Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-07-10
The marietta colony


By association very Insignificant events
| frequently become memorable, If not i'm
portant, and this fact is illustrat ted by tbs
! little incident that is said to have giveT
the name of 6 Buckeye instead of : Beecf
| Tree" State, TO Ohio. Until the 9TH o.
April, 1778, the vast forests of the terri
tory now embraced within the State haG
been untouched by an AK of an actual
white settler. Hunting, scouting, and
surveying parties, and even small armies
had passed over theground, for it was al
the head of an armed force in the Scioto
Valley, near the site of the present city
of Chillieethe, that Lord Dunmere, the
Colonial Governor of Virginia. listened
to the famous speech of Logan, the cele-
brated Mingo chief. One or two military
posts hadfalso been established in the
country, but Of resident white settlers
there were none, until the date already
mentioned.
Your readers are aware that the first
settlement was made at Marietta, at the
junction of the Muskingum with the Ohio,
by body of New England emigrantS,
forming part of the Ohio Company, an
incorporated body presided over by Gen.
Rufus Putnam, of Massachusetts, assisted
by board of directors, composed of gem
tleman of integrity and marked ability.
General Putnam was cousin ofthe Rev
olutionary hero, General Israel Putnam.
The company had purchased from the
old Congress large body of land in the
southeastern part of the territory, and
the mouth of the Muskingum was select
ed as the site of the first settlement. Dur
ing the winter of l787-8, the first INSTALL
ment of the company's emigrants, 45
men, were preparing for removal and
were journeying by wagon-train from
New England to Pittsburg. In conse-
queuces of the impossible condition of the
roads over the mountains, caused by
heavy snow falls, the wagons were abun-
doned, and, by pack horses, the company
reached Sumrell's ferry, 80 miles above
Pittsburg, lin the latter part of March,
Here the emigrants found a craft some
what resembling common fiat boat, but
with a roof and raking bow, so that it
could be used in ascending as well as des-
cending the stream This craft was nam-
ed the 'sMay-fiower." Fhey had also one
ordinary fiat-boat and three large canoes.
On this insignificant fat-boat, 4S men,
the germ of the State of Ohio, with its
millions of population, its vast stores of
wealth, and its eminent position in our
sisterhOod of States, embarked for their
destination.
After floating for a few days without
any marked incident, about noon on the
9TH of April, 178S, the settlers landed on
the site of the present city of Marietta
own AK, each wishing to cut the first tree.
Neither of them knew the species of the
tree selected by him. One attacked a
beech, which being hard wood, the pro-
cess of Telling was slow. The other Sc
1ected buckeye, which being soft, soon
came to the ground. And thus, it is af-
firmed by family tradition, which dur
ing 10 years past has not been contradict
ed by any history or denied by any couh-
ter statement, Ohio came to be called the
Buckeye" State. The successful COM
petitor in this little contest was Captain
Daniel Davis, of. Killingly, Windham
county. Connecticut. He was my hon.
ored grandfather, who, with a somewhat
numerous family, spent five years in 8
private, or neighboring fortification
called Fort Frye, which was located
where the town of Beverly, in Washing
ton county, Ohio, now stands With hi.
eldest two sons he participated in the per
| lis of Indian warfare, with which the set
tiers were harassed, until after Genera
| Wayne's victory over the savages of tn,
| Northwest, in August, 1874.
During the entire history of our coun
! try, no little band of emigrants inio the
wilderness ever combined more, if indeed
as much, intelligence. refinement ant
morality as could be found in the Obi
Company's little colony at Marietta.