Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-03-02

in the Territory of the United States North
west Of the River Ohio, on the Sd day ofI
August, one thousand eight hundred and
ninety-five. ANTHONY WAYNE.
And the Sachems and Chiefs of the Wy
andots, Delawares, Shawnees, Ottawas,
Chippeways, Potawatamies, Miamis, Eel
Rivers, Kickapoos, Delawares and Kaskas-
kias."
Soon after the declaration of war in 1912
between the United States and Great Bri-
tain, fort was built here, called Fort Sto-
phenson, as a point where provisions and
military stores might be deposited for the
army of the Northwest, and stockade or
fort was built of timbers about Q feet high,
placed in the ground, around and outside Of
which deep trench was dug, and the earth
therefrom thrown up against the pickets.-
This was called Ft Stephenson, and from
this time Sandusky was known as place.
At the close of the War the U. S. sur
veyed and sold this two miles, but did not
at the same time survey and sell the sur
rounding land, because the Indian title to
it had not yet been extinguished. In 1916
the town of Croghanville was laid out and
surveyed into in-lots and out,lots, and the
residue of the two miles square into tracts
which extended to the line of tho square
each way from the river. In 1910, Febru-
ary llth, Lower Sandusky, was incorpora-
ted by the General Assembly of the State,
and the corporate limits restricted to so
much of the Reservation as laid in the
township of Sandusky, leaving strip of
about three-fourths Of mile of it on the
South, outside of the corporate limits. In
| $50 the corporate limits was extended so
as to include this strip, and so our town
became two miles square.
THE INDIANS.
As the Indians were the first human oc-
cupants Of our town, something concerning
them may properly be mentioned in these
notes. The Wyandots, tribe distinguished
for intelligence and bravery, were the gov
erning or superior tribe of the region be-
tween the Mississippi and the white settle
ments on the Connecticut Western Reserve,
and though other tribes occupied portions
of this vast region, they did so by permis-
sion of, or agreement and treaty, with the
Wyandots.
After the Seneca nation sold its reserves
in the State of New York, they obtained
permission of the Wyandots to come and
live at the lower rapids of the Sandusky
river. They accordingly did so. After re.
siding here several years, the Seuecas sent
a messenger to the Wyandot Chiefs, saying
"Brothcrs you were good to US; you gave
us home and hunting grounds at the still
waters of the Sandusky; we thank you.-
But our bed is hard there; our children die
we can raise no warriors there, and oul
tribe will perish Brothers, will you give
US another place to lie DOWN. Their pc
tition was granted, and the Senecas moved
up the river to what was afterwards knowr
as Fort Seneca, on the Sandusky river, eas
of Swope's Corners.
1t seems from this message that the Sen
ccas could not raise children in our town.
There must have been change in this par
ticular If there is complaint about thC
scarcity of this article, the newspapers fail t.
J say any thing about it, unless it be the Ger
man paper which cannot read. If any
one thinks children are scarce in our town
let him or her stand any where and begin
to count; and if not satisfied in this way
let the curious enquirer teach one of on
schools, and be convinced that the supply
of children, both in quality and quantity, j
: fully equal to the demand.
5 There is of course no written history O
5 the doings and customs of these origina
G proprietors of the soil, previous to the visit;
. of white men here. There is blank of ur
Z, told years, nay ages, in the history of ou
/ town; and for many years after the countr
Q had been visited by white men, all the il
{ formation rests upon dim tradition. Thes
: reach back to about the year 1880, or 8
+ years ago Probably about this time, pei
G haps earlier, Quill Whitaker, James Will
: aker, and another young man whose nam
l. is not remembered, left Fort Pitt, now Pitt
d burg, one morning to procure game for tn
d sustenance of themselves and others belong
= ing to the Fort. While hunting in the fo
Il est they were attacked by the Indians. On
$ was killed by a rifle shot, Quill Whittake
/ received ball through his hat and ESCAPED
L James Whitaker had his arm shattered b
{, a rifle bullet and was captured; taken as
t. prisoner by the savages to place calle
n Sniptown in the central part of Ohio, SUI
@ posed to be in Richland county. There /
= was compelled to run the gauntlet, teri
1T bic ordeal through which the Indians ofte
1t compelled their captiyes to go. This col
" sists in placing two ranks of warriors facr
in each other at such distance apart that II
Of weapon used will reach to the centre of Il
n space. The warriors in each rank stand
-y open order, about three feet from each otI
Is er, the length of the line varying accordir
to the number of warriors present, probab
10 from 20 to 80 rods. The victim is place
r. at one end of this pass, prepared for Il
IN run between the lines. Each Indian stan
n with knife, war-club, or tomahawk raise
~ and is entitled to have one perpendicul
lie blow at the victim as he passes. If
We eludes their blows, and lives to reach Il
IS, other end of the file, his life is spared
ct Whitaker started tho first half of the di
rs lance he had been successful in receiving I
W. blow, but squaw in the rear of the raj
le wishing him to be killed. now sprung fc
of ward and snatched his shirt sleeve near Il
be shoulder, in order to hinder him and let 4
=" descending weapon of the next savage ia
IL effect An instant halt and violent kiC
d, sent the squaw and next Indian blunderil