it distinguished itself in the storming of Monterey. The state of Ohio suffered a severe loss in the death of Brig.-Gen. Thomas. L. Hammer, one of the most prominent men of the state at that time. He was a member of Congress at the time of the opening of the war, but left Con gress, enlisted as a private and soon after received a commission as brigadier-general. He was in the operations around Monterey and shortly afterward was stricken with a fatal disease and died on December 3o, 1846. The part which Ohio played in the Civil War can be only briefly noticed in this resume of the history of the state. That Ohio did her full duty as a loyal member of the Union is a fact which is known to everyone. Within twenty-four hours from the time the President issued his first call for troops. on April 16, 186o, the Legislature had passed a bill appropriating one million dollars for military purposes. Two days later (April 19th) two regiments PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 51 of Ohio troops left by rail for Washington. The ease and quickness with Which this was accomplished is an indication of the intense loyalty of the state.. It is a glowing tribute to the state of Ohio that although there were only thirteen regiments assigned to the state under the first call, enough men presented themselves to make more than seventy regiments. This outburst of loyalty was such that the Legislature authorized the governor to accept ten more regiments, and the state itself equipped and paid these additional men and enrolled them for the defense of the state. By October 1, 1862, the state had enrolled militia to the number of 425,147 and the state sent out for duty outside of its own limits 319,659 men, although their quota was only 306,322. This gives the state the honor of furnishing more than one-tenth of the total enlistment of men in the Northern army. In number of troops furnished, Ohio was third among all the states and in losses was second. The soldiers were a part of every army, participated in every campaign, fought in every important battle from Bull Run to Bentonville, from Sabine Cross Roads to Gettysburg. No less than forty-three Ohio regiments of infantry were present at the sanguinary engagement at Missionary Ridge and they were in like proportion at the other battles. Twelve thousand brave Ohio men were killed or mortally wounded and at least forty thousand received wounds of some kind. Thirteen thousand died of disease in the service and twenty thousand were discharged for disability arising from wounds or disease. These figures give some idea of the prominent part which the soldiers of Ohio played in the great struggle. It is pertinent to say something of the activity of the anti-war party in the state during the time the struggle was going on. In the summer of 1863 the Democrats of the state nominated Vallandigham for governor, a man who was very outspoken in his denunciation of the war, but John Brough, a stanch Union man, had no difficulty in defeating him for the governorship. The part which Vallandigham subsequently played in the history of his state is sufficient proof that it was for the best interests of the state that he was defeated. The Spanish-American War of 1898 has been the last one in which troops from Ohio have taken any part. Following the call of President McKinley for seventy-five thousand volunteers, Ohio had no difficulty in filling their quota. This war opened officially on April 25th and formally came to an end by the signing of a protocol on August 12th. The battles of Manila Bay, Santiago, El Caney and San Juan Hill were the only engagements of importance. According to the treaty of Paris, which was signed December 12, 1898, Spain relinquished her sovereignty over Cuba, ceded to 52 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. the United States Porto Rico and her other West India possessions and the Island of Guam, and transferred her rights in the Philippines for a sum of twenty million dollars paid to her for public works and improvements which belonged to the Spanish government. THE LAND GRANTS OF OHIO. Ohio was the first state organized out of the territory north of the Ohio river and east of the Mississippi river and was divided into several grants, reservations and military districts of one kind and another. These various divisions have led to an endless amount of confusion in the surveying of lands in the state and in many cases in expensive litigation. A brief summary of each one of these divisions is here presented. THE OHIO LAND COMPANY PURCHASE. This company, was organized March 3, 1786, at Boston and on October 27, 1787, bought from the government 1,500,000 acres and received, outside of the portions reserved by Congress, 1,064,285 acres. Congress set aside the sixteenth section of each township for school purposes, the twenty-ninth section for religious purposes and the eighth, eleventh and twenty-sixth for such purposes as Congress might determine in the future. This tract included what was known as the "Donation Tract" of 100,000 acres, the same now being the northern part of Washington county. For this immense tract the Ohio Company paid the government sixty-six and two-thirds cents an acre. THE FRENCH GRANT. The secretary of the United Board of Treasury, William Duer, was instrumental in helping the Ohio Company to secure from Congress the option on 3,000,000 acres lying west and north of the original purchase of this company. The title to this tract remained in the government and out of this peculiar arrangement arose the Scioto Company, which was organized in France. Hundreds of deluded Frenchmen invested their money in this tract and received cloudy titles which caused no little trouble in later years. A large number of these French settlers landed on the banks of the Ohio on October 20, 1790, on the site of the present city of Gallipolis, which they founded and named. The Scioto Company was incompetently managed, became insolvent and the land on which the unfortunate Frenchmen had settled 53 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. reverted to the United States government. While the most of them remained, there were many of them who went on farther west and located where other French settlers had previously established themselves. The United States treated the remaining French settlers in a very generous manner and by the act of March 3, 1795, granted them 24,000 acres on the Ohio river within the present limits of Scioto county. THE SYMMES PURCHASE. In 1788 John Cleves Symmes and other men of New Jersey organized the Miami Company and bought from the United States 1,000,000 acres, for which the company agreed to pay sixty-six and two-thirds cents an acre. As in the case of the purchase of the Ohio Company, the government made reservations of school and church sections, as well as three additional sections for general purposes. The Miami Company later found out that they had contracted for more than they could pay and the records show that they received and paid for only 311,682 acres in the southern part of the tract. It is interesting to note that the present site of Cincinnati was sold by the company to one Matthias Denman for the sum of five hundred dollars. The city of Cincinnati was founded the following year and the monument in that city on Third street, between Broadway and Ludlow streets, marks the location of Fort Washington, which was erected to protect the infant city from the Indians. CONNECTICUT RESERVE. In the year 1786 the state of Connecticut relinquished all her claims to lands in the Northwest Territory with the exception of a strip of 3,500,000 acres bordering Lake Erie. This immense tract became an integral part of Ohio as the result of two