The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-04-08
EARLY HISTORY or OHIO
Possessing Local Interess Here
abOuts.


Possessing Local Interest Here
abOuts.
. A correspondent Of the Cincin nat
Commercial, writing from Wsrrsutol
opp psile the mouth Of Short creek, il
this State, says:
} While history locates the first settle
ment OF Ohio at Marietta, in 1888, it il
nevertheless q fact that pumber o
white settlements we're made along tn,
Upper Ohio, between Fort McIutosh
Beaver) and the month Of the Mus.
kingum ss much as ten years earlier
and that Marietta was only the frs
legal settlement made within the pres.
ent limits oi the State.
TRADING POSTS,
Were established by the whites near
the mouth of the Cuyshogs river, and
on the peninsula between Ssndusky
bay and the mouth OF Portage river, at
a point called st. Dusky, prior to 1850
about which time some British traders
estsbiithed post at Q place called
PIckswillany, now known ss Loramie's 9
Store, in Shelby county. But these
were only temporary trading posts
which were Afterwards a abandoned With.
out any attempt to found permanent
settlements.
THE MISSIONS.
Next after the traders came the Mo-
ravian Missionaries, who, in l76l. es-
tabished missions al Shoenbrun. Gnsd.
enhutten and Salem, in the fuscarswss
Valley. But as these we're only made
tor the purpose OF Christianizing the na
tivea, they are not to be regarded ss
settlements.
The first military post built by the
whites was that Of Fort Lsurens, con
structed in 1873, by detachment cent
out from Fort Pitt under General Nc
Intosh. Tue second, that Of Fort Hsr.
mar, constructed by detachment uu-
der Major Doughty, in l7S5. These
however, were only for purposes OF
defense against the Iodians, and are
not be classed as settlements.
WHITE sBrTLEMgNTs.
But actual white settlements were
made, at different points on the west
side OF the Ohio River, a number oil
years before the Northwest Territory
was ceded TO the United States. These,
it is true, were unlawful; but that such
settlements were actually made snd
msinta ned ls fact well established,
not only by the recollection OF persons
familiar with the circumstances, but
also by official record evidence that
cannot be disputed. This evidence,
however, still leaves us 10 doubt whe-
ther the first settlement was actually
made at HagliDs or Mercertown (now
Martins Ferry,( nearly opposite the
city Of Wheeling; or at Carpenters
Fort, snort distance above the mouth
OF Short Creek.
\ letter from Colonel Broadhead,
sse W"' HiSs-at HSas at the time commandant OF
department, dated October 26, l779,
written to General Washington, states
that q certain land company rom Vlr-
ginis had crossed to the west side OF the
river at or near v heeling and commit.
ted numerous trespssses by hunting and
making impr, vements upon the lands
belonging 10 the Indians. OF which the
latter made great complaint, and that
ne had sent detachment o the Eighth
Pennsvlvanis regiment under one Cap
tam Clark, to DESTROY their huts and
drive them away This officer reported
on his return that he had found a num-
Der Of settlements sll along the river,
rom Fort Mcintosh to the mouth o
the Mu-kingum, and extending IN some
instances thirty miles up the branches
Whether Captain Clark ever made any
special effort to execute such an order
8 extremely doubtful, Tor the soldiers
and the settlers were in full sympathy
with each other, and both believed the
Indians bad no rights which white men
we're bound to respect. That he didn't
succeed in driving them away is evident
from the fact that the Indisns made the
same complaint at the treaty OF Fort
Mcintosh, in 1875 and refused TO enter
IN any terms until the Commissioners
of the United States would agree to
break up the Improvements and drive
the settlers from their lands west OF the
Ohio.
This the Government afterwards at
tempted to do, and Colonel Hsrnsr
was ordered to employ such force as be
deemed necessary for that purpose.
The work was assigned to Ensign
Armstrong, who sci out rom Fort Nc
Intosh on the 3lst OF March. fnishe |
up the job, returned, and made up his
report BY the 18th OF April following
THIS, considering that It involved over
two hundred miles Of river travel by
canoes. and visits TO some twenty differ
eut settlements, at some OF which they
met with considerable resistance on
the part OF the settlers, with whom
thew held protrscted conferences, was
rather last work, and shows q degree OF
expedition in the dispatch OF such bus
mess a. that was, 10 say the least, quite
remarkable.
But as that report proves both the
existence and the extent Of the white
settlements west OF the Ohio river, and
is matter OF historical interest, 1t is
here inserted in full:
FoRr MoTNrosH, 18th April, l7S5.
"SrR-Agreesble TO your orders, /
proceeded with my party early on the
3lst of Mach down the river Ohio. On
the lst instant We crossed Little Beaver,
and dispossessed family. -Four miles
from there We found three families
living in sheds, but they have no rat,
10 transport their effects, thought it
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