Statewide County OhArchives News.....Tid-Bits - Part 116A: Trumbull County of the Western Reserve May 28, 2008
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Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 June 7, 2008, 2:44 pm

Historical Collections Of Ohio, And Then They Went West, Know Your Ohio May 10, 2008 May 28, 2008
Contributed for use in 
USGenWeb Archives
by Darlene E. Kelley
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
May 28, 2008

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Historical Collections of Ohio
And Then They Went West
Know Your Ohio
Tid-Bits - Part 116 A
Trumbull County
of the Western Reserve
by Darlene E. Kelley

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Tid-Bits 116 A

Trumbull County
of the Western Reserve


Trumbbull County, Ohio, was formed in 1800, and comprised within its
original limits the whole of the Connecticut Western Reserve. It
consisted of 650 square miles, and was named after a governor of
Connecticut, Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. Its seat of Justice was located at
Warren.

Its principal products were wheat, corn, oats, grass, wool, butter,
cheese and potatoes. Maple Sugar and honey were plentiful as produced by
the settlers. Salt was produced at Salt Springs.

On the 10th of July, 1800, Governor St.Clair, proclaimed that al the
territory included in Jefferson county, laying north of the forty-first
degree, north latitude, and all that part of Wayne county included in
the Western Reserve, should constitute the New county, and to be known
by the name of Trumbull. The county thus constituted, was coextensive
with the Reserve of the New Connecticut of five years before. Warren was
to be the County Seat of Justice.

The plat of Warren in September, 1800, contained at that time but two
log cabins, one of which was occupied by Capt. Ephraim Quinby, who was
proprietor of the town and afterwards Judge of the Court. He had built
hs cabin in 1799. The other was occupied by William Fenton, who had
built his cabin in 1798. In September of that year, Cornelius Feather
and David Fenton arrived from Washington County, PA. At this time,
Quimby's cabin consisted of three apartments, a kitchen, bed-room and
jail. 
This jail only held one prisioner, and that had been Peter Shehigh, who
had threatened the life of Judge Young, of Youngstown.

The whole settlements of whites within the settlement of Warren,
consisted of sixteen settlers. They were; Henry and John Lane; Bejamin
Davidson, Esq.:
Meshack Case; Capt. John Adgate:
Capt. John Leavitt; William Crooks; Phineas Leffingwell; Henry Lane,Jr.:
Charles Daily; Edward Jones; George Loveless; and William Tucker.

At this time, rattlesnakes abounded in some places. A Mr. Oviatt, a
trapper, was informed that a considerable number of huge rattlesnakes
were scattered over a certain tract of this wilderness. The old man
asked whether there was a ledge of rocks in the vicinity. Being answered
in the affirmative and in May of that year, they proceeded through the
woods well armed with cudgels. They arrived at the area and cautiously
ascended the hill, step by step, in a solid column. Suddenly their enemy
gave the alarm of rattles, and the men found themselves competely
surrounded by hosts of rattlesnakes of enourmous size, and a huge
squadron of black snakes. No time was lost, the action commenced, and
hot and furious was the fight. In short, the snakes beat a retreat up
the hill, the men shooting with all their might. When they arrived at
the top of the ledge, they found the ground and rocks, in places, almost
covered with snakes retreating into their dens  Afterwards the slain
snakes were collected into heaps, and found to among to 486 snakes, a
good portion of which were larger than a man's leg below the calf, and
over five feet in length.

The news of this den of venomous serpents was spread and it was agreed
upon that several young men in Warren, and three in Braceville, should
make war upon the snakes until they would be destroyed. This was
accomplished.  
One young man described a circumstance that he used to snake hunting :

" Having procured an instrument like a very long chisel, with a handle
eight or nine feet long, I proceeded to the ledge alone, placed myself
on the body of a butternut tree, laying slanting over a broad crevice in
the rocks, seven or eight feet deep, the bottom of which was literally
covered with the yellow and black serpents. I held my weapon poised in
my right hand, ready to give the deadly blow, my left hand hold of a
small branch to keep my balance, when both my feet slipped, and I came
within a hairs; breadth of plunging headlong into that den. Nothing but
the small limb saved me from a most terrible death, as I could not have
gotten out, even if there had been no snakes, as the rocks on all sides
were perpendicular. My escape was a merciful and providential escape. "

  
Townships within Trumbull County were;

Bazetta; Bloomfield; Braceville; Bristol; Brookfield; Champion;
Farmington; Fowler; Greene; Gustavus; Hartford; Howland; Hubbard;
Johnson; Kinsman; Liberty; Lordstown; Mecca; Mespotamia; Newton;
Southington; Vernon; Vienna; Warren; and Wethersfield.