separate acts on the part of Connecticut. The state granted 500,000 acres in the western part of the reserve in 1792 to those citizens of Connecticut whose homes had been burned by the British during the Revolutionary War. The towns of Norwalk, Greenwich, Fairfield, New Haven and New London furnished the greater part of the eighteen hundred who took advantage of the generous offer of their state. The land was surveyed into townships of five miles square and divided among the settlers in proportion to their losses. In 1795 the Connecticut Land Company purchased the rest of the reserve, amounting to 3,000,000 acres, and on April 28, 1800, the United States government passed an act which paved the way for the final absorption of the tract by the state of Ohio. in May, 1800, the Con- 54 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. necticut Legislature accepted the offer of the United States and formally renounced all claims to the territory in favor of the state of Ohio. THE VIRGINIA MILITARY DISTRICT. The reservation was retained by Virginia when the state relinquished her claim to Congress in 1784, being retained by the state for the use of the Revolutionary soldiers who had enlisted from Virginia. It comprised the territory between the Little Miami and Scioto rivers, but was not to be used unless the lands claimed by Virginia south of the Ohio river proved insufficient to pay all of the bounties promised by Virginia to her soldiers. By the year 1790 it was seen that Virginia would not have enough territory south of the Ohio to satisfy all of her needs and accordingly, in August of that year, Congress passed an act allowing the state to use the optional territory north of the Ohio river. Owing to the fact that the territory was not surveyed according to any definite plan, the various allotments assigned to the Virginia soldiers frequently overlapped and in many instances confusion and litigation resulted. THE UNITED STATES MILITARY LANDS. The Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War offered bounties of Western lands in order to increase enlistments, and soldiers so secured were given land warrants which they later presented to Congress and exchanged for land. On June 1, 1796, Congress passed an act which called upon the surveyor-general of the United States to locate a tract in the Northwest Territory for the purpose of enabling the government to have land to take up the land warrants which it had issued during the late war. The limits of this particular tract began "at the northwest corner of the Seven Ranges, thence south fifty miles, thence west to the Scioto river and along that river to the Greenville treaty line, thence along that line and east to the place of beginning." These lands were surveyed into townships five miles square and each owner received a patent for his land signed by the President of the United States. THE REFUGEE TRACT. This tract was set aside by the Continental Congress in April, 1783, for the benefit of such people as left Canada and Nova Scotia to help the American colonies in their fight against England during the Revolution. The subsequent congressional act of 1798 confirmed the act of the Continental PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 55 Congress and on February 18, 1801, Congress definitely selected "those fractional townships of the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first and twenty-second ranges of townships joining the southern boundary line of the military lands." This tract of four and a half miles in width, and extending forty-two miles east of the Scioto river, contained more than twice as much as was needed to satisfy the claims of the refugees. The part unclaimed by those for whom it was set aside was attached to the Chillicothe land district and sold as Congress lands. It so happened that the future capital of the state, Columbus, is in the extreme western side of this tract. CONGRESS LANDS. Some of the tracts of land already described were Congress lands, viz., the French Grant, the Seven Ranges and the Refugee Tract. Congress retained and sold all lands not specifically relinquished to land companies and established land offices for the purpose at different times at Marietta, Cincinnati, Steubenville, Chillicothe, Zanesville, Canton, Wooster, Piqua, Delaware, Wapakoneta, Lima and Upper Sandusky. THE MORAVIAN GRANT. The congressional grant to the Ohio Company in 1787 reserved ten thousand acres in what is now Tuscarawas county for the use of the Moravians and Christian Indians who had previously settled there, the title being vested in the Moravian Brethren at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A few years later two thousand acres were added to the original grant and in 1823 the territory reverted to the United States, with the exception of the cemeteries, church yards and a few special leases. DOHRMAN'S GRANT. Congress granted all of township 13, range 7, in Tuscarawas county to one Henry Dohrman, a Portuguese citizen, who rendered valuable services to the colonies during the Revolutionary War. THE MAUMEE ROAD LANDS. In 1823 Congress granted to the state of Ohio about sixty thousand acres for the purpose of constructing a road from the lower rapids of the Maumee river to the western limits of the Western Reserve of Connecticut. 56 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. THE TURNPIKE LANDS. In 1827 Congress granted to the state of Ohio forty-nine sections of land in Seneca, Crawford and Marion counties, for the construction of a road from Columbus to Sandusky. CANAL GRANTS. Between 1825 and 1845 Congress at different times made special grants of land to the state of Ohio for canal purposes, and a total of about one million acres were thus secured by the state. By the year 1842 the state had completed six hundred and fifty-eight miles of canals, at the staggering cost to the state of $14,688,666.97, although before they were all completed the railroads were in operation in the state. SALT SECTIONS. In the early history of the Northwest Territory salt was a commodity hard to secure and necessarily high in price. Congress reserved every place where it was thought salt could be obtained and in this way helped the settlers to get salt at least expense. In Ohio an entire township within the present county of Jackson was reserved, as well as about four thousand acres in Delaware county. In 1824 Congress relinquished its claim in favor of Ohio. THE ZANE SECTIONS. Ebenezer Zane, one of the most prominent of the men in the early history of the state, was granted three sections by Congress in 1796 in return for his services in opening a road from Wheeling to Maysville. These three sections were located at Zanesville, Chillicothe and Lancaster. Isaac Zane was granted three sections in Champaign county by Congress for valuable service to the colonies during the Revolution. Isaac Zane had been captured by the Indians when a small boy and spent the major portion of his life with them, and his influence with the Indians was such that he proved to be of great assistance to the colonies in handling them. THE MINISTERIAL LANDS. These lands have been previously mentioned and were reserved only in two grants, those of the Ohio Land Company and the Symmes Purchase. