OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Moses Cleavland / Western Reserve [4]
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Darlene E. Kelley
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
June 27, 1999
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Historical Collections of Ohio
The Kelley Family Collections
Newspaper article, Plains Dealer
compiled by S.J. Kelley-- 1925
And Then They Went West
by Darlene E. Kelley  1998
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Fourth of Series--When
Cleaveland Came to The Western Reserve--

     In the stately library of the Western Reserve Historical Society,
through the courtesy of the Director, I was shown a prized collection of
historical narrative and data touching the coming of Moses Cleaveland in
1796, when he founded Cleveland. From the walls portraits of the city's
forefathers, many of whom I knew, looked down upon me as I read reports
of the expedition, which have escaped historians.
     I would call attention to this story, never before told, since it
details the land and water divisions of the party; the number of boats
an pack horses; each encampment and jostling land speculators never
mentioned who crowed in on the expedition. It descibes Stow's Castle and
the Massasagoe Indians on Conneaut Creek.  It gives the exact number of
the surveying party, including "Black Joe," and tells all that is known
to the Cuyahoga.
     On the afternoon of July 4, 1796, the expedition proceeded westward
along Lake Erie. The six batteaux had their sails set and with a fair
breeze were making good progress.  The land party, led by Maj. Sheppard,
followed the beach--pack horses first, then cattle, with a few horsemen
under Amzi Atwater, followed by a crowd of land speculators. Surveyor
Pease had left the boats and was traveling along shore.  He says they
found the walking good, with springs flowing from clay banks and plenty
of water to cross.
Occasionally the procession veered into the lake to round trees fallen
from high cliffs, those on foot wading waist deep. They were nearing
their destination. Conneaut Creek. At 3 o'clock by an excursion island
they dicovered the stone near the north end of the Pennsylvannia State
line, marked 42' of north latitude.  They crossed the line and precisely
at 5 o'clock gave three lusty cheers.  They were well on the Western
Reserve!

Conneaut Creek--

     The land party arrived at Conneaut Creek at 5:30 and the boats
entered it an hour later. Pease says in his notes that they pitched
their tents on the east side.  If they did, they must have moved them,
for Atwater, who had taken a course in surveying and was called an
"explorer's assistant," made an accurate map of the encampment, in which
the four tents are shown on the wide beach on the west side, formed by
the eastward bend of the creek's mouth. Atwater's map shows the broad
beaches on each side which he says, were caused by a low stage of water
in the lake at that time. Back of these high cliffs are high bluffs
covered with timber.  Across the creek on the east side the six boats
are tied.
     A party cruising the creek found prevailing west winds had driven
water upstream to form a wide sand bar on either side. There was a broad
space between creek banks and the higher levels of land, covered with
small timber and bushes.  Further up near the " lower rapids" they came
upon an Indian village of 15 families living in small well built houses
near a good spring.  Two years later a dam was built there for the first
grist mill of the region.

Salute ! --

     The first night's encampment at the creek mouth has been described.
They heard the boom of guns at the United States Fort at Presque Isle,
and the men under Tinker, lined up on the beach and fired a federal
salute of 15 rounds, with another in honor of what they intended to call
"New Connecticut."  They gave three cheers and named the place Fort
Independence.  That night at supper they drank six toasts befitting the
Fourth of July and their arrival and retired. Moses Cleaveland says " in
remarkedly in good order." Old " Black Joe" the pilot, soon made his way
back to Buffalo.  At Sodus, on lake Ontario, the expedition had lost one
or more boats in a storm. Here it is supposed they picked up Elisha Gun
and his wife, Anna, who were to become residents at Conneaut Creek.
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to be continued in the fifth Series.--