Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-01-26
H.. For the Portage Sentinel.
H isterieal RI miRisctEees Of Portage Go
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The eighth range of townships in Portage
county, to wit: the range comprising Ran
doiph, Rootstown, ;Ravenna, Sbalersville
and Mantua, as stated by the late Judge
Atwater, 10 what be has written on the frs
surveys Of the Reserve, is five and hall
miles wide from east TO west, making II GOO
acres OF land in each of those townships, and
the same is true of the other townships in
the same range north Of this county, extend.
ing TO Lake Erie. And until 1909 there
was no settlement 10 any Of the townships oil
that range north of Mantua, for twenty-five
miles-to near fainesyil'e. All that ex-
tensive tract Of country, and a large por-
tion. Of the seventh and ninth ranges, were
still unlroken wilderness; and, indeed, from
Burton on the east. to Warrensville and
Euclid on the West, and to Mentor and
Willoughby, there was but the small settle.
ment in Chester, No. 8, range 8. So that
the wild game roamed freely and almost
unmolested over dense forestlarge enough
for large county; and as the Indians had
then mostly left the country, ii game in
creased and grew bold. scarcely fearing
tho face Of man. There were great num-
hers Of bears, wolves, deer, elks, wildcats,
turkeys and other small game. Bears and
wolves were particularly annoying to the
frontier settlers, taking tbe hogs and sheep,
and sometimes catt'e, even to their barn
yards. 80, sz''
The Harmons, in the North east part of
Mantua, occupied the very frontier of that
region, being twenty-five lies from their
nearest neighbors, directly north. Their
stock had to suffer much from the depreda-
tions of the bears and wolves, and they in
turn succeeded in capturing in traps good
number Of wolves; good bounty was then
given by The State and by the counties
generally about six dollars each Bears
we could hardly catch, they would break
out Of our traps. 3''1
On one occasion, it was on pleasant
day, early in March, 1908, the three broth
ers, Zacheus. Seth and John Harmon, were
busted about the house Of Seth Harmon, on
the same farm on which that venerable Pi-
oneer still resides, when great out-cry was
heard among the hogs, but a few rods back
Of the house; and the cry Of ga bear! a
bear'!" was raised, and all hands started to
relieve the hog, not doubling that old Bruin
would be frightened from bis victim, on our
first approach. But no. He was not SO ca
silly frightened, presuming that he had the
best right. to the game there, being the ear
liest occupant of that forest region. Fire
| arms, we had none. An axe and hoe
| were our only weapons; and as it was in
| falIow, where the brush was burnt off,
clubs were scarce, Bruin stood his ground,
with his paws and jaws tearing into the
hog most voraciously, scarce appearing to
notice US, as we approached within some
| forty feet of him, when brother Seth dash
ed chip at him, at which he took affront,
and came leaping over logs at US, apparent
Fly in great wrath, while we, thinking Ndis-
cretion the better part of yaler,", ;. turned
back, and had Just time to scale the high
rail fence before he reached it, not without
the shuge paws" of his bearship having
pressed hard in contact with ones boot, on
the top Of the fence. His bearship then
having some trouble 10 find a place to suit
him to leap the fence, we were enabled to
distance him in race Of a dozen rods a.
cross the yard, to the house, where we ar
rived in safety closed the door, and set sem
ltry at it, and at a small window hole, barely
large enough for a bear to creep through, il
unm olested. He attempted to scale it, and,
| while poking in his huge unseemly nose to
| reconnoitre, be received blow OF a hoe on
his srout that staggered him-indeed, he
| fell nearly to the ground, when. as if. sud.
denly recollecting himself, be turned on his
heel, retraced his steps to where be had left
the sboat, took it up to bis bosom, and made
for the woods, rapidly, on two legs, like an
srang.outang, we, in our turn, following al
respectful distance, except one who weni
for aid. Neighbors, guns, and dogs, whaa
few could be rallied, pursued him ia vain
Bear and hog escaped, and were never seer
more. But we took one Of his near kin 9
| few years after, with the aid of dogs ane
guns; ono who was committing tie SAM