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 57 The grants to both set aside section twenty-nine of each township for religious purposes. SCHOOL SECTIONS. Provisions for public schools were made in all states created by the United States after the adoption of the constitution. The Ordinance of 1787 had made specific mention of the value of schools and a wise Congress set aside section sixteen of every township, which was surveyed into townships six miles square. The United States military lands were surveyed into townships, five miles square, but Congress reserved one thirty-sixth of the whole-area for school purposes. There are no reservations in the Connecticut Reserve and Virginia Military District for school purposes, but Congress made up for this by setting aside an amount equivalent to one thirty-sixth of the area in each tract from other lands belonging to the United States. As a matter of fact, one thirty-sixth of the whole state was reserved for school' purposes as well as three townships for universities. OHIO POLITICS. The politics of Ohio presents many interesting features, but this brief summary can do little more than indicate the more important landmarks in the political history of the state. The first governor of the Northwest Terri tory, Arthur St. Clair, was an ardent Federalist and undoubtedly his pronounced political views had something to do with his removal from the office on November 22, 1802. From that time until 1836 the Democratic party, or the Republican or Democratic-Republican, as it was at first called, controlled the state, and it was not until William Henry Harrison, a "favorite son," became a candidate for the presidency, that the Whigs were able to break the strength of the Democratic party of the state. In 1836, 1840 and 1844 the Whigs carried the state for the President. The panic of 1837, the popularity of Harrison and the Texas question were largely determining factors in the success of the Whigs. The Democrats regained sufficient power in 1848 to carry the state again, and repeated their victory in 1852. In 1856 John C. Fremont carried the state for the newly organized Republican party and since that year there has been only one Democratic electoral vote in the state of Ohio. In 1892 Grover Cleveland received one of Ohio's twenty-three electoral votes, but with this exception the state has cast a solid Republican vote for President every year since 1856. Ohio has furnished five Presidents of the United States : William Henry Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and William H. Taft. 58 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. While the state has been registering Republican votes for the President, it has had eight Democratic governors and has frequently elected them by large majorities. A complete list of the governors of the state, with the years of their tenure and their politics, is given at this point for reference : |
Governor. |
Tenure. |
Politics |
Edward Tiffin Thomas Kirker (acting) Samuel Huntington Return Jonathan Meigs Othniel Looker (acting) Thomas Worthington Ethan Allen Brown Allen Trimble (acting) Jeremiah Morrow Allen Trimble Duncan McArthur Robert Lucas Joseph Vance Wilson Shannon Thomas Corwin Wilson Shannon Thomas W. Bartley (acting) Mordecai Bartley William Bebb Seabury Ford Reuben Wood William Medill (acting, 1853) Salmon P. Chase William Dennison, Jr. David Tod John Brough Charles Anderson (acting) Jacob. D. Cox Rutherford B. Hayes Edward F. Noyes William Allen Rutherford B. Hayes Thomas L. Young |
1803-07 1807-09 1809-11 1811-14 1814-15 1815-19 1819-22 1822-23 1823-27 1827-31 1831-33 1833-37 1837-39 1839-41 1841-43 1843-44 1844-45 1845-47 1847-49 1849-51 1851-53 1853-56 1856-60 1860-69 1862-64 1864-65 1865-66 1866-68 1868-72 1872-74 1874-76 1876-77 1877-78 |
Democratic-Rep. Democratic-Rep. Democratic-Rep. Democratic-Rep. Democratic-Rep. Democratic-Rep. Democratic-Rep. Democratic-Rep. Democrat Democrat National Republican Democrat Whig Democrat Whig Democrat Democrat Whig Whig Whig Democrat Democrat Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democrat Republican Republican |
PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 59 |
||
Richard M. Bishop Charles Foster George Hoadley Joseph Benson Foraker James E. Campbell William McKinley Asa S. Bushnell George K. Nash Myron T. Herrick John M. Patterson (died in office) Andrew Litner Harris Judson Harmon James M. Cox Frank B. Willis |
1878-80 1880-84 1884-86 1886-90 1890-92 1892-96 1896-00 1900-04 1904-06 1906 1906-09 1909-13 1913-15 1915- |
Democrat Republican Democrat Republican Democrat Republican Democrat Republican Republican Republican Republican Democrat Republican Democrat |
The political history of Ohio can not be dismissed without reference to the amendments incorporated in the new constitution in 1912 which have made the constitution practically a new instrument of government. The general tendency of the thirty-three amendments is to make a freer expression of democracy through the medium of the initiative and referendum, direct primaries and home rule for cities. A workmen's compensation law was enacted which provides for compulsory contributions to an insurance fund by the employers of the state. Many changes were made in providing for improvements in social and industrial conditions. Ohio now has a constitution which is sufficiently flexible to allow changes to be made by amendment without the trouble of a constitutional convention. BOUNDARY LINES. The state boundaries of Ohio have been the cause for most animated discussions, not only in regard to state limits but county and township lines as well. In 1817, and again in 1834, a severe controversy arose over the boundary between Ohio and Michigan which was settled only after violent demonstrations and government interference. In primitive times the geographical position, extent and surface diversities were but meagerly comprehended. In truth, it may be asserted they could not have been more at variance with actual facts had they been laid out "haphazard." The Ordinance of 1787 represented Lake Michigan far north 60 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. of its real position, and even as late as 1812 its size and location had not been definitely ascertained. During that year Amos Spafford addressed a clear, comprehensive letter to the governor of Ohio relative to the boundary lines between Michigan and Ohio. Several lines of survey were laid out as the first course, but either Michigan or Ohio expressed disapproval in every case. This dispute came to a climax in 1835 when the party beginning a "permanent" survey began at the northwest corner of the state and was attacked by a force of Michigan settlers who sent them away badly routed and beaten. No effort was made to return to the work until the state and various parties had weighed the subject, and finally the interposition of the government became necessary. A settlement resulted in the establishment of the present boundary line between the two states, Michigan being pacified with the grant of a large tract in the northern peninsula. Ohio is situated between the 38̊ 25' and 42̊ north latitude, and 80̊ 30' and 84̊ 50' west longitude from Greenwich, or 3̊ 30' and 7̊ 50' west from Washington. From north to south it extends over two hundred and ten miles, and from east to west two hundred and twenty miles—comprising thirty-nine thousand nine hundred and sixty-four square miles. The state is generally higher than the Ohio river. In the southern counties the surface is greatly diversified by the inequalities produced by the excavating power of the Ohio river and its tributaries. The greater portion of the state was originally covered with timber, although in the central and northwestern sections some prairies were found. The crest or watershed between the waters of Lake Erie and those of the Ohio is less elevated than in New York or Pennsylvania. Sailing upon the Ohio the country appears to be mountainous, bluffs rising to the height of two hundred and fifty to six hundred feet above the bed of the river. Ascending the tributaries of the Ohio, these precipitous hills gradually lessen until they are resolved into gentle undulations and toward the sources of these streams the land becomes low and level. Although Ohio has no inland lakes of importance, it possesses a favorable river system which gives the state a convenient water transportation. The lake on the northern boundary, and the Ohio river on the south afford' convenient outlets by water to important points. The means' of communication and transportation are superior in every respect, and are constantly being increased by railroad and electric lines. