OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 96A

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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Darlene E. Kelley
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
August 27, 2006

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Historical Collections of Ohio
And Then They Went West
Know Your Ohio
Tid Bits - Part 96 A
by Darlene E. Kelley
notes by
S. Kelly

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Tid Bits - Part 96A

        Instructions of The Directors
                To Their Agent  

To Moses Cleaveland Esq,
of the County of Windham
State of Connecticut,
One of the Directors of 
The Connecticut Land Company.

Greeting;

We, the Board of Directors of said Connecticut Land Company, having
appointed you to go on to said land, as Superintendent over the agents
and men, sent on survey and make locations on said land, to make, and
enter into friendly negotiations with the natives who are on said land,
or contiguous thereto, and may have any pretended claim to the same, and
secure such friendly intercourse amonst them as will establish peace,
quiet, and safety to the survey and settlement of said lands, not ceded
by the natives under the authority of the United States. You are hereby,
for the foregoing purposes, fully authorized and empowered to act, and
transact all the above business, in as full and ample a manner as we
ourselves could do, to make contracts in the foregoing matters in our
behalf and stead ; and make such drafts on our Treasury, as may be
necessary to accomplish the foregoing object of your appointment. And
all agents and men by us employed, and sent on to survey and settle said
land, to be obedient to your orders and directions. And you are to be
accountable for all monies by you received, conforming your conduct to
such orders and directions as we may, from time to time, give you, and
to do and act in all matters, according to your best skill and
judgement, which may tend to the best interest, prosperity, and success
of said Connecticut Land Company. Having more particularly for your
guide the Articles of Association entered into and signed by the
individuals of said Compay.        
            OLIVER PHELPS

HENRY CHAMPION } DIRECTORS 

            ROGER NEWBERRY
 
            SAMUEL MATHER, JUN.

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++


      First Surveying Party of 1796

General Moses Cleaveland, Superintendant.

Augustus Porter, Principal Surveyor and
Deputy Superintendant.

Seth Pease, Astronomer and surveyor.
 
 Surveyors;

Amos Spafford 
John Milton Holley
Richard M. Stoddard.
Moses Warren

Commissary;

Joshua Stow

Physician;

Thomas Shepard.

Employees of the Company; -- ( 37 )

Joseph Tinker, Boatman
Joseph M'Intyre
George Proudfoot
Francis Gray
Samuel Forbes
Amos Sawtel
Stephen Benton
Amos Barber
Samuel Hungerford 
William B. Hull
Samuel Davenport
Asa Mason
Amzi Atwater
Michael Coffin
Elisa Ayres
Thomas Harris
Norman Wilcox
Timothy Dunham
George Gooding
Shadrach Benham
Samuel Agnew
Wareham Shepard
David Beard
John Briant
Titus V. Munson
Joseph Landon
Charles Parker
Ezekiel Morley
Nathaniel Doan
Luke Hanchet
James Halket
James Hamilton
Oley F. Rice
John Lock
Samuel Barnes
Stephen Burbank
Daniel Shulay   


Elijah Gun and Anna, his wife, came with the surveyors and took charge
of Stow's Castle at Conneaut.

Job P. Stiles and Tabitha Cumi, his wife left in charge of the Company's
stores at Cleaveland.

Nathan Chapman and Nathan Perry furnished the surveyors with fresh beef,
and traded with the Indians.

There were thirteen horses and some cattle, which completes the party of
1796.   
           ++++++++++++++++++++

         Mode of Executing the Surveys  

Soon after the celebration of the 4th of July, 1796, had been completed.
the surveyors with their parties enter their duties. A plan of survey
determined upon by the company, was first to lay out upon the ground,
the forty first parallel of latitude, as a base line. From thence they
were to run lines of longitude five miles apart, due north to Lake Erie.

These were to be crossed by east and west lines, also five miles apart,
all of which constituted the boundries of townships, five miles square.

The townships were to be numbered as Ranges, counting from the
Pennsylvania line as a meridian, westward, to the number of twenty-four;
making one hundred and twenty miles. From the base line they were
numbered northward, as Towns; to the shore of Lake Erie. Thus Cleaveland
before it had a name as a township, was designated as No 7, in the
twelfth Range, being twelve townships west of the Pennsylvania line; and
seven townships north of the forty-first parallel of latitude.

Port Independence at the mouth of the Conneaut river, is only a couple
of miles within the State of Ohio.

In a few hours they found the west line of Pennsylvania, which had been
run and cleared only a few years previous. A stone was set up where tis
line came to the Lake, on which was marked the latitude; and which was
barely within the limits of the State of Connecticut on the north,
according to her grants and charter. Her claims under these instruments,
were limited to the parallel of forty-two degrees and two minutes north;
on which lines of Connecticut and Pennsylvaia are now fixed. The parties
proceeded down the Pennsylvania line, measuring as they went; in order
to assist them finding the forty-first parallel, and also to etermine
the variation of their compasses.
         ++++++++++++++++++

            From Holleys Journal  
       
     Conneaut to the South East Corner
                 Of The Reserve.

