The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-10-21
WAYNE COUNTY.
ny JOSIAH O. KERN.

9On the 10Th of August, 1896, Wayne
county, the third formed in the Terrific
ry Northwest ofthe River Ohio. was o.
tablished by proclamation of Governor
Arthur st. Clair. Its original limits were
very extensive, and were thus defined in
the act creating it.
" Beginning ut the mouth of the Cuya-
hoga river, upon Lake Erie, and with
the said river to the portage between 1t
and the TuScarawas branch of tho Mus-
kingum thence down the said branch
to the forks at the carrying place above
Ft. Laurens thence by q West line to
the boundary Of Hamilton county (Which
is n due north line from the lower Shaw
necs town upon the Shawnees river /;
thence by line west-northerly to the
southern part Of the portage between the
Mama Of the Ohio and the st. Mary's
river, thence by n line also west-norther-
y 10 the south western part Of the port
age between the Wabash and the Miamis
of Lake Erie, where Ft. Wayne now
stands thence by " line west-nOrtherly
to the southern part of Lake Michigan |;
thence along the western shore of the
same TO the northwest part thereof lin
Guiding the lands upon the stream eml =
tying in said lake, therC9 by due north
line to the territorial boundary in lake
Superior, and with raid boundary,
through the lakes Huron, st. Clair ana
Erie 10 the mouth ofthe CuyahOga river,
the place Of beginning"
These limits embrace what is now a
part Of the States of Ohio, Indiana, Hi
nois, Wisconsin. aud ali Of Michigan, and
the towns Of Ohio city. Toledo, Detroit,
Chicago, Slult st. Mary's, Mackinaw,
etc.
The present county Of Wayne was laid
out in lSOS. but was not organized until
the 4th Of january, 1872. The first set
Elements were nmdein 1903 10y enigrants
principally from Pennsylvania. Thirty
eight years ago it comprised twenty
townships, and at present it has sixteen,
In 1886 It had populton of l3, ,333, and
IN 1870, 80, ll6. In 1887 it contained 2i
post-ollircs.
Artificial mounds of considerable size
are said to have been found in Wayne
county. A brick was also found in 1916,
while digging cellar IN Wooster, under
the stump Of lHrge oak tree and about
four feet below the surface Of the earth.
1t WAS Of the size and appearance of the
common brick. There were Two others
found in the cellar which were less per-
feet in shape and Consstence.
Wooster was established rs the county
seat Of Wayne county ON the 18th May,
| 1911 and was named in honor of Gene
| raj David Wooster, an officer of the revo.
luton, who was killed at Danbury in
Connecticut, in the year III. 1t was
situated near the Junction OF Apple with
| killbuck creek, ON n gradual slope OF
ground, elevated about fifty feet above
the latter, and is surrounded by Il beau
tiul unduluting country. To the south,
from the more elevated parts of the
town, is seen the beautiful valley of the
killbuck, stretching away for many miles
until the prosprct is hid by the hills in
| the countyUf Holmes. twelve Or fourteen
1 lllllNS N4NAhlNs Al Ippi NliN WV IL WIZ
tanned The usual county buildings, Il bank,
twenty five stores, and five hOu-Cs for
public worship, brlonging to the Preshy
Ierians. Iiapists. Covrnanters, Method
| ist and Dutch Reformed; six tavernS,
three printing offices, above one hun
| drcd and tiftydwcIing houses and twelve
hundlcd inhabitants. The town former
ly contaiueA llmd Office for the sale of
! public lHnGs. Wooster is u CumpartIy
and well built town, and is II thriving
business place. IL had u population Of
| 5,4l9 in 1870.
In pall ines an Indian settlement
stood Just south of Wooster on the site
of the old Baptist burying ground. 1t
WAS named Beaver Hat, after an Indian
chicfof that name, who resided there
with few others. His Indian name
was PaupelenaH,, and his camp or resi-.
deuce was called by him Apple ChauIVe-
cake, that is Apple Orchard" The In.
| dian trail from Pittsburgh to Lower san
dusky passed just north of Beaver Hat.
KiIIbucl;'s creek in Wayne county was
named after Kllbuck, n Delaware chief,
who had received 4 liberal education NJ
Princeton College, and retained until his
death the outline Of the morality of the
| gospel. His village, called Killbuck'S ;
town, was ON the road from Wooster to
MlIershurg and on the east side of the
creek, about ten miles south of Wooster
1t is laid down on the maps published as
carly us 17G4 When tie county was
first settled. Killhurk was very old