OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 112 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 06 : Issue 112 Today's Topics: #1 Fw: Tid Bits - Part 81 ["Maggie Stewart, OH Archives" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <00c001c6b094$00f03b30$0301a8c0@margaret> Subject: Fw: Tid Bits - Part 81 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Darlene & Kathi kelley" To: Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 2:55 PM Subject: Tid Bits - Part 81 Contibuted for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley July 16, 2006 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio Tid-Bits - Part 81 by Darlene E. Kelley Notes by S. Kelly +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid-Bits part 81 The Honorable George Tod The Honorable George Tod settled in Ohio in 1800, having left his native state of Connecticut, with many others of the early pioneers who settled the Western Reserve. Ohio was then a territory, and the same year of his advent, George Tod was called upon by Governor St. Clair to act as Secretary in 1802. The same year, when Ohio was admitted into the Union as a state, Mr. Tod was elected as one of the Justices of the Supreme Court, and held that office seven years in succession. He was after that re-elected to the same position, but on the breaking out of the war in 1812 with Great Britain, he resigned his seat on the bench and tendered his services to the Government, and was commissioned Major, and afterwards promoted to the Colonelcy of the Twelveth Regiment. During this stuggle he won laurels for his coolness, courage and heroism, especially at Sacketts Harbor and Fort Meigs. At the close of war, he resigned this commission and returned to Trumbull County. Soon after that he was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, having in his district the whole northern part of the state. He was a very generous. liberal minded man, and in the old pioneer times whe small salaries were paid to all officials, he like others did not accumulate any surplus, but fell behind and was compelled to mortgage his Briar Hill farm. But as he always said to his children " a good name, is better than riches." George Tod had been born in 1774 and in he married Sallie Isaac, who became the mother of Governor David Tod of Ohio. She was a beautiful woman, a most excellant wife and mother, and worshipped by her children and beloved by every one who knew her. She was the sister of Mrs. Ingersol, wife of Governor Ingersol of Connecticut. To his mother as well as his father, David Tod owed a large share of his native talent and goodness. The children of George Tod and Sallie Isaac Tod all born at Briar Hill are Mary Ingersol Tod who married first John McCurdy and then after his death married Dr. Dana D. Evans of Akron, Ohio. She was born in 1802 and died in 1860 a mother of three children. David Tod born 1805, and married Maria Smith, daughter of Justice Smith of Warren. David became Governor of Ohio, and died Nov. 13, 1868' Julia Tod born in 1807, married James Ford of Warren. She died in 1885. Grace Ingersol Tod born in 1811 married Simon Perkins II, son of Col Simon Perkins of the Western Reserve fame, and lived at Akron, Ohio. She died in 1867. All the children were generous and politically spirited adding much generousity and help to their communities and were well know for their charitable additions to their townships. Judge Tod remained on the Common Pleas bench for fourteen years, retiring in 1829 at the age of fifty five. For the remainder of his life, he pursued his profession of law, attended to the management of his Briar Hill farm, near Youngstown, and cared for his family. He died in 1841 at age 67, esteemed and revered by everyone. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ S0 - What is The Whig Party ? Or any Party ? Not sure what Party to attend. The Whig Party originated during the mid 1830's. The Whigs included traditinal enemies who united together in their opposition to President Andrew Jackson and his policies. Southern slaveholders, who opposed Jackson's support of the Tariff of 1828, supported the Whig Party. Abolitionists despised Jackson because he was a slaveowner and advocated slavery's expansion into new United States territories. Businessmen objected to Jacksons lack of support for banks, specifically the Second Bank of the United States. Finally, a large number of farmers and industrialists opposed Jacksons failure to support internal improvement projects, such as turnpikes and canals. The Whig Party believed in a strong federal government, simular to the Federalist Party that preceded it. The federal government must provide its citizenry with a transportation infrastructure to assist economic development. Many Whigs also called for government support of business through tarriffs. Tarriffs were taxes