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 61 ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES AND EARLY EVENTS. Adams county was named in honor of John Adams, the second President of the United States. Governor St. Clair proclaimed it a county on July 1o, 1797. The Virginia Military Tract included this section, and the first settlement made within its boundaries was in this county in 1790-91, between the Scioto and Little Miami, at Manchester, by Gen. Nathaniel Massie. In this town was held the first court of the county. West Union, the present county seat, was laid out by the Honorable Thomas Kirker. It occupies the summit of a high ridge. The surface of this county is hilly and broken, and the eastern part is not fertile. It produces corn, wheat and oats. Its hills are composed of aluminous shale. Ashland county, one of the finest agricultural sections, was formed February 26, 1846. Wheat, oats, corn, potatoes, grass and fruit are raised. Ashland is its county seat and was laid out by William Montgomery in 1816. It was called Uniontown for several years. Daniel Carter raised the first cabin within the county limits in 1811. Auglaize county was formed in February, 1848, from Allen and Mercer counties. Wapakoneta is its county seat. Auglaize is a great agricultural county, producing all the kinds of grain raised in Ohio. Allen county was formed from the Indian territory April I, 1820. Lima is its county seat. In Allen county are some of the greatest gas and oil fields in the United States, and the section is also very rich in agriculture. Ashtabula county was created June 7, 1807, and was organized January 22, 1811. The surface is level near the lake, while the remainder is undulating. The soil is mostly clay. This was the first county settled on the Western Reserve and also the earliest in northern Ohio. On the 4th of July, 1796, the first surveying party arrived at the mouth of Conneaut creek. Judge James Kingsbury was the first who wintered there with his family. He was the first man to use a sickle in the first wheat field in the Western Reserve. Their child was the first born on the Western Reserve and was starved to death. The first regular settlement was at Harpersfield in 1798. Jefferson is the county seat. Ashtabula is pleasantly situated on the river, with a fine harbor two and a half miles from the village. The first church on the Western Reserve was founded at Austinburg in 18o1. Athens county was formed from Washington March 1, 1805. It produces wheat, corn, oats and tobacco. The surface is hilly and broken, with rich bottom lands between. Coal, iron ore and salt add materially to its com- 62 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. mercial value. Athens, its county seat, is situated on the Hocking river. Ohio University, the first college founded in the state, is located here. Brown county was formed March 1, 1818, from Adams and Clermont. It produces wheat, corn, rye and oats. The southern part is prolific in grain, while the northern is adapted to grazing purposes. The surface is undulating, with the exception of the Ohio river hills. Over this county Tecumseh once held sway. Georgetown, the county seat, was laid out in 1819. Ripley is. the largest business town in the county. Belmont county was created by Governor St. Clair September 7, 1801. It produces large crops of wheat, oats, corn and, tobacco. It is a picturesque tract of country, and was one of the pioneers in the early settled portions. In 1790 Fort Dillie was erected on the west side of the Ohio. Baker's Fort was a mile below the mouth of the Captina. Many desperate Indian battles were fought within the limits of this county, and the famous Indian scout, Lewis Wetzel, roamed over the region.. Saint Clairsville is the county seat, situated on the elevation of land, in a fertile district. Captain Kirkwood and Elizabeth Zane, of historic fame, were early pioneers here. Butler county was formed in 1803 from Hamilton. It is within the blue limestone formation, and one of the most fertile sections of Ohio. Hamilton, the county seat, is situated on the Great Miami. Its hydraulic works furnish superior water power. Rossville, on the opposite side of the Miami, is a large mercantile town. St. Clair passed through this county on his Indian campaigns in 1791, building Fort Hamilton on the Miami. Champaign county was formed March 1, 1805, from Greene and Franklin. It is drained by Mad river and its tributaries. The soil is fertile, and produces wheat, corn, barley, hay, while beef and wool add to the general wealth. Urbana, the county seat, was laid out in 1805, by Col. William Ward. He was the chief owner of the land and donated many lots to the county under condition that their proceeds be devoted to public improvements. Joseph Vance and George Fithian were the first settlers. The Methodists built the first church in 1807. The main army of Hull concentrated at this point before setting out for Detroit. Many Indian councils were called here and Tecumseh was located for a time near Deer creek. Carroll county was formed from Columbiana in 1832-33. It produces wheat, oats and corn, and valuable coal and iron. The surface is hilly. Carrollton is its county seat. Clark county was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Green. Its second settlement was at Kreb's Station in 1796. It is highly cultivated, well watered and very fertile. Tecumseh, the old Indian PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 63 warrior, was born at the ancient 'Indian village of Piqua, on the Mad river on the site of New Boston. Piqua was destroyed by Gen. George Rogers. Clark. Skeletons, beads, gun barrels, tomahawks, kettles, etc., have been found. in the vicinity. Springfield, the county seat, is situated on the national. road. It has convenient transportation facilities, is handsomely laid out, and is noted for its cultured citizens. It is near Mad river and Buck creek runs through it. Clinton county was formed in 1810. Its surface is undulating, in some parts hilly, and the soil fertile. The county was settled in 1798-99. Wilmington is the county seat, and was laid out in 181o. The first log house was built by William Hobsin. Clinton county is rich in agriculture and is noted for its macadamized roads. Clermont county was the eighth formed in the Northwest Territory by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, December 9, 1800. The soil is exceedingly rich, and the surface is broken and, near the Ohio, hilly. Wheat, corn, oats, hay, potatoes, tobacco, barley, buckwheat and rye form the main crops Batavia, its county seat, is situated on the Little Miami river and was laid out. in 1820 by George Ely. Columbiana county was formed March 25, 1803, from Jefferson and. Washington. Its soil is very fertile, producing wheat, corn, oats and potatoes.. It is wealthy in mineral deposits, coal, iron ore, lime and freestone being: abundant. Its water-lime stone is of superior quality. It was settled in 1797. Lisbon is the county seat. The first paper mill in Ohio was erected in this-county, on Little Beaver creek, by John Coulter and John Bever. Coshocton county was organized April 1, 1811. Hills and valleys alternate along the Muskingum river. Coal and iron ore add to its general