The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-07-13
,..,.a CENTENNIAL tio-
HISTORICAL. ADDRESS

DELIVERED AT
Ravenna, Portage Co., Q
JULY -4th. Ie96 -
BY 9EN. L.V BIERCE
Holden, as these Centennial Celeora
tiOns are to-day, throughout Ohio
under the auspices of the severa
County Agricultural Societies, aud Of
the advice aud recommendation of tn
State Board of Agriculture, it nigh
seem at first thought, that they wer,
intended as kind of extra Agricul
tural Fair. Indeed, a western editor
In noticing the fact that l was to ad
dress you, said l was to speak on tn,
agricultural improvements of Portage
county during the last one hundred
years.
do not SO understand the object o.
these meetings. TO do so would b.
to go back in the history of your Ag.
ricultural improvements thirty-twC
yeafs before Portage county had q
political existence; >twenty-six years
before the State of Ohio had an exist
ence aud nine years before the United
States owned foot of land north west
of the Ohio river. -.
One hundred years takes us back to
time when all northwest OF the
Ohio river was a VAST region. known
only as the North Western Territory,
extending from the Ohio 10 the Pacific
Ocean-to time when the beautiful
fields that surround us were q wilder
ness, untrOd by civilized man-when
the only cattle were the wild beasts OF
the forest, and thhe only agricultural
products were little Indian corn, and
pappoose babies,-and the only me-
chanical arts were the construction OF
the canoe, the bow and arrow. -ta..-s
1t would be a pleasant theme on
which to dwell to civilized
life with savage barbarism--ihe rail.
rosd withA the war path; the church
the wig gwam. But, as the addresses
this day delivered are to be preserved
for the benefitro of the future Historian
of Ohio, fancy should give way to
sober fact, and iWrginary sCenes md
sketcbea be. leit for the hoyeliH, 81
The history OF Portage County, as a
county, dates back only to 1908, hut
The territory Of which it is a part, was
acquired by the u, s., from the In
dians, by the Treaty OF Fort Mcintosh,
near what is now Beaver, in Pa, in
17S5, when the history of "the North
Western Territory fommenesss sbut
The history OF the Western Reserve
goes baekzto ] BY tue Hrestyzpt
1875, the U:sSsacqnireda all tic terri
tory northwest OF the Ohio river, and
east of the Cuyahoga river, Portage
path aud Tuscarawas.
BY this purchase from the Indians,
the U. S. claimed to own the whole
territory-but the State of Connecticut
had charter, granted by Charles Ii,
Of England, il. 1862, conveying to that
StsteI iwheuIa colony, thei territory
BOUNDED BY tl1e south i!ies rof Masss;
Sound, on the south, and from the
Naraganset river, on the east, to the
Pacific Ocean on tho west. These |
boundaries included not only what is |
now called Connecticut, but q portion |
of New York, New Jersey, nearly
one-half of Pennsylvania, the northern
part of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michi.
gan, parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Utah,
Oregon aud California. A pretty eX-
tract to be conveyed in one
deed. How King Charles became the
owner Of it is unknown. He never
purchased 1t, and was never in pos
session of II. The Indians, for I'M
known ages, had been the owners and
occupyers of the country. and, of
right, had the ,title-but King Charles
that he had the, right to it,
and granted charter of it to Con.
necticut. Subsequently he granted
charter to his brother. the Duke OF
YORK, for what ia now the state of
New York, Ana ona to William Penn,
For what is now Pennsylvania. Both
Of these charters cut entirely across
me territory previously granted to
and long controversy
followed between Connecticut and the
Duke of York and William Penn,
which was continued till 1864, when
he king appointed commissioners to
Iettle the controversy. These CON-
nissioners decided that Connecticut
lad no right to the territory embraced
n the Patent or Charter of the Duke
IF Y Ork. To this decision Connect
,ut was compelled TO submit. She,
insiste1 OF nsher clSiln went of
NewK ORR, inciudin&s north Pann-
ylvania. In 1881 Pennsylvania and ,
appointed commissioners
o settle the dispute, aud an Act Of
Congress was passed, granting to these
full power to act, and
make final settlement. These COM
met at Trenton, New JerS
icy, IN 1782, and on . fun hearing de-
.ided that Connecticut had no right to {
he territory in dispute, but that it
belonged 10 Pennsylvania. Compelled
% relinquish her claim on New Y ork
md Pennsylvania, Connecticut adher-
ID to her claim west OF PENNSYLVANIA.
This question of the title of COnnccti- {
ut had been q source Of irritation SO
Ong that Congress determined TO set
le it--and Connecticut was equally s
nxious 10 close the controversy. TO {
void all further trouble, in l7S6 she, |
" her Representative in Congress, l
to cedc all her lands west Of I
to the United States,ex- c
epiing a RESERVE of l2O miles west I
# Pennsylvania, and north of latitude d
l deg. This proposition was accept
d aud the long controversy settled. i
his RESERVE of l2O miles west of the t
vestern line of Pennsylvania, some f
lines called simply "the Rcserye," {
1.-The Western Reserve. "and l.
ometImes 1.-THE Connecticut Western a
ieserve," includes Portsgc county, t
Vhich yOuimay wclllbci proud to call y
our home. d
1t is historic ground, for which Ma I,
ions and States have contended for l.
enturies. Spain claimed the vast ter
itory of which Portage county is h
art, by virtue of the discovery of the o
south end of the continent, 4
Ow called Florida, by Ponce de Leon, il
D l5l3, and gift of oonfrmation-o Of il
er claim Of the whole continent by .
he Pope. The Pope assumed that +
iod owned it, and that he was the '
gent or Vice. Gerent of God, and had h
right to dispose of it. Protestant v
ing land, and even Catholic France II
'Ould not recognize the right Of the d
'Ope to dispose of this territory, un- I
.ss he could show a legal Power of 9