placed on foreign made goods sold in the United States. These taxes would increase the price of foreign goods, making American products more attractive to the consumer. Whigs also believed the government should play a role in creating a moral citizenry. The government should support temperance, public education, observance of the Sabbath, and, according to some Whigs, abolitionism. At the same time that the Whig Party formed, the Democratic Party also existed. The Democrats, as a whole, believed that the states should retain as much power as possible. The federal government should only have a bare minimum number of powers, and these powers should consist only of ones absolutely necessary for the federal government to function. The Democrats emphasized the rights of the common people, a message that was especially receptive among small farmers and factory workers. The Democratic Party also called for the United States expansion. This would open up new land for settlement, a message that struggling farmers and factory workers, who hoped to own their own land someday, welcomed. The Whig Party ran its first candidates for President in 1836. Unfortunately, the Party had three candidates, William Henry Harrison, Hugh White, and Daniel Webster, running for the Presidency. Combined, the three men had an impressive showing against the Democatic candidate, Martin Van Buren. The Whig candidates received a combined 739,000 votes to Van Burens 765,000 votes. Unfortunately for the Whigs, running three candidates cost them the election. In 1840, the Whig Party chose Harrison as its only candidate. Harrison received 53.1 percent of the vote to incumbent Van Burens 46.9 percent. Unfortunately for the Whigs, Harrison died a month after taking office. Vice President John Tyler succeeded Harrison. While Tyler proclaimed to follow the Whig Party's ideology, his Presidential actions were more in keeping with the Democratic Partys policies. Both the Whigs and the Democrats refused to endorse Tyler for the Presidency in 1844. The Democratic candidate James Polk, ran on a platform of United States expansion. He defeated the Whig candidate, Henry Clay, primarily due to James Birney of the Liberty Party running for Presidency as well. Birney drew numerous votes away from Clay, allowing Polk to win by a mere thirty-eight thousand votes. The Whig Party ran Zachary Taylor for 1848 for the Presidency. This election began the collapse of the Whig Party. Taylor, a southern slaveholder, divided the Whigs into Northern and Southern factions. As tensions increased over slaverys expansion in the late 1840's and early 1850's, Northern Whigs could not support a slaveowner. The Democratic Party nominated Lewis Cass, a former Ohioan. Southern Democrats could not support a Northern candidate. In the end, Taylor won, thanks to numerous Southern Democrats voting for him, but the Whig Party was in decline. The Whigs Van Winfield Scott in 1852. Scott lost to Franklin Pierce, and the growing tensions over slavery prevented the Party from ever running another candidate for the Presidency. The Party divided, with most Southern Whigs joining the Democratic Party and the Northern Whigs joining the Free Soil Party. The Whig Party proved to be strongest in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states, although Whig candidates had strong showings in the South a well as in the Midwest. In Ohio, many voters supported the Whigs and their call for internal improvements. Joseph Vance, a Whig, became the first Whig governor of Ohio in 1836. The Whig Party also dominated the Ohio legislature at this same time. The Panic of 1837 caused Ohio voters to replace Vance with Democrat Wilson Shannon and to replace the Whig majority in the legislature with a Democratic one. As the states economic conditions improved, Ohioans returned a Whig, Thomas Corwin to the governors office. By 1845, the Whigs controlled both the legislature and the governors office once again. That year, the legislature enacted the Kelley Bank Bill, esablishing the State Bank of Ohio. Unfortunately for Ohio Whigs, the turmoil that their Party faced on the national level in the late 1840's and the 1850's also infuenced state politics. As the Whig Party collapsed nationally, Ohio Whigs associated themselves with other Parties, primarily the Free Soil Party, the Know Nothing Party, and eventually the Republican Party. By now I am sure that we are all confused !!! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid-Bits con't in Part 82. