OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 56 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 56 Today's Topics: #2 Fairfiled Co Hist by Scott [Matboyd@aol.com] #3 bits from Scott's History of Fairf [Matboyd@aol.com] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from OH-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to OH-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 15:36:07 EST From: Matboyd@aol.com To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: Fairfiled Co Hist by Scott Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit page 2 Primitive State of the Country Marietta and Fort Harmer, at the mouth of the Muskingum, were the first settlements made by the white race on Ohio Soil. Settlement began abt 1777 or 78....At that time the Wyandot Indians occupied the valley of the Hocking, and held it as did all the aboriginal tribe of North America by the right of undisturbed possession for unknown ages....There were two Indian Towns at that time within the area of Fairfield County. ...The principle one was Tarhe Town, on the north bank of the Hocking, governed by Chief Tarhe. .had about 500 inhabitants...Toby Town was smaller,.... about 9 miles west of Tarhe Town...goverend by a lesser chief, Toby....They were for the most part peaceable and gave little trouble unless abused by the whites. Since the beginning of Fairfield County, Licking and Knox counties have been formed from part of it's territory, and also portions of Perry, Hocking, and Pickaway. (So if your ancestors 1st came to Fairfield, you may soon find them in those others.) page 4 First Settlement In the year 1797, one Ebenezer Zane entered into a contract with the government to open a road from Wheeling, VA, to Limestone, KY (now Maysville), ...(establishing) three ferries, over the Muskingum, over the Scioto, and over the Ohio....In payment he received 3 tracts of land, one square mile each. General George Sanderson was identified with the earliest time of Fairfield Co,having come to the settlement in company with his father's family about 1800...lived in Laancater till the close of his life in 1870... In April 1798, Capt. Joseph Hunter, with his family, came from Kentucky and settled on Zanes' Trace, ...which place was eventually called "Hunter's settlement." ...Capt Hunter is is regarded as the founder of Fairfield Co. His wife was the first white woman to settle in the valley...He died in 1829...In the spring of 1798 Nathaniel Wilson, the elder, John and Allen Green, and Joseph McMullen, Robert Cooper, Isaac Shaeffer, with a few other, came, erected cabins, planted crops... In the spring of 1799 2 settlements were begun, with 20 to 30 families each, ...one at the falls of Hocking, the other Yankeytown...Fall of 1799, Joseph Loveland and Hezekiah Smith erected a log grist mill at the upper falls of Hocking, now called Rock Mill. This was the first mill on the Hocking.... In April 1799, Samuel Coates, Sen., and Samuel Coates, Jun, from England, built a cabin in the prairie....In the latter part of the year a mail route was established along Zanes' Trace, ...Samuel Coates was first postmaster at the new settlement. The settlers subsisted principally on corn bread, potatoes, milk and butter, and wild meats....flour, tea and coffee were scarecely to be had, and very expensive...Salt ..cost, at the Scioto salt works, $5.00 for 50 lbs; tea $2.50 per lb; coffee $1.50; while spice and pepper were $1.00 per lb. Ebenezer Zane offered free lots to any mechanics who would settle there and carry on their trade...settle rapidly...by spring of 1801 Lancaster has assumed much the layout it still has in the central part of town....The Rev John Wright, of the Presbyterian church settled...1801;, and the Rev Asa Shin and the Rev James Quinn, of the Methodist church, traveled the Fairfield circuit very early.....A small portion of the settlers indulged in drinking frolicks, ended frequently in fights ....population determined to stop the growing evei...resolved that any person of the town found intoxicated, should, for every such offence, dig a stump out of the streets...the reuslt was, ...after several offenders had expiated their crimes...a sober, temperate, and happy people. more later ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 15:36:04 EST From: Matboyd@aol.com To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <6d.1560269.25dc6434@aol.com> Subject: bits from Scott's History of Fairfield Co, OH Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I will run the complete information of source this first time: "A Complete History of Fairfield County, Ohio", by Hervey Scott 1795-1876, pub by Stebert & Lilley, Pirnters and Binders, Columbus, Ohio, 1877 Available from Higgenson Book Company, Salem MA, a facsimile reprint I am starting at the first page offered, "In the enumeration of the physicians of Fairfield County, the following names were unintentinally omitted:" (But rewriting a bit to shorten it without losing the meaning.) Hervey Scott was born in Western Ohio in the early 1800's and thus familiar with the county from the time the first log cabins were built and the first paths blazed. Dr. G Miesse, Sen., will be remembereed as a highly eminent practitioner of medicine in the Dumontsville area. About 1840, plus or minus, he moved to Greenville, Dark Co, OH, where he "still resides, at age 70 yrs" His son, Dr. G. Miese,Jr., of Lancaster is known for his distinguished ability as a pianist and composer. His specialty is treating chronic diseases. Dr. M. H. Miese is a physician of Royalton. Dr. Jonas Wiest was practicing in Dumontsville, but has moved to Circleville, Pickaway County. Dr. Chas. Babcock and Dr. Barlow were former homeopathic physicians of Lancaster, Fairfield Co. Dr. Lurch of Amanda is extensivelly known after many years practice. Dr. Thomen is resident physician at Baltimore. Dr Rutter, medical practitioner of Clear Creek. Dr. Thomas, resident physician of Rushville Dr. Hummel is a practitioner of Baltimore. The author apologizes for out of place entries, but blames it on the slowness in receiving answers to his queries. (We can all relate to that!) Jacob Weist emigrated from PA and settled in Greenfield Twp, Fairfield Co, in May 1822, when he lived untill the time of his death, on 24 Nov 1872, aged 88 yrs, 11 months, 9 day. He fathered 12 children, 4 "now" deceased and 8 living.At the time of his death, there we 96 grandchildren and 129 great grandchildren. Mr Weist was a soldier in the war of 1812. He is buried near Dumontsville. Benjamin Wiest, still living at the age of 70 yrs, was an early settler of Greenfield Twp, Fairfield Co. Joseph Miesse, Sen. was among the early settlers of Greenfield Twp. The Miesse's of County are his descendants. He died many years ago. He was founder of Miesse's Church near Dumontsville. This church is known as the "coal mine" church, from some tradition. Corrections: Abraham Seifert has served as Conty Recorder, Probate Judge and Member of the house of Representatives of the State Legislature. By some strange inadvertance his name appears variously spelled in the text, under the proper heads (as) "Adam Seifert"; "Abran Seifert"; and "Adam Syfert" The spelling of manes, especially those derived from foreigh languages, is sometimes various. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V00 Issue #56 ******************************************