OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 95 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 August 22, 2006 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know your Ohio Tid-bits - Part 95 by Darlene E. Kelley notes by S.Kelly ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid Bits - Part 95 Surveying Party 1796-1797 The history of every member of the surveying parties of 1796 - 7, has a deep interest for all of us and their descendants, a large number of whom reside in the country, of which they were the first thorough explorers. They pursued their toilsome way, during those years, over all that part of the Reserve, east of the Cuyahoga, leaving perpetual evidence of their track through the forest, in measured lines, marked upon the trees. Only a few of the hands employed by the company on the surveys of 1796, returned to the work in 1797. Of those who passed that year in the field, but a small portion become settlers. The formal compact of Sept 30, 1796, in reference to the settlement in Euclid, was carried out, by not more than two. Probably the severe labors of the survey, cooled their admiration of the new country. may of them underwent the ordeal of fever and ague, which was abundantly sufficient to damage their faith in the promised land. A courageous man, who might be willing to encounter this miserable disease, which prostrates every form and grade of ambition, would not willingly expose his family to it. They saw no civil government existed, or was likely to exist. Some of the surveyors, like Spafford and Atwater, determined to tale their chances and spend their days in New Connecticut. Doan, Gun, and Clark, also became settlers. Of these who returned to New England, very few were again heard of. The private history of a small other number survived long enough to hear of some of those movements, to rescue from oblivion the enterprises of their youthful days. I have not completely discovered a complete list of the persons engaged in the expedition. The following names appear in Mr. Pease's diary and accounts, in a way which shows they were connected wth the surveys of those years, but there my have been others. Men were employed and discharged during the seasons. Herewith is that list; Rev. Seth Hart, Superintendant. Seth Pease, Principal Surveyor. Theodore Shepard ( or Shepherd ) Physician. Surveyors ( 8 ); Richard M. Stoddard Amos Spafford Moses Warren Warham Shepard Amazi Atwater Phineas Barker Joseph Landon Nathan Redfield +++++++ Employees ( 52 ); Col Ezra Waite Maj William Shepard Thomas Gun Hubbard T. Linsey Pegleg Waterman David Eldridge ( drowned ) Minor Bickwell ( died ) Josiah Barse ( or Barze ) John Doane Jotham Atwater Joseph Tinker Oliver Culver Samuel Spafford Daniel Holbrook, Explorer. ( son of Amos) Stephen Gilbert Lot Sanford Nathaniel Doan Alpheus Choat David Clark William Andrews ( died ) Solomon Gidings Matthew L. Gilgore Samuel Forbes E. Chapman James Stoddard David Beard Ezekial Morely Solomon Shepard Thomas Tupper William Tinker Chester Allen Alexander Allen James Berry George Gidings Berry Nye James Stoddard Joseph Nye Enoch Eldridge Asa Mason Charles Parker Eli Kellogg Job Coe William Barker Eli Rowley ( deserted ) Shubel Parker ( or Park ) Clark Reynolds Jacob Carlton John Hine Phil Barker Sylvestor Smith Eli Canfield The outfit of the surveying party and funds were entrusted to Seth Pease. He left Suffield on the 3rd day of April, and proceeded to Schenectady, to organize his company. Mr. Thomas Mather, of Albany, New York, assisted him in this business. Seth Pease Seth Pease was above medium height, slender and fair, with black, penetrating eyes. In his movements, he was very active, and preserving in his designs, with a reflecting and thoughtful air. He was a very throrough mathematician and very precise in his business. Besides the minutes necessarily returned to the Company, he kept a full private journal. He had excellant penmanship, and was fond of collecting specimens of minerals. The most favorite was some beautiful alabaster from Sandusky. As mentioned by his nephew of Fairport, Lake County, Ohio, he states " His Journals, of which a portion for years 1795 to 1799, inclusive, are before me, which show excellant penmanship, and precise business habits. In 1795, he surveyed for the State of Massachusetts, in the province of Maine. After the close of the surveys east of the Cuyahoga in 1797, Mr. Pease, engaged with Porter, Atwater, and others of this enterprising old friends of the woods, in the allotment of the " Holland Purchase," in western New York. This service occupied two years, " 98 and 99." The elections of the year 1800, resulted in the success of the Republican or the Jefferson party, over that of the Federalists. Under Jefferson's administration, Gideon Granger, became Post Master General, and Mr. Pease, who was a brother-in-law, was made Assistant Post Master General. Judge Calvin Pease of Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio, was his brother. In 1806, when the Indian title to that part of the Reserve west of the Cuyahoga, was extinguished, Seth Pease, was directed by the Governmant, to extend the southern boundary along the 41st parallel, west of the river, which he did." Seth Pease died at Philadelphia, and his wife died in Connecticut. In 1843, the only children that was living was Mrs. Noah A. Fletcher, of Washington City, and Alfred Pease, his youngest son, at Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio. +++++++++++++++++ Ezekiel Morley Ezekiel Morley, one of the employees of the survey party, was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut in 1758. He enlisted Jan 10, 1777 to serve three years in the Rev, War, in Capt Joseph Williams Company, known as the 1st Company, 3rd Mass. Regt, Continental Line, commanded by Col. John Greaton; and was discharged Jan 10, 1780. For this he received a pension after he removed to Ohio from Genesee County, New York. He was placed on the pension roll, May 