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2006 05:16:25 -0400 From: "Maggie Stewart, OH Archives" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <00c601c6b094$2b6d0050$0301a8c0@margaret> Subject: Fw: Tid - Bits Part 82 A Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Darlene & Kathi kelley" To: Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 2:10 AM Subject: Tid - Bits Part 82 A Contributed for Use In USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley July 18, 2006 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio Tid - Bits - Part 82 A by Darlene E. Kelley notes by S. Kelly +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid-Bits - Part 82.A My Favorite Person Charles Whittlesey Charles Whittlesey was born on October 4, 1808, in Southington, Connecticut. Ke graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and served in the United States Army during the Black Hawk War. Shortly after this conflict's end, Whittlesey resigbed his commission and studied law, becoming an attorney at Cleveland,Ohio during the 1830's. He also served as an editor of the Cleveland Herald, during 1836 and 1837. While at West Point, Charles Whittlesey extensively studied geology. Because of is training he became in 1837 an assistant geologist of Ohio and participated in the geological survey of the State conducted in the late 1830's. During this survey, he discovered numerous Native American earthworks. The people who constructed these earthworks became known as the Whittlesey Focus, in honor of the man who discovered the physical remains of their civilization. Whittlesey spent the next several decades continuing his geological work for the federal and state governments, as well for private businesses. During the American Civil War, he immediately enlisted in the Union Army.His unit escorted President-elect Abraham Lincoln from his home in Illinois to Washington, D.C. In April 1861, Whittlesey became the assistant quartermaster-general for Ohio troops. He also participated in the western Viginia campaign, and helped design the defenses of Cincinnati, becoming a Colonel in the 20th Ohio Infantry. he participated in the Battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. Ill health caused him to resign from the military in April 1862. Upon resigning his commission he returned to his geological studies. In 1887 he helped to establish the Western Reserve Historical Society and served as this organiztion's President until his death on October 18, 1886. Charles Whittlesey authored approximately two hundred books and articles on geology and Ohio's early history. He died at his home which was located on Euclid amongst the beautiful homes of his friends. He loved to camp out in the tent that was improvised as his military tents i in his own backyard. He received many friends and visitors while within his military tents, including myself, who visited as frequently as possible to listen to his wonderful tales of his explorations. I could stay for hours on end, however, made my time as short as possible, so as not to tire him out in his ailing days. He seemed to enjoy the visits however, and would continue his tales as long as anyone would listen. It was his housekeeper who would end the visits. Then I would be escorted out along the side of the house, where his beautiful gardens were displayed. At the front of his home was a large Limestone rock, which I presume came from Kelleys Island, as he had told me once that it was a present from his dear friend down the street. The Kelley's owned a fine house on Euclid and 19th streets. His memory was sharp and clear at the end, and he loved to tell his tales. The children to loved him as he always proved his point to them in a way they could understand. His death was easy as he just dozed off as though he was day dreaming of the days of the past. His funeral was well attended and I was one to be there also. My friend will always be in my memory, and I shall forevermore be greatful for factual stories given me to remember and repeat to my friends. You too, can read some of these stories and find them substantiated in the Western Reserve Historical Society along with many artifacts of his geological studies. He left to all, the legency of his life. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Discoveries at Rocky River Events point to two expeditions engaged in the Pontiac War, were wrecked on lake Erie. One in the Autumn of the year 1768, and the other about the same period in the year following, are well established historic facts. Since the first settlement of the township of Rockport, the attention of observing individuals has been awakened by the frequent discoveries of vestiges of military implements, and other articles, not usually scattered at random in a new and uncultivated country. These discoveries were made at two localities. The first was in the vicinity of the junction of Rocky River with Lake Erie, embracing the sandy beach bordering the lake, and the right bank of the river, and the high bluff now known as Tisdale Point, which is an extention of the left bank into the lake, and has a perpendicular rocy face, seventy feet high, on its lake front. The second; McMahon's