HISTORY;A Complete History of Fairfield County, Ohio 1795-1876 FAIRFIELD COUNTY OHIO *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Matboyd@aol.com February 16, 2000 *********************************************************************** pg8 - First Born It has been a subject of some discussion of late years, as to who was the first born white male child within the borders of Fairfield county. In Howe's history of Ohio, pub in 1848, he says, that Buhama (BUILDERBACK) GREEN gave birth to the first boy. This is beyond question an error. It is commonly supposed about Lancaster, that the late Hocking H. HUNTER, of Lancaster, sone of Capt. Joseph HUNTER, first emigrant, was the first born. This however is contested....Mr. Levi STUART, now a citizen of Lancaster, whose father was among the first settlers at Yankeytown, .... said it was understood between him and Mr. HUNTER that he, Mr STUART, was 13 months the elder. ...fourth contestant on Clear Creek, not named... Mrs. Buhama GREEN, as Mrs. BUILDERBACK, has a tragic history.... having lived where she first settled 3 miles west of Lancaster, about 44 years...until the close of her life in 1842 at a very advanced age.... following is a transcription of her life from the pen of COLONEL JOHN McDONALD, of Ross County.... Mrs. Buhama GREEN was vorn & raised in Jefferson Co, VA. in 1785 whe married Charles BUILDERBACK,... cossed mt.s,...settled at the mouth of Short Creek,.. east bank Ohio river, a few miles above Wheeling. ..Her husband , a branve mare,...repelling Indians,... sure aim of his unerring rifle...determined to kill him .... In June 1789...thought the enemy had abandoned the western shores of the Ohio,........Capt Charles BUILDERBACK, his wife, and brother Jacob BUILDERBACK .... crossed the Ohio to look after some cattle.... ambushed by 15 to 20 Indians...wounding Jacob in the shoulder....Charles taken while running to escape..... Mrs. Builderback hid in some driftwood by the river.... forced him to call her saying it would save his life... left two children in their cabin, a 3yr old and an infant... Here "A struggle took place in my own breast which I can not describe...go to him and become a prisoner?... remain hidden and return to our children....?" She went to him, was taken prisoner,....Indians'... commenced retreat...traveled together day and night... bands seperated, each taking 1 prisoner...rejoined and tossed .. his scalp into her lap...she remained a prisoner for about 9 months, a slave to one family....never complained...friendly Indians saw her and informed commandant of Fort Washington ...white woman captive at Miamitown.... Ransomed, brought to Fort...returned to her orphaned children... In 1796 Mrs. BUILDERBACK married John GREEN,...moved on to the west of Lancaster...survived her husband by 10 years. Charles BUILDERBACK, commanded a company at CRAWFORD's defeat in the Sandusky country. He was a large, noble looking man, bold and intrepid warrior. He was in the bloody Moravian campaign...shot, tomahawked and scalped SHEBOSH, a Moravian elder. page 12 First Mails and Postage Rates In the latter part ..1797...mail route established from Wheeling, VA to Linestome, KY...1st through interior of OH....postal station est. where Lancaster developed later.... carried on horseback once a week....Wheeling to the Muskingum...Muskingum to Scioto to the Ohio... to Limestone. The late General George SANDERSON, then a small lad, was for a time mail carrier between Muskingum and Scioto, ..about 76 miles ... Samuel COATES, Sen, an Englishman,...1st postmaster at the Hocking...removed to cabin on south side of present Wheeling st, the same spot where James V KENNEY now resides. ...COATES Sen followed by COATES, Jun, his son.... Per James MIERS, who has resided in Lancaster all his life, .. list of postmasters... Samuel COATES (1797) Samuel COATES, Jun Jacob D. DETRICH Elnathan SCOFIELD, Henry DRUM, Thomas U WHITE Daniel SIFFORD Henry MIERS, James CRANMER John C CASTLE Benjamin CONNELL John L TUTHILL C M L WISEMAN Melanchthon SUTPHEN (1876) The "mail boys" carried tin trumpets to signal their emminent arrival...as did the coachmen when the mailboys on horse back were replaced by coaches...postal rates by distance, not weight..... letter no more than 50 miles, 6 1/4 cents---up to 150 miles, 12 1/2 cents..... 150 to 300 miles, 18 3/4 cents ........over 300 miles, 25 cents.... no stamps, if prepaid, PAID written on letter.....collected at receivers's end, the cost was written on envelope....Letters written on 3 sides of the paper, blank 4th side used for address after folding and sealing....personal designs, initials.....sealing wax, usually red, sometimes black or blue.... letter envelopes came about 1840 and stamps about 1848 to be continued -------------OH-FOOTSTEPS MAILING LIST-----------------------