Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-11-16
Pioneer Life aud History of
Wyandot County.
BY A. W. BEISKERgoFF.
CHAPTER VIII-No. %.

Much of the Plains land is very
black and rich. producing fine corn,
while nearly all of it produces excellent
and abundant crops of grass. while
still other portions produce fine wheat.
On account of the fierce winds and
absence of timber, on these lands, in an
early day they were not liked by those
who settled on the rich. Black Walnut
and Poplar lands in other parts of this
ana in adjoining counties but being fine
for grazing, it WAS bought up mt the sales
by "Stock mcn"and of,en in large tracts,
much of which is yet so held. and as 4
consequence. thinly inhabited, or popula-
ted, ANA hence, to some extent. such oc-
cupancy is not for the best Interests of
the county, SO far. ut least, as her mer-
camille and mechanical interests are
concerned. This evil. will. however,
correct itself in time. Farms on those
plains of from 500 to 5000 acres are not
uncommon. And as the reader must
well know it takes time to reduce sucn
large bodies to 4 good state of cultiva-
tion. and TO make them pleasant to
look upon"
Passing through the county from cast
to west. and near its center is that great
thOroUghfare the Pitts5urg, Ft. Wayne
4 Chicago RAILWAY, which. with the
Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Il. r.
crossing it at Crestline. twenty nine
miles cast of Upper SanduSky. and the
Sandu>kv City, Dayton * Cincinnati Il.
X. which runs through the west part of
the county. also crossing at Forest.
twelve miles west of Upper SIndusky.
makes easy OF access to the citizens OF
this county almost any and every point
ofimportance in the United States. These
Advantages, when considered in connec-
ton with theiertiiity of soil an.l !iealthi
ness of the locality, make WyandOt
County Il desirable location in which TO
live. as well as desirable toSuosc seeking
safe and profitable places tor Investment
of means in real estate.
At many places in Wyandot County
ihc beds of the streams are limestone
rock, but, generally, of that character,
which, when exposed TO air and frost,
soon crumbles to pieces, and, therefore.
is entirely useless for building purposes.
There are however. exceptions to this
lis Il general rule.
At Oceoia. on the Brokensword and
near Upper Sandusky, also, may be found
good QiIarries OF hard limestone, well
calculated for cellar walls, foundations
for buildings, and from which excellent
lime is also pr0ducrd. As a rule, how
ever. the whole county is remarkably Y
free from and destitute of stone, except
III the north west part, where there is Il
considerable ridge, called the 9" Limestone
Ridgc," where IL i abundant, and comes
to the surface. With the exceptions
named there are no banks nor ridges OF
stone i'll the county; nor are there any
along any of the streams, lie lgcs vr banks
OF rock. The streams. generally, run
between low, steep banks of black. rich
mold, and as consequence, are liable to
Wash out new channels when the waters
arc high. and the more so on account OF
their many short cnrvcs, causing tile wa
ter, when high, to cut a:cross the points
of land made by the crooks in the
streams. Tie second bunk. between
which and the streams lie tie bottom
lands are, generally. neither abrupt no.
nigh, and almost universally as fertile
and. productive as the bottoms thcin-
selves.
In an early day, and before dams were
built tlccross the river, fish OF the best
kinds, were abundant in all the stream:
of the county-many of them weighing
from ten to twenty pounds each. With
high water in the Spring. large muska-
longc, leaving the streams would pass
up the outlets OF marshes on the plains
and remain through observation-disclosures
the grass in the marshes, where by means
of the rifle or spear, in the hands OF per-
sons seeking them by means of canoes,
they btcame an easy prey. AT an early
day law was passed to compel those
owning mill seats on the streams to con-
struct aprons to the dams. so aS to allow
the fish to pass up and over them. hut
this law. from some cauSe. has not been
enforced. and as cons .quence. tic mum
berS CT the iinny tribe is no longer great.
and annually becoming less.
Owing To the fact that in earlier years
the dense 10. csts cast of the SdniuSky
river and west of Tymochtee creek were
filled with wild Turkeys, Deer and other
game and the streams with the best OF
fish, and with the Sanlusky Plains, lying
between those streams. covered with
fine grass for the .'lndiln Ponies" and
not more than five miles across ut auv
point in what is now Wyanhot county.
and about Is miles long made this county
garden of Eden" for Savage or In,iian
life, and. therefore, it was so lon- and
deary cherished, as 4 home by the
Wyandots.
Indian paths marked the surface OF the
Plains in every direction; and down to
the year 1912 in passing through these
Plains on the Old Army road" from
Delaware to Lower Sandusky. the trIvel-
or would frequently be startled at the
sound of tie "WhoSp. whoop. whoop' OF
the native, or at tneir entering the road
from side paths, through bushes which
| hid them from observation. in squads OF
half 4 zen, mounted on their low,
| heavy. short ponies, single file, and arm
ed with bows and arrows, or the more
deadly rifle. and possibly bat Il few yards
| distant. To those conversant with Indian
masSacres such unexpected sights were
| not very agreeable, yet, when free from
fire water no danger WAS to be appre-
! hendeu, as the WandotS. if let alone were
/ not evil disposed toward the white race
after the war oflSl2 Yet knowing sucl,
| to be the fact tie writer must confess
! that lie could never look upon an Indian
| without feeling, that ut best he looked
barbarous, and might do evil.
| GLike aile that portion of Ohio lying
north of Columbus, Wyandot county, OF
| the tcrritory' now composing it, in an
early day, was considered rather wet
and as this was particularly the case with
! all the table landS-or Lands back of the
second banks along the strcaT.s-all the
first settlers sought homes on the rich
dry bottom lands, or on tie ridges i'm
mediately bordering them. and as the
! whole country WAS very heavily timber
ed but little progress was made in theway
of Improvement for many years after thC
county was first occupied by the few ad
vanced pioneers.
Persous having no personal knowledg,
of what an unbroken wilderness is, ear
have but little idea of what vast chang
is produced by',c.oaring it up" In it.
natural state the water courses are block
ed up by immense fallen trees, in grea
numbers, against which accumulatet
leaves and DRIFT, and as the sun neve