The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-02-10
MisfeAMenns.
IMPORTANT FACTS IN OUR
EARLY HISTORY.
BY JOSIAH @. KERN.

In 1895 twelve Indian tribes attended
on General Anthony Wayne at Green
vile, Ohio, and treaty with him for the
sale Cf a considerable portion of the ter
ritory constituting the State of Ohio AT
the Greenville treaty, held August Sd.
1795, the United States obtained all the
lands to which the Indian title had not
been previously eXtinguished, lying east
erly and southerly of line commencing
at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, run
ming up the same to the portage between
it and the Tuscarawas branch of the
Muskingum. running down this river to
old Fort Laurens; thence westerly to the
commencement of the portage between
Loramie's creek and the st. Mary's
thence a westerly course to Fort Recov-
cry, on the Massissinaway thence south
westerly so as to intersect the Ohio riv-
er at the confluence of the Kentucky riV-
er with it.
A treaty was held at Fort Industry, on
the Maumee river, July 4th, 1905, by
which the sachems of the Wyandots,
0ttawas, Chippewas, Muncees, Della
wares, Shawnees. and Pottawattamies
ceded all lands within ole hundred and
twenty miles of the western line of Penn
sylvania, thus fully relinquishing their
title to any portion Of the Western Re-
serve, In other words the United States
obtained an extinction of Indian claims
to lands lying as far west as a meridian
liAe intersecting the southern shore of
Lake Erie at point one hundred and
twenty miles west of the western bound
ary line of Pennsylvania, or six miles
west of Pipe creek, including the Fire
Lands comprising Erie and Huron coun-
ties and a corner of Ashland. Thus the
seven tribes above named sold the Uni
ted States all that part of the Western
Reserve or new Connecticut lying west
of the Cuyahoga river The Connecticut
people joined in this treaty paying four
thousand dollars to the Indians and
agreeing to pay them twelve thousand
more.
In 1907 that part of Ohio which lies
north of the Maumee river and east of a
meridian line passing through the mouth
of the Auglaize river, was purchased of
the Indians by treaty held at Detroit
on the 18th of November In 1909
strip of territory two miles wide was ac-
quired by treaty, running from the
weston boundary ofthe Western Reserve
to the rapids Of the Maumee river. In
the same treaty another strip, one hun
dred and twenty feet wide, was also ac-
quired, running along the bank of the
Maumee. These cessiOns were intended
for roads. At this date the United States
b ad acquired, by treaties with Indians,
four-ffths Of the State of Ohio. That
portion of the ceded tract lying above
the fOrty-frst parallel, and extending
from Pennsylvania on the east side to
the eastern limits of Sandusky and SEN
eca counties, was given by Congress to
the State of Connecticut, and was called
the Western Reserve or New Connecti-
cut.
A part of the ceded lands, lying along
the Ohio river, including the mouths Of
the Maskingum and Hooking rivers was
sold by the old Ohio Company, This was
the first sale of public lands made by
the United States, and took place before
the adoption ofthe present Constitution.
The land was sold for one dollar an acre,
payable in Congress notes, at twenty
shillings in pound, whereas the interest
on those notes made them worth twenty
eight shillings and six-pence on the
pound at the time. These securities
were funded on the Constitution of the
United States, and became a part of the
national debt from that time forward
until paid off. So the Ohio Company
made a very bad bargain for themselves
with Congress-
John Cleves Symmes, of New Jersey,
was the next purchaser in Ohio. He
bought of the old Congress, for sixty-six
cents an acre, theland lying between the
mouths of the two Miamies and extend
ing northerly so as to contain six hund-
red thousand acres.
At Washington, February 2S. 1881, the
Senecas ceded their lands upon the San
dusky, and April 6, 1882, the together
with the Shawnees, ceded thelrlands be-
tween the Miami and Scioto. At Wa
paughkonetta, August s, 1881, the Shaw
nees ceded their lands in Allen county,
Ohio At McCutcheonville, January 10,
1882, the Wyandots ceded the Big Spring
reservation in Crawford county, Ohio.
At Tipl eecanoe, April IL 1886, the Wy
andots ceded portion of their reserva-
ton in Crawford county and portion of
Cranberry swamp.-ALianCe Monitor.