The census of the county in 1840 was at 25,700. A tremendous growth for
the forty years of formation.

Previous to the settlement of Trumbull County, and indeed before the
survey of the eastern part of the Western Reserve, salt was manufactured
by the whites, which is spoken frequently as the " old salt works."
which were situated in what was the township of Wethersfield, on or near
the Mahoning. These salt works were known to the whites as early as 1755
and are indicated on Evan's map published that year. 

These works were said to have been established and occupied by Gen.
Parsons of Connecticut, by permission of the governor of Connecticut.
"At this place later found, was a small piece of open ground, about two
or three acres, and a plank vat of sixteen or eghteen feet square, and
four or five feet deep, set in the ground, which was full of water, and
kettles for boiling salt. The number of these decaying kettle numbers we
could not ascertain, but the vat seemed full of them. An Indian and a
squaw were boiling water for salt, from which appearances, with poor
success."

Amzi Atwater, Esq, of Portage County, who was one of the first surveying
party of the Reserve, states " It was understood that Gen. Parson's had
some kind of grant from the State of Connecticut, and came there and
commenced making salt, and was drowned on his return to Beaver Falls. On
the first map made of the Reserve made by Mr. Seth Pease in 1789, a
tract was marked off and designated as 
" the salt spring tract." I have understood that the heirs of Gen.
Parson's advanced some claims to that tract, but I beieve without
success. At an early part of the settlement, considerable exertions were
made by Reuben Harmon, Esq., to establish salt works at that place, but
the water was too weak to make it profitable."

In August, 1800, a serious affair occurred with the Indians, which
spread a gloom over the peacedul prospects of the new and scattered
settlements of Trumbull County.

Joseph M' Mahon, who lived near the Indian settlement at the Salt
Springs, and whose family had suffered considerable abuse at different
times from the Indians in his absence, was at work with Richard Story on
an old Indian plantation, near Warren. On Friday, during his absence,
some Indians in a drunken frolic, came down the creek and called in at
M'Mahon's and abused the family. Capt. George, their chief, struck one
of the children with a severe blow with his tomahawk. The Indians had
treatened to kill the whole family. Mrs. M'Mahon, although terribly
alarmed, tried to get word to her husband before noon the following day.

M'Mahon and his workmate by the name of Richard Story, at first resolved
to go immediately to the Indian camp and kill the whole Indian tribe,
but on a little reflection, they concluded to go to Warren and consult
with Capt. Ephraim Quinby, as he was considered a mild and judicious
man.

By the advice of Capt. Quinby, all persons capable of bearing arms were
mustered on Sunday morning. This consisted of fourteen men and two boys,
under the command of Lieut. John Lane. They proceeded towards the Indian
camp, determined to make war or peace as circumstances dictated.

When within a half a mile of the Indian Camp, Capt. Quimby proposed a
halt, and as he was well acquainted with most of the Indians, they
having dealt frequently at his tavern, it was resolved that he should
proceed alone to the camp, and inquire into the cause of their
outrageous conduct, and ascertain whether they were for peace or war.
Capt. Quimby started alone, leaving the rest behind, and giving
directions to Lieut Lane that if he did not return in half an hour, he
might expect that the savages had killed him, and that he should march
his company and engage
in battle. Capt. Quinby not returning at the appointed time, they
marched rapidly into camp. On emerging from the woods tey discovered
Capt. Quinby in close conversation with Captain George. He informed his
party that they had threatened to kill McMahon and hs family, and
Richard Story and his family, for it seems the latter had inflicted
chastise-
ment on the Indians for stealing his liquor, particularly on one
ugly-looking, ill -
tempored fellow, named Spotted John, from having his face spotted all
over with hair moles. Capt. George had also declared, if the whites had
come down the Indians were ready to fight them.

