The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-07-30


ZION 81 fsvEk AdTodate.
uI.forfo44 Notoa No.. /.
.rse tsn.tory that now constitutes The
comfy Of Licking has no authentic history
ntanio14lts The period Of Capt. Ohristo-
ah.r Gisra sxplofation OF il, IN the inter-
80 81 & 47rainia Land Company, N the
1851. He was probably the hrst Of
Angie S4xoa rao6 to behold our prlm-
Sfi.n woods. ,ourtiper and streams, u al
Ss5;of ~vallevs. d fertile, we'll Numbered
E,rklsnss. Anterior . his a~dve6eheres OF
she .sTiod nssnhd. and during long ages Of
me- istoristinesthc red man was doubt
~ t5e sol5 occupant; and Tor more b 3
fsIf -.snlurv subsequent thereto the wild
t1xa6d5fs. the rowing Delawares, the I'M
s;~fis.d Ssawnees hada more or less dis
nntei POSSESSION o. it.. And lar back, IN
oldea 2re-histeric agAFbeiore the period
when lid IN he woods no trsaeAerons savage
an
k4s..fieus race Of Mound builders
GsIe neIlaha for afhoue4ndy years or more,
,nId5 81 the soii;n u conjecture fully
0qrr4sLed by their still existing DIVERSE
ned and aQnmetricai works.
Two brothers Of Gen. Washington, and
tthsr prominent Virginia gentlemen OF
F67. were members Of the land COM
taa5i f1nr1sente& BY Capt. Gist, and in
Saosa inters1t the foregoing exploration
nre taade. lie started upon the Indian
1ait y the Forks Of the Ohio. fnow Pitts
bsl11 and followed ito the Forks Of the
Mua.1pgpn tnoE coshoctonl and from
uAa BY Haqsof Wakisonike, (now Ores
den 4n1d King B9aFeFstown, which stood
IN IL dividing ridge between the waters
a. Che HookzHtcking and Scioto, at q point
about 7qni. Distant between the present
nHea ofLancaster and Columbus, to the old
indian towns, near the Pickaway Plains,
on the Sefoto, and fiom thence to the In
dian Gowns on The Big Miami. This trail
led tv the Reservoir portion of which is
within the county Of Licking. Capt. Gist
reschedit and encamPed upon its border,
lis written Journal shows, on the 18th
68y az Janu1lT 175l, and On the next day,
fc6ntinnes big ionrnal) he "set out from
BE rreat sasmp. This trail in all prob
ability cfossedfh ne Licking at or near the
month Of lie Bowling Green Run, about
four niiles east o -Newark. Mr. John
L8rabef who settled on the south side of
tho Licking. IN 1901, near the mouth Of
the B0Nli1g Green Run, and 3 few years
thereafter qprchassda farm three miles east
II N6uafk. found said Grail stall traceable
Nj" OIL Ills I.NUa Is j. uANc lCcl aitQlmc4 Dy uI1
son. Sylvester arabee.
Andrew Montonr, son Of q Seneca Chief
Hnd OF t~bel4n0us cala4rine Montour, o
Canadian women also Mr.. George Gro
81 al, 4 Commiasiones to treat with the In
dian tEtes on behalf Of Pennsylvania,
joined Capt Christopher Gist at the Indi-
an tillag5 Of Muskingum,p which was
s.trels4 between the Tuscarawas and
N~Alho1dlng rivers not far from their juno
tor, (n0W Coshocton9 and accompanied
him to-the old Indian towns on The Big
Miami river. From the latter point Capt,
0ist passed into Kentucky, crossing the
rQ16c river at a point fifteen miles above
tho 'tfa|iB Of the Ohio" ard thence over
lie sHiehh4ndA Of Kentucky" into Vir-
eflf,A. where no arrived some timein May,
fssin Christopher Gist. four first ex-
fofef. , vas q noted character, "a man oil
ukf natural leader. : heroic adven-
trTeF. ln 1872 with eleven other families,
he established z settlement between the
Npaone-hela.and Youghoigheney rivers,
t1ens clsilea b. RiFginins but is now a
part q tayett9 county Pennsylvania,
near Nhsrs. in 1854 Col. George Washing
Ton obtained a victory overa French force,
Wkieh Vas commanded by Monsieur Ju-
mo~vlio, who was killed. Capt. Giet was
fhe mtirate friend and companion of the
ns youthful Virginia soldier, George
Wellington. and served as = guide the
sea- before, q7533 while on the p~erilous
nisaiop. Ender the authority Of Governor
plnWlddie, ID the French Commandant on
itt Ohio and Allegheney rivers.
CAPTAIN Gist was long familiar with life
on.the1rontiera, with rs privations, hard
sbips rs exposures and perils. Col. George
Washington wishing to do HIM q favor in
lI0t recommended him as q proper per-
son to appoint to an Indian Agency, and
remarked that he knew .'of no person so
weA qnali6ed for it as Capt. Gist. And
further, that he had extensive dealings
withthe Indlans IS IN great esteem among
them, VAS we'll acquainted with their
manfefs and customs, indefatigable and
patienl@most excellent qualities where
1ndiape are concerned Asto his capacity,
honesf3 and zeal, ] dare venture TO en-
gaRa. No doubt exists that the first ex-
pLetef of the interior of Ohio and cur To-
caltY. WIS a uertorious character. and
possessed q d full share Of the excellen-
clos that characterized so many of the
Pioneers Of the West. There Is abundant
evidence that courage, enterprise, daring,
love OF e~dverture, and the heroic virtues
81 least we're largely shared by onr first
pi7neers Capt. Christopher dist,
M I'm