Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-04-01
Written for the Delaware Gazette.
PIONEER SKETCHES OF della.
WARE COUNTY.
Number -Four.
pELAwARE CONTINUED.


One generation. ,passsth away; another
fOreVer.-EccL,
At the beginning of the present cen
tury no white man resided within many
miles of where the city of Delaware now
stands At that time the beautiful Olen-
tangy (then called Whetstone) rolled its
rapid waters, until it paid its tribute to
the Scioto, through an unbroken soli-
tude. Its bed, now spanned by struc-
lures adapted to every grade of locomo-
ton from the iron horse to the velOci-
pede, then received only the overhang
ing shadows of the forest. On its banks
now crowned with the city, its villas and
their surroundings, workshops with tow
ering chimneys, places of resort and
pleasure, halls of learning, temples of
worship, and seat of Justice with its
crowning goddess, there then stood no
city, town, village, cottage, or even cab
in, the curling smoke of which might
give the promise of comfort or refresh
ment to the weary traveller. In the
place of these were the Indian village
and the mazes of the forest. Where are
now the hum of industry, the songs of
praise, the ringing notes of bells and the
screech of the steam whistle, were heard
then only the tempestuous roar of ele-
ments, the low growl of the bear, the
bowling of wolves, or the warlike shouts
or songs of savages.
Passing for the present the space of
sixty-two years which has wrought this
great change in our county, and the hon
ored names of those who ushered in
this drama of civilization, we will notice
the knights of the bow and tomahawk,
who were but so recently our predecessors.
THE DELAWAREs.
The Indians of the Leni-Lenape or
Delaware, the Wyandot or Huron, the
Shawnese, Seneca and Mingo tribes,
are known, separately or jointly, to have
been in possession of the soil. The
Taw-ways were also among our abOrig-
inal antecedents in some parts of the
county. A brief sketch of each of these
tribes may not be uninteresting.
The tradition of the Delawares among
themselves was, that at some very re-
mote period they emigrated from the
west, crossed the Mississippi, and as
cended the Ohio river until they reach
ed the Delaware where Philadelphia now
stands, where they settled. However
true their tradition may be, their name
was Wa-be-nugh-ka, which signlhes
from the east, or ''sun rising" They
became numerous. They welcomed
William Penn to the new world, and al
ways cherished a grateful memory oi
the Quaker law-giver and his followers
| They would say, ''wa-she-a e-le-ne, -
all good men are Qualzers. The Lenapes
waged war with the Mingoes or Iroquois
and though we may not recite the his.
tory of the war which they waged, we
know they were conquered by the latter
| tribe, which took the most novel as wei
as efectual plan to degrade them. The
best authority can be adduced in support
\ of this fact, since it is acknowledged by
all the parties concerned in it. The
| Lenapes, at the dictation of the Iroquois
agreed to lay aside their character anC
to assume that of women. They asser
that they were cajoled into it by the ar
tifices of the Iroquois, who descanteC
largely on the honor which was to bS
acquired by their assuming the part o
peacemakers between biligerent tribes
and which could never be SO effectually
! done as in the character of the sex which
never makes war. Thus their chief anC
warriors consented to wear petticoats.-
The version Of the Iroquois, of thi.
! transaction, IS, that the LenapeS were
made to yield to this humiliation to aver
impending destruction. Gen. Harrison
says, "a long and intimate knowledge O
the Delawares, in peace and war, as en-
emies and friends, has left upon m,
mind the most favorable impressions O
their character for bravery, generosity
and fidelity to their engagements
Boclzinghelas was the principal chief o
this tribe for many years. He was a dis
tinguished warrior and lived to a grea
age. Killbuck, another chief was edu
Gated at Princeton College, and until hi
death retained the morality of the gos
pei. incoming, another chief of thu
Delawares, commanded a company O
forty of his tribe, in our service, in tn,
war of 1872 and 1873.
From this tribe Delaware city anC
county are named.
| c. MORTIMER JAMES.