Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1857-11-20

or SeNcTal years III eQucaJlOnhl ana his 2
iionary labors; saw the first steamboat (the u
Walk-in-the-Water) as she moved steadily t
against wind and current up the Detroit ,
River. A crowd, consisting Of French,
Indians, and Yankees stood on the bank
its progress. The Indians thought
il was q living being and that the escaping
steam was its breath, while the French
came to the sage conclusion that it was
moved by witchcraft or some magic art
In 1882 he became principal of the Elyria
High School, which was the first classical
school in the county.
Bcnoni Adams came to Columbia in l6- |
OF; was for several years employed in trans
porting the mail from Euclid to Detroit;
generally carried il on his back; sometimes
crossed the streams on RATS, at other times
forded or swan across them. There was
no road. AT ono time he fell through the
ice, on Lake Eric, and came near losing his
life. He was often obliged to camp out at
night, with no companions save the wild
beasts of the forest.
Douglas Smith, ESQ, was ono Of tho first
sottlo,s OF Sheffield. He spoke feelingly
of the many hardships which he and his
companions encountered, and related in n
very interesting manner the story of Peter
Miller and the bear. Peter was lad Of
some seventeen or eighteen years Of age
He had been hociDg corn at Smiths, and
started, sun about an hour high, to go home,
to the Lake shore, in the northwest corner
of Avon. The trail led by the west cnd
of the great marsh. At this point Peter
discovered huge bear in tho path before
him, and concluding that he was too big a
boy to be frightened by bear, he yelled at
it, supposing it would run. AT this instant
he discovered several cubs, which somewhat
complicated the case, for the bear instead of
running from him came rushing towards
him. Peter discovered small elm tree
near Mt. hand and made for it. He had
hardly ascended six feet before the bear
commenced the ascent after him. She
soon reached his feet and grabbed one shoe
when Peter kicked her with all his might
with the other foot and she fell to the
ground. He then struggled up the tree
with bruin in hot pursuit. This time she
fastened her teeth in the lower part of his
naked foot when he again kicked her
off and she fell. Peter still scrambing up
the tree, was again overtakcn by the bear
This time she took the sound foot in hel
mouth, biting through the shoe and nearly
through the foot, and the struggle was OBJ
stinate-Peter elinging to the tree with al
| his strength and the bear tugging 10 loosei
his hold, which she soon succeeded in doing
$ and they both fell to tho ground together
" For some reason, which the bear never ex
# planned, Peter fled in ono direction and sh
I in another, though it was afterwards dis
t covered by the tracks that she soon turnc,
G and pursued him. Those who examines
the ground soon AFTER observed that Peter
d tracks were remarkably distant from eac
J. other. Mr.. Smith discovered Peter standin,
Il looking pale, covered with mud, and hi
c clothes much torn. He had not then though
of his wounded feet, although it was sever
S al months before he recovered so as to b
}. able to walk
@ Randall Terrell came to Rdgeville in tn
S Fall of 1911. The first settlement wa
c made the year before. There were ten {
us,-Joel Terrell and wife, WHY'S Terrell an
G wife, Randall, WHY'S Jr., Albert G. Lev
d and Polly Terrell, afterwards the wife ,
:, Edwin Byington, We built cabin in th
4 Fall Of 1911, and moved into it in Jun
d 1912. Remembers well ball that WI
a, held soon after the township was settle
n and that respectable young man waite
upon an excellent young lady. They can
r, on horseback, the lady riding behind hir
,r He wore an old straw hat, deor-skin PAM
Il Al, L
,e Mr.. Owen A. Gable was then introduced
H. the audience as the first male child born
he Ridgeville. He was born in MAY, 1873
lis | noticed in the audience Mrs. Mark Hump
E." rey, daughter of the late Mayor Beebe, "
was the first child born in Ridgeville.
Clark Eldred, Esq, came to Clevela
o. March l4th, 1911; came out to Dover t
ed next Spring; travelled most of the way
,b the bank of the Lake. IIe once caught
:. cub, intending to take it home, but the c
81 bear gave chase and he was glad to dr.
Ia the cub and take to his heels to escape pl
suit.
cd Bushrod w. Perry was then introduc
ce as the first child born in the county.
od was born at the mouth Of Black River,
the east side, May 18th, 1911. His CARL
to rccolections are of playing with tho W
nj children of tho forest His father moy
,st on to the west side of the river when
ed was about two years old. He has freque
,ro ly leaped across the mouth of Black Riy
Mt when boy, its mouth was so nearly fl
wn up with sand bar.
s;. Capt Herber G. Seekins moved with
on father to tho Holland purchase in lsl
" came to this country in 1917, and sctt
al on Yellow Creek, south of Cleveland.
he was one of the hslf.dozen who united
form the Methodist Society in Elyria. Ca
l.. Seckins gave very interesting descript
''n Of a four township hunt, at which an aim
'ed incredible number of bears, deer, and |
of keys were slaughtered.
nto Charles R. Sage spoke for Huntingt
bv He settled there in 1918. He gave gra]
y ic description of his early struggles.
as worked out at fifty cents day, and bou,
ase six yards of common factory cloth for tn
ife. dollars He needed coat and obtaine,
led as follows He went to Liverpool and ch
!. ped twepty-eight cords of wood, for VIII
y" he received a barrel Of salt; took it ho
n on pack saddle, and traded it for c,
aff, which would now be worth five dollars
yer Went again in the Fall and cut twenty-e
lrs. cords of wood to procure barrel of
as for his father Like all sensible vol