The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-12-27
Historical Sketches of
Highland County.
By THE ED1ToR.

NUMBER W 70
First Settlers of Chitticothe Ord Vieinity-
I The F'inley's and others--Fqrst Wheat
Sown in The Scfoto Valtcy-- Drunkenness
among the Settlers and Indidns-How
Checked-Bdckpoods J,tStice--A Sensible
MdgiStrate-Sickness and Terrible Mortal
ity in the Scioto Settlement = Emigration to
the Healthy Lands Of Highldnd-H Henry
Massie Projects and Lays Out the Toon of
NeW Dfdrket il, 179S-Names of the First
Settlers, Dc. &c.
After the treaty Of peace with the Indians
made by Gen. Wayne in 1895, the tide of
emigration from the older settled States
rapidly poured into the Northwestern ter
ritorv. The town of Chillicothe on the rich
lands of the Scioto, was one of the chief
points of attraction for settlers in Ohio,
and soon became a place of note and i'm
portunce. Newcomers there found tenn
porary resting-place from the fatigues of
the long and tedious journey through the
wilderness. They were also enabled to
collect information in regard to the most
eligible locations remaining unappropriat-
ed, and to make their purchases from the
land proprietors.
Chillicothe thus became the point from
which the settlements interior diverged
and many of the early settlers of High
land had first located in the vicinity OF
that town. The territory now forming
Highland being included in Ross county,
Chillcothe was of course the seat of ius-
tice for the inhabited part of this county,
and as such becomes connected with its
earlier history.
Among the earliest and most noted set
tiers in the vicinity of Chillicothe, was
James B. Finley, afterwards celebrated as
a pioneer Methodist preacher. His father
Robert Finley, having emancipated all his
slaves, started his son James, with twelve
of them under his charge, for Chillicothe
in December, 1896. They settled on the
Scioto, just below the town, and the
next spring were joined by their father
and the remainder of the family. In the
fall James Finley and his brother John re.
turned to Kentucky with pack-horses, &c
get a supply of wheat for seed, which they
procured, and which was the first wheat
sown on the waters of the Scioto.
Drunkenness was very prevalent In
Chillicothe among the early settlers, many
of whom had been soldiers in Wayne's
army. A good deal of fighting and other
disorders was the natural consequences
which were increased by the constant
presence of Indians, who brought in theil
furs and peltries to trade for whibky, or
which they would get drunk and then gC
yelling through the town, to the great an
noyance of the more sober citizens. Th,
evil at length became intolerable, and
public meeting was held, at which it wal
decided that any trader who sold or gay,
liquor to the Indians should be forced t.
keep those who got drunk in his owl
house until they were sober, on penalty o
being publicly reprimanded for the frs
offence, and for the second, of having hi
liquor spilled into the street. This Law
sired effect.
The mode of administering justice wa
somewhat primitive among the early set
tiers. 1t is related that in 1907, ono Bran
nan, (who lived in Chillicothe,) having
stolen some clothing, was arrested, tried
convicted, and received the following SO
we're and rather singular sentence. IL
was first to have ten lashes on his naket
| haolr tbcr 70 ha ,o1aoad ~, the baoIy 90 IA;
own pony, and his wife, who was believ
ed to have been also concerned in the theft
was to lead the pony to every house in tn
village, and proclaim aloud, "This
Brannan, who stole the great coat, hand
kerchief and shirt" James B. Finley wa
appointed to see that the sentence was dul.
executed, which he did, to the letter.
The first Justices of the Peace in the Chill
licothe settlement were Thomas Worthine
ton, Hugh Cochran and Samuel Smith
who we're appointed by Gov. st. Clair Il
1897. Smith transacted the principal par
Of the business, and had an off-hand
prompt, and common sense mode OF ad
ministering justice, which made him yer.
popular. 1t is reported of him that h
had little respect for law books, especiall
when they seemed to conflict with his ow'
ideas and on one occasion he justified hi
course by this very sensible reasoning
"All laws are intended to secure justice
and know what is right and what
wrong as well as those who made the laws
therefore stand in no need OF laws to gov
ern my actions" ia
In May, 1899, Post once was estat
lished at chillicothe, and Joseph Titfin az
pointed Postmaster and in 1901, Nathanie
Willis, father of N. p. Willis, the poet, es
tablished the "Scioto Gazette" the oldes
paper in Ohio, In 1900 the seat of govern
ment of the N. W. Territory was remove
! by law Of Congress from Cincinnati :