The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-04-02
PIONEER HISTORY OF NORTHERN
OHIO.

OHlDs
Mr. r. Stanberry, formerly of the OF
tawa County news, is engaged in getting
up history of Wood county. In Sc
doing he often meets with incidents o.
great public interest yet not particularly
incident to the work in hand. He has
recently furnished paper to the Toledo
Commercial which of SO interesting 6
character that we copy it. 1t is styled:
REooInECTIoNs OF MRS. NANC4 MORRILL,
EVENTS PRIOR TO AND AT THE OPEN
ING OF THE WAR OF lI812-AN INTER
EsTNe HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Early in the spring of the year 1910,
Joab Woodruffremovedf from Griersburg
(now Darlington), Penn, to this State.
He was accompanied by his wife and
sixchildren. The eldest, Nancy, the sub
iect of this sketch, was then in her 10th
year. He first stopped on the Cuyahoga
River, near the village of Boston(now in
Summit county,, and raised crop; but
the next spring, 1911, he pushed on to
Cleveland, where he remained a few days,
and thence TO Black River, near itsmouth,
where he purchased piece of land and
put up a cabin. Cleveland was then a
struggling village, with only one store,
kept by Nathan Perry, and one little
tavern. At the mouth of Black River
John S. Read hadan Indian trading post.
Jonathan Seeley, apoor man, lived there.
These three families we're the only whites
at or near the mouth of Black River; but
the Indians were numerous and disposed
to be rude and lawless, especially when
full of Reads whisky.
But Mr.. Woodruff did not remain
long at Black River. Fearing that he
might have trouble in obtaining clear
title to the land for which he had CON
tracted, he removed, early in the sum
mer of 1911, to the mouth of Ver1nillion
River, where he found only one other
family, named Sturgeon. Mr.. Sturgeon
kept the ferry.
During visit to Cleveland that Sum-
mer, Nancy Woodruff became acquaint-
ed with family by the name of Young.
In those days friendships were quickly
formed, and when Nancy returned to
Vermilion River she and Mrs. Young
were warm friends. Early in the fall the
Young family removed from Cleveland to
the head of Gold Greek, now Castalia, in
Erie county. Their means of transpor-
taion was a little sloop-the "Sallie" of
Cuyahoga, Captain Abijah Baker. A
storm on the Lake compelled the sloop
to put into Vermillion River, where the
passengers were the guests of the Wood
riffs several days. During that time
the attachment between Nancy Wood
ruff and Mrs. Young was strengthened,
and subsequently events would indicate
that the handsome girl of 16 was not in
sensible to the attentions of the gallant
young sailor, Captain Baker. When
the storm had passed and the sloop was
ready to sail, Mrs. Young persuaded
Nancy's parents to permit their daughter
TO accompany them to Cold Creek, on
condition that she should return with
thesloop.
In due time the "SalIie" was anchored
at the mouth of Cold Creek, in Sandusly
Bay, near the site of the present village
of Venice. The women and children
remained one night on the boat while
the men went to the head of the creek
for vehicles. But. Mrs. Morrill, says
that they did not sleep much because Of
the cries of theinnumerable water fowls.
lThis was six years before Sandusky
City was laid out, and seven years be-
fore any permanent settlement was
made there. 1t was then called 'Ogontz
Place. Venice was laid out about the
same time and for few years was a
more important place than Sandusky.l
At that time there were but two or
three families at the head of Cold Creek.
Mr. Young temporarily occupied a part
Of the house Of Mr. Falley, who was
building q mill there. "a saw-mill, the
completion Of which was prevented by
the war which commenced the next Sum
mer.l
At Gold Greek Miss Woodruf met
Mrs Snow [whO was murdered by the
Indians in June, 1881 and her daughter
Electas taken captive with others at the
time Of her mothers DEATH who was
shout Nancy's sge. Mrs. Morrill, dis
iinelly remembers Mra Snow as AZ
naniabls, Intelligent WomAn, and 4 sweet