2, 1833, and received $ 96 dollars a year. He died in Chester, Geauga County, Ohio, Aug 6, 1853, lacking nine days of being ninety three years of age. Ezekial Morley was one of the original empoyee of the surveyors of the Western Reserve landing at Conneaut Creek in July 1796. It is stated " After a perilous journey by land and water, we christened the place Fort Independence, and celebrated the day with such demonstrations of patriotism, as we were able to invent. We gave the National salute with our fowling pieces, and drank a toast with water from Lake Erie, and then blessed the land which had been delivered from British oppression. " Ezekial Morley was credited for assisting in erecting the first log cabin in Cleveland and claimed " supposed himself to be the first white man that saw Chagrin Falls." He is buried at Kirtland, Ohio. ++++++++++++++++++ Lot Sanford Lot Sanford was with the surveying party of 1797. He was born Septemeber 5, 1773. From him, we find the following accounts; " Amos Spafford was my chief surveyor of this trip. No particular incident happened on the outward journey, except the accidental death of David Eldridge. He undertook to swim his horse across Grand River, although strongly advised to the contrary, and the animal proving unequal to the task, Eldridge was drowned and his body carried on to Cleaveland, and buried on the banks of the Cuyahoga. I assisted in digging his grave, thus performing the office of sexton to the first white man to be buried in Cleaveland. The company arrived and established their headquarters, building a log house, and enclosing a garden for the purpose of raising vegetables. I, placed a fence around this garden, being the first fence ever built in the town. Morley, had built a log hut at this place last year, and Seth Hart, was left in charge of the headquarters. No incidents are mentioned while the party was out surveying except the death of Minor Bicknell, who was taken sick with fever, and was carried out through the woods fifty miles before he died. He was buried near the Cuyahoga, probably about thirty miles from Cleaveland. After arriving at headquarters, two more of our party, Andrews and Washburn died, and are buried by the side of Eldridge. Samuel Spafford ( son of Amos ) and Oliver Culver are chainmen, Andrews a flagman, along with myself as axman. Then on the 12th of September 1797, along with eleven others, we left Cleaveland for home. " Lot Sanford was from Orwell, Vermont and arrived home the 3rd of December. In April, 1804, he removed to a farm which he purchased in Shoreham, Vermont, where he lived till his death April 20, 1860 at the age of eighty six and seven months of a paralytic stroke. He was more than fifty years in communion with the Congregation Church, of which he was a liberal supporter, his wife dying in June, 1865, at the age of eighty two. +++++++++++++++++ Oliver Culver "Oliver Culver was born at East Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, September 4th, 1778. When he was five years of age, soon after the peace of 1783, his father removed from East Windsor, to Ticonderoga, N.Y. After a short residence there, they removed to Orwell, Vermont where Oliver Culver remained with his parents until the spring of 1797, returning home occasionally, until 1805. In February 1797, he hired, with his father's consent, to Amos Spafford, to accompany him with a party of surveyors to the Connecticut Company's Lands. Early in March, 1797, he was sent by Amos Spafford, with his sonm Samuel Spafford, on foot, from Orwell, Vermont to Schenectady, New York, to arrange for boats, and ascertain when they would be ready to carry the party on, from there up the Mohawk. Samuel Spafford wrote back to his father, that the Mohawk would no be clear of ice, and the boats ready to start, before the first of April, and that he and Mr. Culver would go on to Ironduquoit bay, and there camp, and hunt, until the surveying party arrived. They did so, traveling by land, on foot, well provided with arms, ammunition and provisions. At Ironduquoit bay, they camped and boarded with Asa Dunbar and family, a trapper, who was a mulatto man, from the Mohawk country, of whose location they were informed of while in Schenectady. They remained there hunting, and curing the skins taken, about six or seven weeks, until the surveying party under Mr. Spafford arrived, which was about the last of April. At Queenstown their boats were drawn over land, on carriages, with teams, by some Canadians, and launched at Chippeway, from whence they crossed to the mouth of Buffalo creek, and coasted up from there along the south shore of Lake Erie. At Cleaveland the party erected a log house. Mr. Culver was a chain bearer, that season at twelve dollars a month. When cold weather arrived, the party returned to Vermont, Mr. Culver,and Samuel Spafford stopped a few weeks at Dunbar's, and continued their hunt, with the object of collecting peltries. Late in December, after the snow became to deep for hunting, they traveled on foot to Orwell. In 1798, Mr. Culver went to Cleaveland, in a party of eighteen men, employed as before, to assist in cutting out to road, to the Pennsylvania line, on which they worked that season. In 1800, he bought his farm in Brighton, Monroe County, New York, cleared seven acres, and sowed it in wheat, receiving a good crop. Up to 1804, he was employed three years at Ironduquoit landing, by Augustus Griswold, superintending an ashery. In 1804 he went to Cleaveland, with a boat load of salt, dry goods, liquors, and tobacco, & etc., and opened a store. The vessel was loaded at Black Rock, freight paid, three dollars a barrel. The vessel had been built at Erie, by Seth Reed, and commanded by Capt Dobbin. In 1805, Mr. Culver married and settled on a farm. His wife died a few weeks since. Mr. Culver is suffering from blindness, and he asked me, John Barr, Esq to write this by his direction." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid bits to be con't in part 96.