importance. Coshocton, the county seat, is built on four wide, natural terraces, at the junction of the Tuscarawas and Walhonding. Cuyahoga county was formed June 7, 1807, from Geauga county. Near the lake the soil is sandy, while a clayey loam may be found elsewhere. As early as 1775 there was a French settlement within the boundaries of Cuyahoga. In 1786 a Moravian missionary came to the present site of Cleveland and settled in an abandoned village of the Ottawas. Circumstances prevented a permanent settlement, and the British tacitly took possession, even remaining upon the lake shores after the Revolution. The first permanent settlement was made at Cleveland in 1796. Job V. Stiles and family and Edward Paine passed the first winter there, their log cabin standing where the Commercial Bank is now located. Rodolphus Edwards and Nathaniel Doane settled here. In 1813 the town was a depot of supplies and a 164 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. rendezvous for troops engaged in the war. Cleveland, the county seat, is situated at the northern termination of the Old Ohio canal on the lake shore. In 1814 it was incorporated as a village, and in 1836 as a city. Its elevation is about a hundred feet above the lake. Ohio City is another important town nearly opposite Cleveland on the Cuyahoga. It was incorporated in 1836. Crawford county was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. The entire county is adapted to grazing. The soil is generally composed of rich vegetable loam and in some parts the subsoil is clay mixed with lime. Rich beds of shell marl have been discovered. Bucyrus, the county seat, was laid out February 11, 1822, by Samuel Norton and James Kulbourn, original owners of the land. The first settler in the town proper was .Samuel Norton. Crawford's sulphur springs are located nine miles from Bucyrus. The water is impregnated with sulphureted hydrogen and deposits a reddish-purple sediment. In its nature the water is a cathartic, and is diuretic and diaphoretic in its effect. The Annapolis Sulphur Springs is clear and has gained considerable fame by its curative qualities. Opposite Bucyrus is a chalybeate spring of tonic qualities. Darke county was organized in March, 1817, from Miami county. In this county occurred the lamentable defeat of St. Clair, and the treaty of Greenville. Greenville, the county seat, was laid out August 19, 1808, by Robert Gray and John Dover. In December, 1793, Wayne built Fort Greenville on this spot, which covered about the same extent as the present town. Delaware county was formed February 10, 1808, from Franklin. Delaware, the county seat, was laid out in the spring of 1808, by Moses Byxbe. Because of its rich- soil, Delaware is an important agricultural county. The historic streams, the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, run through the county a long distance. Defiance county was created March 4, 1845, from Williams, Henry and Paulding. The Maumee, Tiffin and Auglaize flow through it. The county is now one of the largest producers of sugar beets in Ohio. Defiance, the county seat, is situated on the Maumee. It was laid out in 1822 by B. Level and H. Phillips. A large Indian settlement occupied its site in very early times. Wayne arrived here August 8, 1794, captured the place, finding .about one thousand acres of corn, peach and apple orchards and vegetables of all varieties. Here he built Fort Defiance. Erie county was formed in 1838 from Huron and Sandusky. The soil is alluvial and yields large crops of wheat, corn, oats and potatoes. It possesses inexhaustible quarries of limestone and freestone. The Erie tribe is said to have once occupied the land and were extirpated by the Iroquois. As PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 65 early as 1754, the French had built settlements here. In 1764 the county was overrun by Pontiac, who came here with warlike demonstrations, but made peace with the whites. Erie Was included in the "Fire lands" of the Western Reserve. Sandusky City is the county seat and was laid out in 1817, then termed Portland. At that time it contained two log huts. The town is finely situated and is based upon an inexhaustible quarry of the finest limestone. In the "patriot war" with the Canadians, this city was the rendezvous for the "patriots." Franklin county was formed April 30, 1803, from Ross. It was in early times occupied by the Wyandot Indians. Its first white settlement was made in 1797 by Robert Armstrong and others. Franklinton was laid out in 1797 by Lucas Sullivant. Worthington was settled by the Scioto Company in 1801. Colonel Kilbourn, who was interested in the work, constructed the first map of Ohio during his exploration by uniting sectional diagrams. Columbus, the capital of the state, is also the county seat of Franklin county. In 1810 the sessions of the Legislature were held at Chillicothe, in 1811 and 1812 at Zanesville, removing again to Chillicothe, and in 1816, being located at Columbus. The town was laid out during the spring of 1812. A penitentiary was erected in 1813 and the state house was built in 1814. It was incorporated as "the borough of Columbus" February 10, 1816. The city charter was granted March 3, 1834. It is beautifully located on the east bank of the Scioto. The Ohio Lunatic Asylum, the Ohio Intitution for the Education of the Blind and the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb are located at Columbus. Fairfield county was formed by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, December 9, 1800. The soil is varied, being in some parts exceedingly rich, and in others very sterile. Lancaster, the county seat, was laid out by Ebenezer Zane in 1800. In 1797 he opened the road known as "Zane's Trace," from Wheeling to Limestone—now Maysville. It passed through Lancaster at a fording about three hundred yards below the present turnpike bridge. Fayette county was formed from Ross and Highland in 1810. Washington, its county seat, was laid out in 1810. Colonel Stewart was active in the interests of this section and his memory is sacredly revered. Jesse Millikan was prominent in early public affairs. Fayette is one of the richest agricultural counties in the state and is especially noted for the raising of fine horses. Fulton county, bordering on Michigan, was organized in 1850. It is (5) 66 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. drained by Bean creek and other small affluents of the Maumee river. The surface is nearly level and the soil fertile. Wauseon is the county seat. Guernsey county was organized in March, 1810. It produces wheat, corn and oats. Cambridge is the county seat and was laid out in June, 1806. Mr. Graham was the first settler on the site of the town and his was the only dwelling between Lancaster and Wheeling. The first cannel coal found in the county was discovered near Mill's creek. Greene county was formed May 1, 1803, from Hamilton and Ross. It produces wheat, corn, rye, grass seed, oats, barley, sheep and swine. The Shawnee town was on the Little Miami and was visited by Capt. Thomas Bullitt in 1773. When Daniel Boone was captured in 1778, he was brought to this town and escaped the following year. General Clark invaded this county and the Indians reduced the town to ashes. Xenia, the county seat, was laid off in the forest in 1803 by Joseph C. Vance. The first cabin was erected in April, 1804, by John Marshall. The Rev. James Fowler built the first hewed-log cabin. David A. Sanders, built the first frame house. Nine miles north of the town on the Little Miami river are the Yellow Springs, which are impregnated with sulphur. Geauga county was formed in 1805 from Trumbull. It is situated at the head of Chargrine, Cuyahoga and a part of