SENECA COUNTY OHIO -HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Gina Reasoner GReasoner@prodigy.net December 19, 1999 *********************************************************************** SENECA COUNTY - Part 8 INDIAN IDEAS ABOUT SQUIRRELS. The Indians are of the opinion that the squirrels plant all the timber, as they bury a number of nuts for food, and only one nut at one place. When a squirrel is killed, the various kins of nuts thus buried will grow. I have observed that when the prairies have only escaped fire for one year, near where a single tree stood, there was a young growth of timber supposed to be planted by squirrels. But when the prairies were again burned all this young growth was immediately consumed, as the fire rages in the grass to such a pitch that a number of raccoons are thereby burned to death. On the west side of the prairie, or betwixt that and the Scioto, there is a large body of first rate land -the timber, walnut, ash, elm, locust, sugar- tree, buckeye, cherry, mulberry, plum trees, spice-wood, black haw, red haw, oak and hickory. After passing the winter on the Oleantangy, a tributary of the Scioto, the old Indian and his young companion returned and proceeded down Sandusky, killing in the passage four bears and a number of turkeys. We quote again: When we came to the little lake at the mouth of Sandusky we called at a Wyandot town that was then there, called Sunyendeand (he speaks as if it was a first visit, whereas we have devoted a large space to his former sojourn there). Here we diverted ourselves several days by catching rock- fish in a small creek, the name of which is also Sunyendeand, which signifies rock-fish. They fished in the night with lights and struck the fish with gigs or spears. The rock-fish there, when they begin first to run up the creek to spawn, are exceedingly fat, sufficiently so to fry themselves. The first night we scarcely caught fish enough for present use for all that was in the town. A WHITE CAPTIVE SHOWS THE INDIANS A NEW WAY TO CATCH FISH. The next morning I met with a prisoner at this place by the name of Thompson, who had been taken from Virginia. He told me if they would only omit disturbing the fish for one night he would catch more fish than the whole town could made use of. I told Mr. Thompson that if he knew he could do this I would use my influence with the Indians to let the fish alone for one night. I applied to the chiefs, who agreed to my proposal, and said they were anxious to see what the Great Knife (as they called the Virginian) could do. Mr. Thompson, with the assistance of some other prisoners, went to work, and made a hoop net of elm bark, then they cut down a tree across the creek, and stuck in stakes at the lower side of it to prevent the fish from passing up, leaving only a gap at one side of the creek, here he sat with his net, and when he felt the fish touch the net he drew it up, and frequently would haul out two or three rock-fish that would weigh about five or six pounds each. He continued at this until he had hauled out about a wagon load, and then left the gap open in order to let them pass up, for they could not go far on account of shallow water. Before day Mr. Thompson shut it up, to prevent them from passing down in order to let the Indians have some diversion in killing them in day-light. When the news of the fish came to town, the Indians all collected and with surprise beheld the large heap of fish, and applauded the ingenuity of the Virginian. When they saw the number of them that were confined in the water above the tree, the young Indians ran back to the town and in a short time returned with their spears, gigs, bows and arrows, etc., and were the chief part of that day engaged in killing rock-fish, insomuch, that we had more than we could use or preserve. As we had no salt or any way to keep them they lay upon the banks, and after some time great numbers of turkey buzzards and eagles collected together and devoured them. But enough of our Ohio Crusoe. His remaining adventures, before his restoration to his friends in 1760, consisted of a trip to Detroit, another hunt up Sandusky and down Scioto, and a journey to Caughnewage, "a very ancient Indian town about nine miles from Montreal," besides an imprisonment of about four months in Montreal itself. This picture of northern Ohio, a century since has the merit of novelty at least. That it is authentic, there can be no doubt for in several historians of authority occur frequent and respectful reference to the narrative from whose pages we have drawn so copiously. The falls of Sandusky are doubtless the same as the rapids mentioned in the treaty of Greenville, near the site of Fremont, and the Sandusky plains which were burnt over by the ring hunt, are in Marion, Wyandot and Crawford counties. FOSTORIA is 12 miles northwest of Tiffin, the largest part of it lies in Seneca, a considerable portion in Hancock and a small part in Wood county. It is a considerable railroad and manufacturing center. Its railroads are the B. & O., N.Y.C. & St. L., C.H.V. & T., T. & O.C., and L.E. & W. Natural gas is abundant and is used for manufacturing and domestic purposes. CITY OFFICERS: J.M. Bever, Mayor; J.M. Shatzel, Clerk; Charles