The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-06-07
gioneer ggife.
INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE IN
WOOD COUNTY.


The following sketch was written by ConsroR
HAsKINs, of Portage, at the earnest solicitation OF
W. V. WAY, Esq, for the Maumee Valley Pioneer
Association, and Mr.. WAY has kindly given us The
opportunity to lay the paper before readers.
1t abounds in interesting "reminiscences of the early
settlement of the county, which will, doubt not
amply repay perusa. Mr.. HAsKINs may be
justly regarded as the Pioneer of Wood County.l
was born in New Salem, Massachusetts.
August %, 1899. In the year 1917 my
father gave me my time, and in March
1918, came to the West located in the
Maumee Valley, in Waterville, Lucas Coun-
ty, and was married on the 10th of June,
of the same year, to Miss Fanny Gum,
daughter of Martin Gum ESD. by Seneca
Allen, Justice of the Peace; moved to
Grangcl's IS Island, in April, 1921, aud in July.
1924, bought the east half of the northeast
quarter of section II north, range 10 east,
in Liberty, Township, Wood County and
moved to it in the following September.
The mail passed through once IN two weeks
In the fall of 1928, made application for
postoffice at Portage; January 20, 1929,
| received the appointment of Postmaster,
which office | held for eighteen years.
In April, 1886, laid out the village of
Portage. For the first four years of my
residence here. my nearest neighbor was
at Miltonville, twelve miles north, and my
next nearest neighbor was distant twenty.
two miles south. My friends came from
Waterville over twelve miles, to assist me
in raising my log cabin, which was located
near the bank of the creek. / started
sawmill aud kept a variety store, of such
goods as were in demand in a new coun
try. purchased my goods of Gen. John
Il. Hunt, then trading in Maumee, Lucas
County. | here take the opportunity of
expressing my gratitude TO him for his un-
varying good will aid kindness to me, and
his good offices in assisting me in obtain
ing Postoftice III Portage. Some four or
five hundred friendly Indians of the Ottawa
tribe, camped in the vicinity of Portage,
until their removal by the government.
They were kind neighbors, and punctual to
pay debts when trusted they subssted
mostly on flesh they were fond of veuison,
turkeys, bear meat, blue crane they also
ate 'porcupines, poleca:s, muskrats they
were fond also of hominy, which they OBJ
tanned Gy pounding corn in wooden NOR
tar, with pestle attached to a spring pole;
they also made bean soup as a special lux
ury. They had fields on the Maumee bot !
'Oihol MllSl . Au0) ldlo6h Ctlu anu Dtdub III |
the summer they would hunt for game in !
the fall, on the Portage, and about the |
neighboring praries, and in the winter
they would camp farther south, in the |
heavy timber, both on account of their own
comfort, and their horses, which subsisted |
in the winter upon browse, and the winter |
which are found only in the |
sheltered forest lands, where the land is
-ather swampy. The Indian ponies would |
come out in the spring in good condition.
The spring work of the Indians was the
manufacture of maple sugar, which they
generally made in considerable quantities.
md il was Of tolerably good quality. AS
hey had no other means of conveying il
% market, they manufactured kind of box
made of elm bark about eighteen inches in
ength, aud ten or twelve in width, and
'iKteen or eighteen in hight the bark was
ient in proper shape and fastened with
bread of tue same material this was called
mowkon or mocOcks, holding from fifty
o one hundred pounds each. The Indians
conveyed these boxes upon their ponies,
ach pony packing two boxes, one upon
ach side.
Next, when sugar making was over, they
would pasture their horses upon the prairies
where the grass was early, then when the
prlng was farther advanced, you might
ind them upon the Maumee, planting corn,
nd when all things were favorable, they
would catch large quantities of fish, and
ummer was spent in hunting, fishing, and
ending their corn.
They were fond of whisky and tobacco,
I'D when they buried one of their number
hey would pour whisky upon the head Of !