Grand rivers, on high ground and is subjected to snow storms more frequently than any other part of the reserve. Its first settlement was made in 1798 at Burton. Chardon is fourteen miles from Lake Erie and is six hundred feet above it. It was laid out as the county seat in 1808. Gallia county was formed April 3o, 1803, from Washington. The surface is generally broken. Its first settlement was made in 1791 by a French colony at Gallipolis. This colony was sent out under the auspices of the Scioto Company. This town is now the county seat. Hamilton county was the second established in the Northwest Territory by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, January 2, 1790. Its surface is generally rolling. It produces the ordinary farm products and a great variety of fruits and, vegetables for the Cincinnati market. This county was the second settled in Ohio and the first within the Symmes Purchase. Settlers arrived at the spot now occupied by Cincinnati and three or four log cabins were erected. Gen. Arthur St. Clair arrived here in January, 1790. The army of Wayne encamped here later, at Fort Washington. Mr. Maxwell established,. in 1793, the Sentinel of the Northwestern Territory, the first newspaper printed north of the Ohio river. In 1796 Edward Freeman be came its proprietor and changed the name to Freeman's Journal. January PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 67 11, 1794, two keel-boats sailed from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, making regular trips every four weeks. In 1801 the first sea vessel built at Marietta came down the Ohio. Cincinnati, the county seat, was incorporated January 2, 1802. It was chartered as a city in 1819. The city is beautifully laid out and delightfully situated. Its public buildings are elegant and substantial, including the court house and many literary and charitable institutions. Cincinnati is a large manufacturing city and possesses fine water-power facilities. It communicates with the world by means of the Ohio river, railways and electric lines. North Bend is another prominent town in this county, having been the residence of Gen. William H. Harrison and the site of his burial place. The town was of considerable importance in the early settlement of the state. About thirty yards from Harrison's tomb is the grave of Judge Symmes. Hancock county was formed April I, 1820. The surface is level and its soil is fertile. Blanchard's Fork waters the central and southern part of the county. Findlay, the county seat, was laid out by ex-Governor Joseph Vance and Elnathan Corry in 1821. It was relaid in 1829. William Vance settled there in the fall of 1821. Hancock county has extensive gas and oil fields. Hardin county was formed April 1, 1820, from the old Indian Territory. A portion of the surface is level and the remainder undulating. Fort McArthur was built on the Scioto river but proved a weak stockade. Kenton is the county seat, situated on the Scioto river. Harrison county was formed from Jefferson and Tuscarawas, January 1, 1814. The surface is hilly, abounding in coal and limestone. Its soil is clayey. In April, 1799, Alexander Henderson and family settled in this county, and at the same time Daniel Peterson and his family resided at the forks of Short creek. The early settlers were much annoyed by Indians and wild beasts. Cadiz is the county seat and was laid out in 1803 and 1804 by Messrs. Briggs and Beatty. Henry county was formed from the old Indian Territory April 1, 1820. Indian corn, oats, potatoes and maple sugar constitute the main products. The county is well supplied with running streams and the soil is unusually rich. The soil is superior for grain. Fruit thrives and all varieties of vegetables are produced in large quantities. Simon Girty, notorious for his wicked career, resided in this county. Girty led the attack on Fort Henry in September, 1777. He demanded the surrender of the fort, and menaced its inmates with an Indian massacre in case of refusal. The action began, but the fort gained the victory. He led a ferocious band of Indians and com- 68 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. mitted the most fiendish atrocities. Napoleon, the county seat, is situated on the Maumee river. Highland county was formed in May, 1805, from Ross, Adams and Clermont. It is a wealthy, productive county. Its first settlement began in 1801, at New Market by Oliver Ross, Robert Keeston, George W. Barrere, Bernard Weyer and others. Simon Kenton made a trace through this county in early times. Hillsboro is the county seat and was laid out in 1807 by David Hays on the land of Benjamin Ellicott. It is situated on the dividing ridge between the Miami and Scioto. The Hillsboro Academy was founded in 1827. Hocking county was formed March 1, 1818, from Ross, Athens and Fairfield. Its surface is broken and hilly, but is level and fertile beside the streams. The Wyandots once occupied this tract and built a large town herein. In 1798 a few white families ventured to settle. Logan is its county seat and is situated on the Hocking river. Holmes county was formed from Coshocton, Tuscarawas and Wayne January 20, 1824. The southwestern portion is broken. Thomas Butler was the first settler in 1810. Millersburg is the county seat and was laid out in 1830. This is an excellent agricultural county. Huron county was organized in 1815. Norwalk is the county seat. Jackson county was organized March, 1816. The country is rich in minerals and abounds in coal and iron ore. Jackson, the county seat, was laid out in 1817. The old Scioto salt works were among the first worked in Ohio by the whites. Prior to this period the Indians came some distance to this section to make salt. When Daniel Boone was a prisoner he spent some time at these works. Jefferson county was proclaimed by Governor St. Clair July 29, 1797, and was the fifth county established in Ohio. Its resources in coal are also extensive. The surface is hilly and the soil fertile, producing wheat, corn and oats. The old "Mingo" town was on the present farms of Jeremiah Hallock and Daniel Potter. The troops of Colonel Williamson rendezvoused at this point when they set out in their cruel Moravian campaign and also the troops of Colonel Crawford, when they started on the campaign against the Sandusky Indians. Here Logan, the powerful and manly chief of the Mingo nation, once resided. He took no active part in the old French war, which closed in 1760, except that of a peacemaker. He was a stanch friend of the whites until the abominable and unprovoked murder of his father, brother and sister, which occurred in 1774 near the Yellow creek. He then raised the battle cry and sought revenge. PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 69 However, Logan was remarkably magnanimous toward prisoners who fell into his hands. The year 1793 was the last spent in Indian warfare in Jefferson county. Fort Steuben was erected on the present site of Steubenville, the county seat, in 1789. It was constructed of block-houses, with palisade fences and was dismantled during Wayne's campaign. Bezaleel Wells and Hon. James Ross laid the town out in 1798. It was incorporated February 14, 1805. It was situated upon an elevated plain. In 1814 Messrs. Wells and Dickerson built a woolen manufactory and introduced Merino sheep to the county. Knox county was formed March I, 1808, from Fairfield. It is drained by the Vernon river. Mount Vernon was laid out in 1805. The early settlers found two wells on the Vernon river built of hammered stone, neatly laid, and near by was a salt-lick. Their direct origin remains a mystery. Gilman Bryant, in 1807, opened the first store in Mount Vernon. The Indians came to Mount Vernon in large numbers for