beach, which borders the lake, under a high clay bank fronting the farms of Messrs. Brown, McMahon, Col. Merwin, and the eastward from the last named farm, by the reisdence of Frederick Wright, John Williams, and Fletcher's Hotel, to the present crossing of Rocky River onthe plank road bridge. The first locality is seven miles from Cleveland and the second is about eight to ten miles west of Cleveland. A careful examination of the discoveries, in the connection with the historical items furnished by authorities, leads to the conclusion that the catastrophe which befell the Wilkins' expedition, happened at the first locality, and that of Bradstreet's at the second locality mentioned. The correctness of this conclusion was confirmed by an examination of the pecular and dangerous areas of these localities during a storm, and the manner in which these vestages must have been lost, and a closer comprehension of the terrifying scenes that must have taken place. In an address made by Gov. Cass before the Historical Society of Michigan in the year 1834, though laborng under some important errors in regards to the wrecking of Bradstreet's expedition, gave a full context of the horrors of that catastrophe. Few of the present generation know of either of these events, and fewer are aware of the pecuniary loss and offering they involved. The Wilkins Exedition Pontiac, with hostal tribes of savages, captured most of the British Forts in the west, and murdered their garrisons, in the spring of 1763. the posts at Detroit and Fort Pitt, sucessfully resisted his first attacks. A vigorous seige was carried on against them by the savages, during the summer folowing. While troops were collecting under Col. Boquet for the relief of Fort Pitt, a flotilla of batteaux from Albany ascended the Mohawk River, by portages and reached Wood Creek, and untimately, Fort Schlosser, or Niagra river, above the falls.In te autumn of that year, six hundred regulars, with arms, military stores, and a train of artillery embarked under command of Major Wilkins. They attempted to ascend the river, and advance to Detroit. After some delay and loss, from attacks of the Seneca Indians, they reached Lake Erie, but on the 7th of November, were driven on shore by a violent storm, lost twenty boats, with fifty barrels of provisions, some field pieces, and all of their ammunition. Seventy men and three officers, including their surgeon, were drowned. These officers were Lieut. Davidson, of the train, Lieut. Paynter, and Dr. Willaims, of the 80th regiment, and also a French pilot. After the storm abated a council of war was held, and decided that the survivors should return to Niagara, where they untimately arrived. Here again the exact locality of Wilkins disaster has hitherto been a matter of uncertainty. Some person suppose it was on the north shore of the lake. The evidences to sustain this conclusion are the following; A published " Diary of the Seige of Detroit," kept by a private soldier in the garrison at that place, states as follows; " Nov 18, 1763, " This morning two Indians arrived from Point-aux-Pins, with a letter, one half wrote in Erse, and the other in English, from Major Montcrieffe, giving an account of the batteaux being cast away on the 7th instant, at the highlands, beyond the said point. " Sir Wm. Johnson, in a letter to the Lords of Trade, locates the disaster at ninty miles from Detroit, and Lieut. Gov. Colden, in a letter to the sme board, fixes it at two thirds of their way to Detroit. " If Point-aux-Pins could be designated, the question would be at once determined at the time of the writing of the diary, no locality on the shores of lake Erie has been designated by that name. Such is the inference, from on the Lewis Evans' map of the Middle Colonies, published in London, dated June 23rd, 1755, eight years before the wrecking of this expedition, no locality is distinguished along the lake as " Point-aux-Pins." It is true that a recent map in Bell's History of Canada, has that name affixed to a headland in Kent District, on the north shore of Lake Erie, but it is evidently of modern application. It is equally true that for ages a simular point, covered with a tall pine and spruce trees, has been and is still a prominent object for observation, jutting into the Lake some twenty rods east of the mouth of Rocky River. Such evergreen headlands are favorite land marks for the voyagers of these western waters, who have never been blessed with the knowlege of charts and surveys. They are in the practice of using " the point of Pines" as a comon term, applicable to evergreen were equally likely to use it in reference to either of those two ponts. The distance from Detroit specified by Sir William Johnson and Gov. Colden, are in favor of Rocky River, and the fact that the Indians carrying Montcrieffe's dispatch from " Point-aux-Pins" to