The whites marched directly up to the camp, McMahon first and Story next
to him. The chief, Capt George, snatched his tomahawk, which was
sticking in a tree, and flourishing it in the air, walked up to McMahon,
saying, " If you kill me, I will lie here -- if I kill you, you shall
lie there! " and then ordred his men to " prime and tree!"  Instantly,
as the tomahawk was about to give the deadly blow, McMahon sprang back,
raised his gun already cocked, pulled the trigger, and Capt George fell
dead. Richard Story took his mark on the ugly savage Spotted John, who
was at that moment placing his family behind a tree, and shot him dead,
the same ball passing through the sqaw's neck, and the shoulders of his
odest papoose, a girl of about thirteen.

Herein the indians fled with horrid yells; the whites hotly pursued for
some distance, firing as fast as possible, yet without effect, while the
women and children screamed and screeched piteously. The party than gave
up the pursuit, returned and buried the dead Indians, and proceeded to
Warren to consult for their safety.

It being ascertained that the Indians had taken the route to Sandusky.
On Mondy morning, James Hillman was sent through the wilderness to
overtake and treat with them. He came up with them on Wednesday, and
cautiously advanced. they being at first suspicious of him. But making
known his mission, he offered them first $100, then $200, and so on, to
$ 500, if they would treat him on just terms, return to their homes and
bury the hatchet. But to all his overtures they kept repeating " No! No!
No! We will go to Sandusky and hold a council with the Chiefs there."
Hillman replied " You will hold a council there, light the war torch,
rally all the warriors throughout the forests, and with savage
barbarity, come and attempt a general massacre of all your friends, the
whites, throughout the Northwest Territory." They rejoined ," that they
lay the case before the council, and within furteen days, four or five of
their number should return with instructions, on what terms peace could
be restored."

Hillman returned home, and all the white settlers from Youngstown and
the surrounding settlements, garrisoned at Quimby's house at Warren,
constructed portholes through the logs and kept guard night and day.

On the fourth or fifth day afer the people garrisoned, a circumstance
struck them with terror. It seems that John Lane went out into the woods
a little distance and missing his way as it was cloudy, gave some kind
of alarm. In the evening, a man's voice known to be his, ws heard
several times, and in the same direction
twelve to fourteen sucessive retorts of a gun. It was judged that the
Indians had returned and caught Lane, confined him and compelled him to
call with his voice, with threats of death if he did not, under the hope
of enticing the whites into an ambush and massacuring them.

In the morning, as the noises continued, William Crooks, a resolute man,
went out cautiously to the spot whence they proceeded, and found John
Lane had dslocated his ankle in making a misstep, and could not get into
the fort without assistace.

The party continued to keep guard until the fourteenth day, when
exactly, according to contract, four or five Indians returned with
proposals of peace, which were that McMahon and Story should be taken to
Sandusky, tried by Indian law, and, if guilty, punished by them. This
they were told could not be done, as McMahon was already a prisoner
under the laws of the whites, in jail at Pittsburg and Story had fled
the country.

McMahon was brought to Youngstown and tried with prudence. Gen. St.
Clair, chief judge. The only testimony that could be received of all
those present at the tradedy was a boy, who took no part in the affair
and witnessed what Capt Georeg had said. A young woman, who was a
prisoner among the Indians, was brought to testify, as she understood te
language. She affirmed that the words signified, that if McMahon should
kill  Cpt. George, the Indians should not seek restitution; nor should
the whites, if McMahon were killed. In regard to the dath of Spotted
John, the Indians finally claimed nothing, as he was an ugly fellow
belonging to no tribe whatever.

The Indians again took up their old abode,
re-buried the bodies of their slain down the river about three miles,
drove down a stake, saying and expecting that " at the end of thirty
days tey would rise, go to the North Sea, and hunt and kill the " white
" bear." 

The Indians nightly carried good supplies of cooked venison to the
graves, which were evidently devoured. A white settlers old dog, with a
litter of six pups, nightly visited the savory meats, as they throve
most wonderfully during the thirty days.

As for McMahon,  he served in the war of 1812. In the battle on the
peninsula, under General Harrison, near Sandusky Bay on the 29th of
September was wounded in the side. After his recovery, he was dscharged.
As he started home leaving Camp Avery, in Huron County, he took the path
to the old Portage. being alone and happening to meet a party of
Indians, he fell victim to their hostility.

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Continued in part 116 B.


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