Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-09-14

many bends. for wIica it, i famous.
are what is called Grave Creek flats
While the hired men were taking the
"Pcrogue" around the uenI and the
father, mother ami children were crhsS-
ing the ilIts on foot. the frlil or un-
certain craft csipsizcil. IN their entire
outfit for commencing life anew. WIS
lost in the waters Of the . iio.
Several days were spent i'm the at
tempt To secure something from the
stream, but to no effect. They. then.
all together. took to the woolS and af-
ter several days of severe suffering and
want they finally reached Wills Greek.
now in Guernsey County, where they
remained some time.
After Il life of trials and dangers in
the wilderness. exposed to hardships of
every description, even to that terrible
journey of nearly two hundred miles,
naked and alone, and the whole dis
tance of which journey this mother
carried young Samuel. Death, that
Master of us all, at last called Sally
Leith to her long home. almost in the
beginning of her civilized life. and her
remains have ever since. rested on the
banks of Wills Greek, in Guernsey Co.
Ohio.
Again John Leith married and NOV
ed into Fairfield County, near to the
place where his Indian Life Commence
eel so many years before. by being ta-
ken prisoner by the Indians. .Af.er
spending wears of usefulness in his
new home, where he became an active
and earnest member of the Methodist
Church. he too, went TO sleep. TO awake
no more npOn earth, in the year 1892
The same year nt his death there was
published in the W eStern Christian
Adyorate." of Cincinnati, Il sketch OF
his Interesting aud checEerei life.
In uiS minority. near where LlncaS-
ter now stands. when all tue "Wc>t'
WAS wilderness, he bccam.. Il captive ;
ryenTfIl years pissed by AMI CARRIED
him through many scenrS and trials in
his wilderness life, auI with his silver
locks came his return III the spot where
savage Indians ruich in his hnyhuOd
What change cOuli he see on every
side. Tie sun. in his aSt years, shune
upon the vcr,iunt hills OF Fairfield
civilizations voice and works, inS tead
of Indian whoOpS and -harbariCies. rang
out upon the evening breezc i'll every
valley; and the church spires, har,l by.
pointed TO the haven OF his eternal rest
Ills body founl its last resting place
among the hills of Fairfield. AMI there
to-day. rests the ashes. most probably
of the fathe. of th first white child
ever born in Wyandot County, aud
most probably OF the first white mAu
| who ever trod it's soil.
The child samuel. tHe father of Julge
Lett OF Nevada, and most certainly
the first white call born in ths Upper
Santiu>fv Oi that early div. also died
and was buried in Fairfield County o
| in 1921. being tjIr SInlr year that CrlW-
| ford, Srner;. and other counties Hroan
u were established by act of L..i.la-
| tnrc. IN 1921. then inleuturri 81 one
| Christi IL kaGy, hnd IN his Iith year
! Judge Lrit!l WAS brought hy Mr
! ka.y to Crawford County. and settled
with him To whom lie Was in ienturcd
| abuIC eight miles EAST OF the village q
Sycamore. Almost one hdnt.red year
have passed since his father was born
here III the wiilerIe>. and SIn.HlJrl'
enough, wirhout any pi1n> OF his "wi
| to produce the result. lie. IL day. live
hut IL tcW miles from TIE SPIT wEVr
the event occurred. H.. no DOUBT c;tl
boast Gt Ovin-, the son Ut tte first whit
child born in VI yHniOt County, ii un
| in u.any counties surrounding " van
dot. lie too has lhct Ia. triIlS OF vii
dcrnesS life. being the first man To set
lie in what is now Eden towns D.
soon after the sales OF taat part ot l..
observation" in the simmer OF lS:Ss
His locks. too. are now SiiVcrpl Wiz
passing years, and the blood of a.
..Scotc.. man" coursing his veins.
plainly indicated Uv lis erect an
brawny form. AMI features So c;iarlc
teristic of the race from which Ia
sprang.
But of this we may say more, whe
we come to speak of the Early pioneer
of our county. in the proper place.
We have now reached that point i
our work when and where we wi
commence the work of Pioneer Lii
in Wyandot County" in q more speci
iic and direct manner.
What we have said in former cha 7
ters has been of general characte
with the object, first, OF showing hoy
those moving west, years ago, weT
compelled To travel to reac their de
tinaIiOn, and to be the more eXplici
We then chose the removal OF our ow
family. as the better sub ject, by whic
the whole might be brought. plainl,
before the mIhd of the reader, for
that, being an actor, we could spea
from actual knowledge. and ours bciu
buJ tie counterpart of thousands ,
utnerS. we deemed that course prefer;
blr TO any othcr we might have cnuSel
In what We havc SAID of "pionrt
lite. tlIils tar. the same rcuIari,S aI
applicable Although. as yea, in 4
cnapJcr of this wOrN nave We ella .IHt
4 To De ole amongst TIE ,riS pioneer
having. only H. \ I'll. treated uI pIuIle,
lille generally. IL lL deserved. auI WA.
Y ii really l.. or was, before the days
rail- rOdHS, Yet we viii here ana 40
| say that torty years ago tnis was
: WIld country III many ways. VII
we settled ivre thirty seven years Az
thousands 0t acres OF now cultivate
lan,is were untouched by the aX-mai
{ indeed wuere openings in the torres
e we're made. they were very small, al
{ but very iltii Ii of tine land was cleare
Along tie water courses, settlers II;
been in some ten y .ars, and in Il f.
7. cases fruin twelve 10 ii Ge"n year>, bi
owing tu tIie few in nu:nperS, ami t..
= ulthcuity IN obJalnIur help. cola par:
lively ILIie hal necn accomplished
- tine way oil ''clearin- up tie countr
We are here ami now led to mai
these remarks from the fact that wht
Il we commenced tins work il was N
# done " IUn the intent on of having
published III the press of our count
and. therefore. its style is not such
IT It otherwi Use would have been, and son
persons. from SOME cause. seem
: mistn ierstand our Stai ieulentS cuufai
eel i'll some OF TIE first chapters, or el
III; we're not competent IL compr
Q uend the difference between matter
t Il general anu that o; Il special chara
- ter.
We have made these remarks he
: lest the reader may. IN conint cha,
tiers. tall into the same error. and ia
to sc. the dIfii'ren between z 'nerd
e izing and particuiarizing. whereby
may he led TO conclude that We are
L error when the facts viii clearly sho
that the fault is his and not ours
With the next chapter of our VOL
d will begin the task OF showing whel
wyandot County came from; how an
when organized, how and when So
tied; what il is; pioneer life therein
townships; her prominent and inflnel
tIal citizens; where they came froi
and when; statistics and general ma
il ters; since the organization OF Il
county until this work shall be con
pleted.