The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1877-07-26
Correspondence of the News.
Something about one of
the Oldest settlements
in ohio.
Fort Ancient--Shaker Vii
lage,

something from this, one Of the oldest settlements
| il our State, would interest some Of the many
readers of the News, submits the following:
One can readily understand why this locality
should have been among the first settlements in
our State for the pioneer has always been an e1-
pert as judge Of farming land, aud in this county,
(WarreE) can be seen Us good farming land as the
State can boast Of.
Speaking of the early settlement Of Lebanon,
reminds me Of what noticed some time since, in
passing through the old cemetery. Observing an
odd-lookingaud "old-time' grayestOne, approach
ed and read on the slab, this inscription: ''fo the
Memory of Ichabod Cor,vin: The deceased was
the first settler in the place where Lebanon stands
1896"
A short distance from this grave is sarcoPha-
gus on It is the following inscription:
''To the Memory of Eliza j. Clay, daughter Of
Henry and LuCretis Clay, who died on the llth day
of August, 1925 aged = years, during journey
from their residence at Lexington, in Kentucky
to Washington City,
Since coming here, we have visited Fort Ancient
one of the many works Of the ancient Mound
Builders.
The Fort is situated few miles east of Lebanon,
near the Little Miami river. Il entirely enclOses-
excepting the gaps that occur in it at regular in
tervals Of a few rOds-a rectangular space and
contains several hundred acres. The gaps spOk-
en- Of, are about 25 feet in width. We should
Judge the embankments composing the Fort, to be
about 10 or y feet across at th3 base, and some
thing near that in height. The entire distance
around the Fort, is about six miles.
A few rods east of the Fort are two Mounds,
which were at one time, OF considerable height, but
have been dug down by curiosity seekers. An old
gentleman, who has lived near the Fort for many
years, has spent much time in digging in the
Mounds, and has in his possession many curiOsi-
ties He is said to have also found valuable silver
coins, bearing the Spanish stamp.
Some 60 so far as to say that, within the limits
Of the Fort, traces Of the streets Of city have
been discovered. On the embankments grow huge
oak and beach trees, as large as those in the ad-
joining woods, showing that centuries must have
elapsed since the building of the defense.
The builders have shown no little knowledge Of
military tactics, in tine location Of the Fort stu
ated as it is, at the confluence Of two streams with
the Miami, the banks Of which form a natural and
PERCEPTIONS wall on the northwest and south, upon
which the Fort is built.
How strange it seems that not only the nation,
hut the history, even, of nation so advanced as
their works show them to have been, should fade
into oblivion.
THE SHAKER SETTLEMENT.
Some four miles east of Lebanon is the Shaker
settlement, known a. Union Village. These
Shakers were among the first to settle in this couu-
ty, coming here in the year 1877. They numbered
then about two hundred persons, but number at
present only about seventy. They own about two
thousand acres Of as good farming land as can be
found in almost any Of the States.
hi Z
everything about their premises shows thrift and
economy. The buildings are unique in appearance,
and remind one Of the Old-time buildings we see in
books. They are, however, large and cOmmOdiOus.
Their property is held in common, and when they
have new convert, he is first required to give all
he may possess, in money or lands, to the society
The farm is divided into three divisions, called
Central, Mil, and East Farms, respectively. The
care of each farm and the supervision of the labor
is in the hands of two males and two females.
A few Sabbaths since We attended church in
their village and were struck with the contrast be-
tween the plain and simple appearance Of the inte
riOr Of their church, and of our modern, car
peted aud gorgeously finished churches. One
thing we particularly noticed was the ertrcme
cleanliness of the room which led us TO conclude
that instead of regarding cleanliness HeTtto god
lfness they rather consider it part of gOdlness
The men wear their hair long, hanging over their
shoulders, and are dressed in blue anil drab-colOr
ed suits. The women wear the Shaker ''bonnet,"
that used to be fashionable among others than the
Shakers. Their dress, though plain and simple III
the "maze-up," compared with ball dress, is yet
of rich material On entering the church they i'm
mediqtely remove the bonnet from the head,
which discloscs a lace cap, worn by all the women
and even the young girls, giving the latter an ell
dcrly look. All the women have the pallid face
and solitary look peculiar to nuns.
They began their worship by singing a spirited
song, after which the audience was addressed by
the minister or elder, who spoke more directly to
the visitors than to the good believers" as they
like to call themselves. He endeayored to prove
that none but the Shakers are on the right track,
and explained some of the principles Of their re-
Iiglon claiming that Christ had commanded celiba-
CIV, &C., &C ", en- he had concluded, he said to
the "good believers" "Let us march," when all
formed in circle around a few individuals who
seemed to be the leaders of the choir Then, dur
ing the singing of a lively song, they marched
around in q circle shaking the head and hands, in
a way that seemed rather comical to an unbeliever.
This concluded their services, and we left their
village, thinking Of the passage: "Lo! here is
Christ, and 10 there is Christi
HIGHLANDER.