The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-08-12
IMPORTANT DECISION.


and important cases to a large number
of people in this section of the State,
disposed of for many years. Know
ing the interest felt by numerous
land owners along the line of the old
q. & p. Canal, from Akron east to the
guished counsel for the plaintiffs,
who furnished US a brief history of
the case as follows:
Way back in 1887 or 1888, when the
there existed at Franklin Mills-now
called Kent-valuable water power in
the river; various tiourishing manu-
factories were in operation, and the
incipient city of Franklin Mills bid
fair to become one of the largest and
most f1ourishing cities in the State. |
From about where the old Franklin |
Center Mill stood, a little south OF
what is called the Standing Rock,
where the canal locked into the river,
to Kent's Mills, about rs to 100 rods
below. there was a fall in the river of
nearly 80 feet. The banks were rocky |
and precipitous, the water deep and
rapid, making the most magnificent
water power in Northern Ohio. 1t
was between these points that the far
famed Indian fighter, Col Brady, made
his famous leap across the Cuyahoga.
For many years Brady had pursued
the Indians and killed large numbers,
and probably no man lived in his day
that it would have rejoiced the Indi-
ans half as much to capture and tor
ture as him. Upon this occasion the
Indians surrounded him and cut off
all chance of escape, and drove him
toward the river, which at the mar
rowest place was more than 80 feet
wide. As Brady approached the river
| escape seemed impossible, and the In
dams began to shout in anticipation
him. With Brady it was simply a
question of clearing the river or q
horrible death. BY a superhuman ef-
fort, almost, Brady gathered all his
strength and cleared the chasm, dis
appearing over the hills toward Ra-
VIENNA, The Indians had to go up the
stream some distance before they could
cross, and this enabled him to gain q
few minutes time, The Indians soon
crossed above, and by the time he
reached what Is now called Brady's
Lake, they had almost Overtsken him.
He gained the lake and ran out on q
tree that had blown over into the wa
ter, surrounded by weeds and lilly
pads, let himself down into the water.
. and crawled under the body of the
tree several feet below the surface OF
the water. He broke Off hollow reed
of sufficient length, and put it to his
mouth so as to breathe through it.
, thereby being enabled to remain in
his watery retreat. In few minutes
: the Indians came up. They walked
t out on the log under which he lay, and
! in fact stood over him, but were unable
+ to find him. After waiting around
3 for some time, they finally concluded
= that rather than be captured and tor
e tured. and finding escape impossible
/, he had drowned himself in the lake
r and they went away. Brady waiteC
d ed until night, and then escaped in
the dar rkness. From this circumstanc,
r his name was given to the lake. Prob
: ably very few of the many persons
Il that visit Brady's Lake know the Ori
a gin of its name. But few rods from
e the plaintiffs glass factory and on tn,
d bank of the river stood also large twl
: story framed house, built and occupied
: for several years by John Brown, wh'
= afterwards was so conspicuous in Kan
sas, and was hung at Harper's Ferr.
f in 1859. He had an interest or own
s ership in the water power of the rive
o and we believe carried on manufac
d turing while he lived there, and on
J.. time and another, as appears by th'
:, deeds in the Recorders Office, mus
: have owned quite a portion of tina
8 village. Again, little north of tn,
J. plaintiffs' property, the river was own
s ed by Frederick Haymaker for loni
# time prior to his death, resident O
e the village, who was for many year
the private secretary of the distin
e guished Aaron Burr, Vice Presiden
: of the United States, and who killed
D Alexander Hamilton in duel in 1904
4 and was tried for treason at Richmond
q Va, in 1906 or 1908, ,Haymaker at thes
important periods being his confiden
o tial and chief Secretary. Some year
d after Burr's downfall Haymaker cam,
e to Franklin Mills-nOw Kent villag,
J. and purchased large tract of Ian,
D and resided there until his death. /
a was along this portion of the Cuya
e hOga River, famous for It's historical
p associat Ions, that the canal was con
4 structed. About thirty rods north o
. the present Kent stone bridge was a
/ that time dam and Touring mill
4 known as the Benjamin f. Hopkins
a mill, with fine water power of sew
t eral feet fall. The dam is there today
Q although it has had ten feet of water
e above it for the last fifty years. 1t wa,
. | III pOIbduG 10 UullU Tile Calal IL was
: equally important to preserve SO much
3 as possible of the water power, for it.
destruction would involve the pay
, ment of large sum Of money to the
| manufacturers. Accordingly, an ar
rsngement was entered into in 1896
, between the Franklin Land Company
: which was another name for the
Franklin Silk Co., famous wild cal
banking institution of that day. ON
the one part, and Augustus Baldwin,
George Kirkham, Jonathan Sloan.
Leicester King, and others, represent.
ing the Canal Co, on the other part,
by which 1t was agreed that the Canal
Co. should construct and maintain the
dam now across the river. a few feet
south of the stone bridge, and build a
lock and construct the canal south of
the dam through the center of the
river bed between two walls, so far