the purpose of trading in furs and cranberries. Each Saturday the settlers worked on the streets, extracting stumps and improving the highway. The first settler north of the place was N. M. Young, who built his cabin in 1803. Mount Vernon is now the county seat, beautifully situated on Vernon river. Kenyon College is located at Gambier. This institution was established under the auspices of Bishop Chase in July, 1826, in the center of a four-thousand-acre tract belonging to Kenyon College. It was chartered as a theological seminary. Lucas county is of comparatively recent origin. This county is situated in the Maumee valley, which was the great arena of historical events. The frightful battle of Wayne's campaign, where the Indians found the British to be traitors, was fought near Fort Miami in this county. Maumee City was laid out in 1817 by Major William Oliver and others. It is situated on the Maumee at the head of navigation. The surface is one hundred feet above the water level. This town, with Perrysburg, its neighbor, is exceedingly picturesque and was in early times frequented by the Indians. The French had a trading post at this point in 1680, and in 1794 the British Fort Miami was built. Toledo, the county seat, is on the left bank of the Maumee and covers the site of a stockade fort, known as Fort Industry, erected in 1800. An Indian treaty was concluded here July 4, 1805, by which the Indians relinquished all rights to the "fire lands." In 1832 Capt. Samuel. Allen gave an impetus to the place and Major Stickney also became interested in its advancement. Speculation in lots began in 1834. The Wabash & Erie canal interest arose in 1836. Mr. Mason and Edward Bissel added their energies to assist the growth of the town. It was incorporated as a city in 1836. It 70 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. was the center of the military operations in the "Ohio and Michigan war," known as the "boundary conflict." Lorain county was formed from Huron, Cuyahoga and Medina on December 26, 1822. The soil is generally fertile and the surface level. A curious relic has been found in this county, bearing the date of 1533. Elyria is the county seat and was laid out in 1817. The first settler was Heman Ely. Oberlin is situated about eight miles southwest of Elyria. Oberlin College has attained a wide reputation. Logan county was formed March 1, 1817. The surface is broken and hilly near the Mad river, but is generally level. The Shawnee Indians were destroyed in 1786 by a body of Kentuckians under Gen. Benjamin Logan. The whites surprised the towns. However, they returned after the work of destruction had been completed and for many years frequented the section. On the site of Zanesfield was a Wyandot village. By the treaty of September 29, 1817, the Senecas and Shawnees held a reservation around Lewistown. April 6, 1832, they vacated this right and removed west. Isaac Zane was born about the year 1753 and was, while a boy, captured and afterward adopted by the Wyandots. Attaining the age of manhood, he had no desire to return to his people. He married a Wyandot woman, who was half French. After the treaty of Greenville he bought one thousand eight hundred acres on the site of Zanesfield, where he lived until the year 1816, when he died. lamented by all his friends. Logan county was settled about the year 1806. During the War of 1812 it was a rendezvous for friendly Indians. Bellefontaine, the county seat, was laid out March 18, 1820, on land owned by John Tulles and William Powell. Joseph Gordon built a cabin and Anthony Ballard erected the first frame dwelling. Gen. Simon Kenton is buried at the head of Mad river, five miles from Bellefontaine. He died April 29, 1836, aged eighty-one years and twenty-six days. This remarkable man came west to Kentucky in 1771. He probably encountered more thrilling escapes than any other man of his time. In 1778 he was captured and suffered extreme cruelties and was ransomed by the British. He soon recovered his robust health and escaped from Detroit the following spring. He settled in Urbana in 1802. He was commissioned brigadier-general of the militia and in the War of 1812 joined General Harrison's army. In the year 1820 he removed to Mad river. General Vance and Judge Burnet secured him a pension of twenty dollars a month. Licking county was formed from Fairfield March 1, 1808. The surface is generally level, diversified by slight hills in the eastern portion. Coal and iron ore of good quality add to the wealth of the county. Newark is the county seat, and is situated at the confluence of the three principal branches PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 71 of the Licking. In 1801 it was laid out by Gen. William C. Schenk, George W. Burnet and John M. Cummings, who owned this military section of four thousand acres. In 1802 Samuel Elliott and Samuel Parr built hewed-log houses. The picturesque "Narrows of the Licking" are in the eastern part of the county. Within the county are ancient fortifications, the most noted in the state of Ohio, containing about three hundred acres. The engineering is of the best and the works have frequently been visited by European scientists. The breastworks are lined with old trees and the trenches are now great canals. Lawrence county was organized March 1, 1816. There are many high and abrupt hills in this section, which abound in sand and freestone. It is rich in minerals and the most important section of Ohio for iron manufacture. Coal is abundant and white clay exists in the western part suitable for pottery purposes. The county was settled in 1797 by the Dutch and Irish. The iron region extends through the west part of this county. Ironton is the county seat. Lake county was formed from Geauga and Cuyahoga March 6, 1840. The soil is good and the surface rolling. As early as 1799 a settlement was formed at Mentor, Painesville, the county seat, is situated on Grand river in a beautiful valley. Painesville was laid out by Henry Champion in 1805. At Fairport the first warehouse in this section and probably the first on the lake, was built by Abraham Skinner in 1803. This town has a fine harbor and has a light-house and beacon. Kirtland, southwest from Painesville, was, in 1834, the headquarters of the Mormons. At that time they numbered about three thousand. The old Mormon temple is of rough stone, plastered over, colored blue, and marked to imitate regular courses of masonry. Madison county was organized in March, 1810. The surface is generally level. Jonathan Alder was much interested in the settlement of the county. Captured when a child, he had lived with the Indians many years and had formed a lasting affection for them, and he married a squaw. He became dissatisfied with his Indian wife and this caused him to look up his own family. He succeeded through the assistance of John Moore. He left his Indian wife and joined his people. This county was first settled in 1795. Benjamin Springer made a clearing and built a cabin. Joshua Ewing brought four sheep to this place and the Indians exhibited great astonishment over these strange animals. When the hostilities of 1812 began, the British offered inducements to the Indians to join them and they consulted Alder regarding the best policy to adopt. He advised them to preserve neutrality until a later period, which they did, and 72 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. eventually became firm friends of the Americans. London is the county seat and was laid out in 1810-11 by Patrick McLane. Marion county was organized March 1, 1824. The soil is fertile and produces extensive farm crops. The Delaware Indians once held a reservation here and conceded their claims August 3, 1829, and then removed