Thursday, July 7th, 1796 -- Left Conneaut creek in company with Augustus
Porter, Seth Pease, and five other men for the south east corner of New
Connecticut. We came to the north corner of Pennsylvania, and ran down
about five or six rods west of the line. At four miles and sixty-six
chains, crossed the Connecticut creek. The banks were steep. To the end
of the eighth mile the land is simular to the first four of five, not
well watered at all. To the end of the thirteenth mile, the land has
every appearance of being over flowed in the wet seasons. On the
fourteenth mile the land rises and falls, and of course is better. At
sixty chains we stop and encamp on high ground for the night. Here, by
good observation of the Polar star at its greatest eastern elongation,
we took the variation of the needle ( which was one degree, thirty-five
minutes east elongation of the star.) By a second observation, next
moring with the ranges it appeared to be one degree, thirty minutes, (
the stars elongation .) The needle varied fifty-three minutes east.
Porter's compass and mine varied alike. Major Spafford's ten minutes
less. The land at the end of the nineteenth mile is ridgy and better
watered, covered with almost all kinds of timber. On the twentieth mile
an open Tamarach swamp. twenty-third mile the land is indifferent,
swampy. 

Monday, July 11th -- We were stopped by the rain, and encamped near an
excellent brook, whic we considered a very favorable circumstance. The
next morning we left this place and went on to the end of the
twenty-fifth mile, through the most abominable swamp in the world. The
twenty-sixth mile is part of good bottom land, if it can be kept from
over flowing in summer, which I doubt some. On the twenty-seventh mile
is a creek 
( Pymatuning ) about sixty links wide. The water before this had all ran
north, but when we first came upon this stream the course was north
east, then a little way and it was south west, then crooked again and
ran south east, and continued on pretty much this course. It is a smooth
stream five or six feet deep, and navigable for batteaux. The land on
each side is rich, but to all appearance is covered with water the
greater part of the year; where we came upon the creek the second time
we crossed upon a beaver dam, which was quite a curiosity. The dam
consisted of some large sticks or trees thrown across the stream, and
filled in with thousands of willows, and other small wood; which was so
compact as to make considerable of a pond above, from which, through a
rich soil was cut several canals and arms, where they live now, as is
evident from fresh tracks and newly cut chips and brush.

Tuesday, July 12th -- In the morning we breakfasted in our camp by the
little brook, and left the pack horse men to come on after us, when we
proceeded about a mile, we sent back a hand to tell the men to go around
te swamp with the horses, but the swamp continued, and we ran on till
night. Here being a hemlock ridge, we were in hopes the horses would be
able to fins us, but alas! we were obliged to make a little camp of
boughs. strike up a fire, and go to bed supperless.

In the day time I had eat raspberries, gooseberries, wintergreen berries
and wintergreens, and in the night I began to grow sick at my stomach,
and soon after vomited up everything that was in me. Mr.Pease too had a
turn of the cramps, in consequence of traveling all day in the water. We
all arose early in the morning, with meagre looks and somewhat faint for
want of eating and drinking, for where we camped there was no water,
though we had a little rum.

On the morning of the 13th we continued our course down the Pennsylvania
line two hundred and sixty rods, through an alder swamp, till we came to
a ridge of oak, beech, pine & etc., where we determined to stop and wait
the coming of our provisions. Mr. Porter and Mr. Hall, took the compass,
and were to travel east twenty minutes, to try and find the horse's
tracks if they had passed. Mr. Pease and Mr. Spafford took my compass,
and were to do the same to the west, while I stayed on the line. I made
up a fire and was clearing a spot to lie down, when to my joy and
surprise I heard a voice back of us, which I quickly answered, and found
to be Joseph Landon, one of the pack horsemen ( and a good fellow too, )
coming with a back load of provisions. We called Porter and Pease back
as soon as possible, and all partook of a most cheerful and much needed
breakfast. After this was over, Mr. Porter, Hall and Landon went to help
the horses on, as they had found a swamp so large that it was impossible
to go round it, and they were obliged to come through, and were about
three and a half miles behind. Mr. Pease, Spafford and myself staid to
take care of the packs, & etc. After a little time, Mr. Spafford and
myself went about a half mile east to the large creek to fish, but were
unsuccessful. We returned to Pease, and enjoyed the day as well as
possible. Now it is twenty minutes after seven, and we have just heard
the voices of our friends returning. The land to the end of the
twenty-eighth mile is low, but the soil is rich. There are two runs of
water on this mile. The thirtieth mile is fine interval land; a creek
thirty links wide. On the thirty-first mile is a fine creek twenty- five
links wide; bottom stony; brisk current; another creek twenty links
wide; north-east; land more ridgy, soil good. On the thirty-second mile
is fine land for wheat; timber chestnut, white oak and maple rises and
decends On the thirty-third mile is a good run of water, good land and
ridgy. On the thirty-fourth mile is a fine spring. To the end of the
thirty-seventh mile te land is good, level, timbered with maple. beech,
oak and white wood, with herbage. The land to the end of the forty-first
mile is gentle, rises and descends, good and timbered with white and
black oak, chestnut, pepperage, cucumber and white wood. At the end of
the forty-second mile we encamped about 3 o'clock, and waited till
morning.

>From the Pennsylvania line here, we had the most pleasing prospect, a
hill at the distance of four or five miles, with the valley that lay
between, covered with stately trees and herbage, which indicated an
excellant soil, altogether exhibited a delightful landscape, the beauty
of which, I suppose, we encamped from its being the first time we could
overlook the woods.

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Tid-Bits continued in part 96 B