Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-03-18

"Ihear the tread Of pioneers
Ofnati0ns yet 90 be-
The first low lFsAh oe waves. which soon
In speaking Of the journey Of Lanson
Lewis and Lowell Caulklins to Connecti-
cut, in our last, it should read they took
private conveyance from Buffalo to
Black Rock, sgaLked to Lewiston. where
they took schooner to Oswego-
INDIANS
Gen. Harrison in his discourse on the
Indians of Ohio and Indiana, says '.the
Wyandot" claims were very limited and
cannot well be admitted to extend farth-
er south than the dividing ridge between
the Scioto and Sandusky rivers. Not
withstanding this statement. on seeming
ly good authority. i IS a fact attested BY
the pioneers, that Delaware County was
the wilderness home of the Hurons or
Wyandots as well as the LenaPes or
Delawares-
The former had oorn6elds and camps
at Delaware, and hunting grounds IN
Berlin.
To the latter they returned yearly un-
til the breaking out of hostilties by the
British and Indians in 1872.
They. never returned afterwards. They
were always friendly, never infii6ting in
juries upon the whites, unless Influenced
by bad whisl<ey, or as a result Of their
savage manners. Occasionally a stall
wart male would give a great and sudden
fright to women and children, by pok-
ing his duslzy form into an open door or
window, and utterng with a yell his un-
accented seKVhoo," when his presence
fh,-e
". they regarded the whites as intruders
and made great demands for vegetables,
corn, potatoes, and pumpkins &c, which
boiled with venison into dish OF "Olla-
podrida" they regarded as luxury.
They exchanged venison, turkeys. deer
and raccoon skins, for articles purchased
of the settlers They were faithful to
contracts. A white man, finding two of
them pecking at sturdy oak with their
stone hatchets, pitched IN with his Tut
tie ak, and soon laid the monster of the
forest lew which was no sooner done than
his dog dispatched two huge coons in
its branches. Delighted with the man
eavers Of the dog, the Indians offered for
him a suit Of buckszin. A bargain was
struck, and true to their promise they
brought the clothes the following year,
which did long and valuable service.
The aborgines took their final departure
from this settlement, in 1911 and this
and the following year were dark and
gloomy days to the pioneers. Obedient
to the first law Of nature they erected a
BLOCK HOUSE
into which the entire community gather
ed by night emerging and engaging in
peaceful pursuits by day. This structure
was about forty feet square and two
stories high The second story jutted
over the first making a small aperture
between the logs of the two stories,
through which guns might be fired
i.downwards in case Of a close attack, and
hot water dashed on the assailants, or a
FIRE extinguished IN case Of attack by
stealth of incendiaries. It was provided
with port holes IN the upper story 50 con-
structed that musketS could be pointed
in any direction, and within close range
of the, building. Il was built Of heWn
/ logs, one foot square, and dovetailed at
the corners, so that the Joints between
the timbers were entirely closed.
The door, the only opening except
those described, was constructed of three
inch plank, double, and barred cross
wise, and perpendicularly inside with
the same material. Before used it was
tested by heavy musket balls. The lower
story was divided by blankets into apart
ments IN which the children slept, while
the adults, by turns stood sentry above.
Thus they built in hourly expectation Of
attack.
Early on an autumn morning before
| day break, as was his custom David
/ Lewis Sr., sailed forth from the fort,
and was soon followed by Philo Hoadley
who went Immediately to the cabin OF
the former. Lewis entered in a moment
almost breathless. seized his rife, and as
soon departed. Hoadley followed and
soon heard the discharge of Lewis gun,
and a reply. and met the latter running
with all speed TO the Block House, .
which they both entered. The sun rose
clear and bright, and a party made a
reconnaissance finding blood in the. corn
field, on the log fence and in the Indian
trail accompanied by moccasin tracks,
showing that the shot had been effeefnal
and the victim borne away Various
cenje6 lures prevailed. AT length weary
Of confinement the opinion was estab-
lished that The party were members of a
friendly tribe in search Of green corn. Il
was. resolved TO return TO their dwellings.
Yet so excitable were the fears that the
least noise in the tlicket seemed a foe in
ambush, and the. screech of the mid
night owl signal for slaughter. But a
few weary days, and sleeples nights,
when came a messenger heralding
aDrake Stampede, Of which I shall
write mere fully hereafter.
The old Block House should have been
preserved. Many relies, in the shape Of
boxes, frames and brackets made from
the fine walnut logs, are keptas menlen-
toes by the present generation.
1t served many years as church and
school house. Where the noble structure
once stood is now a churchyard's
sacred ground,
Whose fading tablets tell
Where they who built the old .tRloelr
Iu solemn silence dwell.
Tho broken and decayed. and cover
ed with rust and inoldering leaves mav,
those fading tablets be renovated and
re-enelosed, and preserved as a land |
mark of our forefathers.
Time and space have failed me to tell
any of the interesting incidents of this |
settlement, or speak of the first settle |
ment Of Delaware, which are reserved !
for future sketches.
c. MORTIMER JAMES.