west of the Mississippi. Marion, the county seat, was laid out in 1821 by Eber Baker and Alexander Holmes. General Harrison marched through this section during his campaign. Mahoning county was formed in 1846 from Trumbull and Columbiana. The surface is rolling and the soil generally fertile. Bituminous coal and iron are found in large quantities. Col. James Hillman came to the Western Reserve in 1786. The settlement of the county went forward. Youngstown is the county seat. Medina county was formed from the Western Reserve February 12; 1812. The surface is rolling and the soil is fertile, producing fine agricultural products. The first trail through the county was made by George Poe, Joseph H. Larwell and Roswell M. Mason. The first settlement was made by Joseph Harris in 1811. He was soon joined by the Burr Brothers. Medina is the county seat. Meigs county was formed from Gallia and Athens April 1, 1819. The general character of the soil is clayey, producing large quantities of wheat, oats, corn, hay and potatoes. Pomeroy, the county seat, is situated under a lofty hill, surrounded by picturesque scenery. Nathaniel Clark was the first settler of the county. He arrived in 1816. The first coal mine opened in Pomeroy- was in 1819 by David Bradshaw. Mercer county was formed from the Indian Territory in 1820. The surface is generally flat. St. Clair's battle was fought on the boundary line between this and Darke county. Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur made a treaty on St. Mary's with the Wyandots, Shawnees and Ottawas in 1818. The odious Simon Girty lived at one time at St. Mary's. Wayne built St. Mary's fort on the west bank of the river. John Whistler was the last commander of the fort. The largest artificial lake in the world, so it is asserted, is formed by the reservoir supplying the St. Mary's feeder of the Miami Extension Canal. It is about nine miles long and from two to four broad.. Celina is the county seat. Miami county was formed January 16, 1807, from Montgomery. It abounds in excellent limestone and possesses remarkable water-power facili- ties. Its agricultural products rank high in quality and quantity. John Knoop came into this section about the year 1797 and its first settlement: PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 73 began about this time. Troy, the county seat, is situated upon the Great Miami. Piqua is the largest city in the county. Monroe county was formed January 29, 1813, from Belmont, Washington and Guernsey. A portion of its surface is abrupt and hilly. Large quantities of tobacco are raised. Iron ore and coal abound. The valleys of the streams are very narrow, bounded by rough hills., In some places are natural rock grottoes. The first settlement was made in 1799 near the mouth of the Sunfish. At this time wolves were numerous and caused much alarm. Volney entered this county but was not prepossessed in its favor. One township was settled by the Swiss. Woodsfield is the county seat. Montgomery county was formed from Ross and Hamilton May 1, 1803. The soil is fertile and its agricultural products are most excellent. Quarries of grayish-white limestone are found east of the Miami. Dayton is the county seat, situated on the Great Miami at the mouth of Mad river. A company was formed in 1788, but Indian wars prevented settlement. After. Wayne's treaty in 1795, a new company was formed. It advanced rapidly between the years 1812 and 1820. The beginning of the Miami canal renewed its prosperity in 1827. The first canal-boat from Cincinnati arrived at Dayton on the 25th of January, 1829. The first one arrived from Lake Erie in June, 1845. Col. Robert Patterson came to Dayton in 1804. At one time he owned Lexington, Kentucky, and about one-third of Cincinnati. Morgan county was organized in 1818, March 1. The surface is hilly and the soil strong and fertile, producing wheat, corn, oats and tobacco.. Pork is a prolific product and considerable salt is made. The first settlement was made in 1790 on the Muskingum. McConnelsville is the county seat. Mr. Ayres made the first attempt to produce salt in 1817. Morrow county was organized in 1848. It is drained by the Vernon river, which rises in it, by the East Branch of the Olentangy or Whetstone river, and by Walnut creek. The surface is undulating and the soil fertile. The staple products are corn, wheat, oats, hay, wool and butter. Mount Gilead, the county seat, is situated on the East Branch of the Olentangy river. Muskingum county was formed from Washington and Fairfield. The surface is rolling or hilly. It produces wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, tobacco, wool and pork. Large quantities of bituminous coal are found. Salt is made in large quantities—the fine being obtained from a stratum of whitish sandstone. The Wyandots, Delawares, Senecas and Shawnees Indians once inhabited this section. An Indian town occupied the site of Duncan's Falls. A large Shawnee town was located near Dresden. Zanesville is the county 74 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. seat, situated opposite the mouth of the Licking. It was laid out in 1799 by Mr. Zane and Mr. McIntire. This is one of the principal towns in the state. Noble county, organized in 1851, is drained by Seneca, Duck and Wills creeks. The surface is undulating and a large part of it is covered with forests. The soil is fertile. Among its mineral resources are limestone, coal and petroleum. Near Caldwell, the county seat, are found iron ore, coal and salt. Ottawa county was formed from Erie, Sandusky and Lucas March 6, 1840. It was very thinly settled before 1830. Extensive plaster beds exist on the peninsula, which extends into Lake Erie. It has also large limestone quarries, which are extensively worked. 'The very first trial at arms upon the soil of Ohio, during the War of 1812, occurred upon this peninsula. Port Clinton, the county seat, was laid out in 1827. Perry county was formed from Washington, Fairfield and Muskingum March I, 1817. Fine tobacco is raised in large quantities. Wheat, corn, oats, hay, cattle, pork and wool add to the general wealth. This county was first settled in 1801. The first settler was Christian Binckley, who built the first cabin in the county, about five miles west of Somerset, near the present county line. New Lexington is the county seat. Paulding county was formed from old Indian Territory August I, 182o. It is very rich in agriculture and produces corn, wheat, sugar beets and oats. Paulding is the county seat. Pickaway county was formed from Fairfield, Ross and Franklin January 12, 1810. The county has woodland, barren, plain and prairie. The barrens were covered by shrub oaks and when cleared are adapted to the raising of corn and oats. The Pickaway plains are three and a half miles west of Circleville and this tract is said to contain the richest land in Ohio. Here, in the olden times, burned the great council fires of the red man. Here the allied tribes met General Lewis, who fought the battle of Point Pleasant. Dunmore's campaign was terminated on these plains. It was at the Chillicothe towns, after Dunmore's treaty, that Logan delivered his famous speech. Circleville, the county seat, is situated on the Scioto river and the Ohio canal. It was laid out in 1810 by Daniel Dresbach. It is situated on the site of :ancient fortifications. Portage county was formed June 7, 1807, from Trumbull. It is a wealthy, thriving section. It also produces wheat, corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, rye, butter and wool. Ravenna is the county seat and was originally settled by the Hon. Benjamin.Tappen in June, 1799. In 1806 an unpleasant difficulty arose between the settlers and a camp of Indians in Deerfield, |