the commander at Detroit occupied eleven days in its transmission, could have meant Point of Pines., and renders it certain that their route must have been along the south shore of the Lake, among hostile tribes, and could have only pursued stealhily, at night. The north shore, where the population were not hostile, coul have traveled over by Indian Expresses in two days. The presence here are numerous vestages of military impliments, and their absence from the Canadian locality, is almost positive evidence in favor of the former. A trivial link, sometimes, is found to connect fragments, so as to form a strong chain of circumstantial evidence and render it as certain as the most positive. Such a link, that was found was a blade of a surgeon's amputating knife, could have belonged to no other person than the unfortunate Dr. Willaims of the 80th British regulars. By aid of the facts furnished by historians, an intimate knowledge of the locality, and the character of the autumnal storms, taken in connection with the discoveries, any, one can figure to himself the succcession of the tragic scenes as they occurred, without requiring much play of imagination. Maj. Moncrieffe reported in the Newport, Rhode Island Mercury of December 19th, 1763, that " at 11 o'clock at night they were taken by a violent storm, which came suddenly ," ---- The whole detachment wasin danger of being lost, as every batteaux that reached shore was more than half full of water. When this happeed they doubtless attempted to gain a safe harbor with the mouth of Rocky River. The channel is narrow, and lies immediately in contact with the high and perpendicular cliff forming the terminus of the left bank. The eastern margin of the channel is bounded by a hidden sandbar, covered with a few feet of water, extending at right angles into the Lake a number of rods. During a storm the waves sweep over this bar with tremendous force, breaking some sixty to eighty feet in height, against the cliff. A boat, to enter the river at such times, must hug the cliff, amidst the surf, in order to avoid this concealed bar. An inexperienced pilot would, however, give that surf a wide berth, and , as a consequence, would be stranded on the bar. This, no doubt, was the fate of several of the batteaux; others were probably driven high and dry, on the sandy and marshy beach east of the bar, if they were not at once sunk in the changeable and engulphing quicksnds, would soon be dashed in fragments by the force of the waves. The batteaux were built of light materials, to fit them for two extensive portages, over which they passed, between the Huson River and Lake Erie. the capacity of each was adapted to the carrying of one hundred men, arms, ammunition, stores, and a small cannon, which was placed on each bow. Such a craft was illy adapted to resist the forces here acting upon it. the crews of the boats which gained the harbor no doubt sought a landing place. It was not afforded in those days by the eastern or right bank of the river, which then consisted of a marshy tract of bottom land, or of precipitous cliffs; and the left bank was of a simular character, except just within the point, where a gully of lower inclination, running from the margine to the level of the upland rendered access to the latter comparatively easy. Through this gully the survivors found a refuge from the uncomfortable lowlands, inundated and swept by the surf. Here they formed a camp fire, within a circle of boulders, and around it collected the vestages from their wrecks. They remained till the storm abated, probably three days, as that is the period usually occupied by autumnal strorms on Lake Erie. A period as long as that, is indicated by the accumulation od ashes and charcol lately disinterred. Here were probably brought the bodies of their drowned comrades, together with their arms, clothing, etc., among which were pocket-case instruments of their dead surgeon. The bayonet here found belonged to some of the soldiers, and te eroded case knife to their cuisine. The dead were probably buried on the adjacent plateau, in the native forest, now occupied by Capt. Tisdale. In due time the men were recruited, their clothing dried, and the surviving boats repaired. the ammunitionless expedition then retired down the Lake, and ultimately arrived in safety at Fort Scholosser, without having afforded any relief to the garrison at Detroit. Two miles northwesterly from the locality of this disaster, folowing the lake shore, we arrive at the long and narrow spit of land known as McMahon's beach. Undoubted evidences determined it to have been the seat of a still more destructive catastrophe, which befell. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid-bits continued in 82 B. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V06 Issue #112 *******************************************