Olmsted, Treasurer; J.B. Fox, Marshal; J.A. Stackhouse, Solicitor; L.D. Mussetter, Street Commissioner. Newspapers: Dispatch, Independent, A.J. De Wolf, editor; Democrat, Democratic, Charles L. Zahm, editor and publisher; Review, Republican, J.P. De Wolfe, editor and publisher; Half Hours in Science and Art, Science, George M. Gray, editor. Churches: 1 Methodist Protestant, 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 1 United Baptist, 1 Lutheran, 1 Catholic, 1 German Reformed. Banks: First National, Andrew Emerine, president; Alonzo Emerine, cashier; Foster & Co. MANUFACTURERS AND EMPLOYEES. -Fostoria Stave and Barrel Co., 50; The Isaac Harter Co., flour, etc., 51; Fostoria Glass Co., 150; Koss, Mohler & Co., planing mill, 16; Walter S. Payne & Co., brass and iron foundry, etc., 55; Cunningham & Co., spokes and bent work, 32; Eureka Planing mill and Lumber Co., 9; Nickel Plate Glass Co., 215; J.P. Warner, flour and feed, 4; G.W. & J.H. Campbell, planing mill, 17; American Food Evaporating and Preserving Co., 70; The Mambourg Glass Co., 60; The Butler Art Glass Co., 141; The Bevington Signal Co., 18; State Report, 1888. Population, 1880, 3,569; School census, 1888, 1,439; William T. Jackson, superintendent of schools. Capital invested in manufacturing establishments, $310,000. Value of annual product, $271,000. -Ohio Labor Statistics, 1888. Census, 1890, 7,070. We annex the main points in the history of Fostoria, as given to us in a communication from its most widely known citizen, Hon. Charles Foster. The lands in the neighborhood of this city were thrown open to market in 1831. My grandfather, John Crocker, who came to Seneca county and settled near Tiffin in 1824, entered the land upon which most of the city now stands. The town of Rome, was laid out in the spring of 1832 by Roswell Crocker, son of John Crocker. About the same time, a mile north, the town of Risdon was laid out. These towns were located at the county line between Seneca and Hancock counties, part in each county, the town of Risdon being laid out to the corner of Wood county. The City of Fostoria now covers much more than all the territory of the two original villages and includes a portion of Wood county also. My father built his double log cabin in the summer of 1832 and moved into it in November of that year, living with his family in one end and having his little store in the other. The country filled up with actual settlers quite rapidly; but few had anything more than a yoke of oxen and few household effects. Being a heavily wooded country the progress of the settlement was subject to all the discomforts, privations and sacrifices incident to such settlements elsewhere. Among the staples sold at the store for the first ten or fifteen years was quinine. I think I have seen nine out of ten of all the people in the neighborhood sick with fever and ague at one time. The store started in 1832 grew to be perhaps the largest country store in Ohio, and in my father's hands and my own continued in existence until 1888, fifty-six years. Being in the midst of the Black Swamp the roads of the country were horrible. The first attempts at improvement of roads occurred in 1850, when a plank road was built from Fremont to Fostoria; Fremont, at that time, being at the head of navigation on the Sandusky river. The first railroad was built in 1859, it is now known as the Lake Erie and Western. Since then four other railroads have been built through the city and it has now reached a population of about 8,000, having large manufacturing industries with natural gas for fuel. In the early settlement there was great rivalry between the two hamlets of Rome and Risdon, a rivalry amounting to a hatred of each other. Many incidents might be related of the furious and bloody combats that took place when the boys of the two villages met. GREEN SPRINGS is part in Seneca and part in Sandusky county, It is 12 miles northeast of Tiffin on the I.B. & W.R.R. The Green Spring Sanitarium and Water Cure is located here. City Officers, 1888; B.M. Reed, Mayor; Dell McConnel, Clerk; J.C. Kanney, Treasurer; J.C. Tarris, marshal. Newspapers:P Times, Independent, M.F. Van Buskirk, editor and publisher; Mutual Underwriter, Insurance, Underwriter Co., editors and publishers. Churches: 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 1 United Baptist, Bank: L.W. Roys & Co. Population, 1880, 720. School census, 1888, 259. George M. Hoke, superintendent of schools. The Green Spring Academy was founded here in 1881 by the Synod of Toledo. It prepares students for college and for teaching. R.B. Hayes is president of its board of trustees. ATTICA is 16 miles southeast of Tiffin and one and a-half miles from Attica Station on the B. & O.R.R. Newspapers: Current Wave, Independent, V. Jay Hills, editor and publishers; Journal, Independent, E.A. Kelly, editor; Medical Compend, Medical, H.G. Blaine, M.D. , editor and publisher. bank: Lester Sutton. Population, 1880, 663. School census, 1888, 220. R.B. Drake, superintendent of schools. BETTSVILLE is 10 miles northwest of Tiffin on the N.W.O.R.R. Newspaper: Enterprise, Independent, B.B. Krammes, editor and publsiher. Population, 800 (estimated.) ADRIAN is 11 miles southwest of Tiffin on the I.B. & W.R.R. Population, 1880, 211. School census, 1888, 66.