The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-06-21
STARK COUNTY.
Her History Written for the Ohio
Centennial.
Prehistoric Settlers--Aboriginal occu-
pants-Only Indian Conflict with
Whites Known to Have oc-
Cured / n Her Limits.

1t is believed by those who make an
thropology a study, that a race OF peo-
pie occupied and claimed title to the
soil of Ohio, anterior to the Indian.
They are known as Mound Builders,
taking their name from the mounds
built by them in different parts of the
State. From discoveries made in the
exploration of their works, the opinion
has been formed, that many centuries
must have elapsed between the time of
the occupancy by the Mound Builders,
and the appearance of the earliest of
the Indian tribes. There is much spec
ulation as to the status of their i'm
provement-their approach to ciyiliza-
ton. All agree, that they were in adj
vance of of the Indians-that they had
attained a higher plain of knowledge
that they were a numerous people
lived under a strong government-had
military skill-a knowledge OF metals
| cultivated the soil-in short, had made
considerable progress in the direction
of civilization. The causes leading to
theirIextinction, are yet to be learned.
There are mounds located in differ.
ent parts of Stark county; in the town
ships of Bethlehem, Lawrence, Lake
and Canton, but they have never been
thoroughly explored to determine
whether they are the creation Of a pre-
historic race, or, of later day Indians.
The most notable mound is at Con
gress Lake.
Coming to a time of recorded history,
it may be stated, that by a treaty agreed
upon. at Fort Mcintosh (Beaver, Pa.,)
in 17S5, between the Commissioners
appointed by the Government, and the
Indian tribes then occupying eastern
Ohio, known as Delawares, WyandotS,
Ottawas and Chippewas, the latter re-
linquished all their right and title to
the same, and agreed with the Commits
sioners that their eastern boundry
should be from the mouth of the Cuya-
hoga river up to the portage, from the
Cuyahoga to the Tuscarawas river,
thence down the Tuscarawas to the
forks, neal Fl. Laurens, a few miles
south of Bolivar, thence west to the
portage between the Miami and Mau-
NEE rivers.
The first white man known to have
made his appearance in this section OF
our State, was Lie Sale, a French ex'
plorer, who in 1870, accompanied by a
few heroic followers, passed from Lake
Erie to the Allegheny river. The neXt
was Col. Bouquet, who, as an officer OF
the British army, with five hundred
regulars, and about a thousand volun
teers, made an expedition from Fort
Pitt, west as far as the Tuscarawa'
| river. The object was to intimidate thu
Warlike Indian tribes and influence
, them to more peaceful conduct. 1t l!
: not however, the nature of the average
Indian to be peacefully inclined. TheI
were continually making encroach
ments upon the nearest white settlers
? then living east of the Ohio river, II
PENNSYLVANIA and Virginia, steal
ing stock and carrying off prisoners
AS a measure. of protection to thes
people the general government author
lied the formation of scouting parties
known as stscouts" or spies, who's
duty it was to reconnoiter the countr.
t beyond the Ohio, and as far west as tn
ehT1scarawas river. These scouting
parties were made up Of men Injured t
. hardships, and accustomed to the phi
vations and exposure incident to borde
u life. Many of them had encOuntere,
/ Indians before, and knew something b
e experience, of their habits and mode q
. warfare. They received from the Gov
eminent monthly pay and ammunition
furnishing their w arms. 1t wa
their duty, on the discovery of an
1t sign of Indians, to return immediatel
e and give the alarm, that the frOntie
n settlers might adopt measures for the
e own protection, either by collecting tn
g families in a fort, or terrifying the
It own homes, as circumstances woul
e admit.
% There was a company Of five, all
1t whom afterward became citizens {
II Stark county-James Downing, 81
i John Cuppy, Isaac Miller, Georg
Foulk and Thomas Dillon. Dillon an
FOulk had both been captured by IL
Indians when young, lived with thel
many years and knew their habits an
customs. Downing was Captain OF tt
l. company.
If On the occasion of the encounter v
h are abort to relate, the party left the
- place o. rendezvous for a scout,
er April, 1893. They crossed the Oh
re river at the mouth of Yellow Cree
er followed up the north branch to mel
III its source, then directed their cour'
~ west to the head waters of Sandy. A
a. ter accommodating this section of couI
~ try for miles around without discove
ing any sign of Indians, they came
ID the conclusion, there were none abou
~ Up to this time, they had not discharI
." eGagun, from fear of being discovere
!. The rations with which they had su
u piled themselves on starting, were nea
Vi Nv exhausted, and they concluded
Vi would be safe to kill some gam
Downing shot a deer, and another
u the party a turkey. This was on Il
IS, morning of tie fourth day out, betwet
d. Little Sandy and Indian Run. AS TIN
Mt had not yet taken breakfast, they co
ne cluded to prepare the meal. Miller WI
kindling a fire; Foulk was cleaning Il
a turkey preparatory to roasting; Dow
in ing was in the act Of bending down
sapling upon which he intended
ID hang his deer, that he would be bett
able to skin it. Cuppy was sitting
the root of a tree with his gun on b
lap examining the lock.
A party of Indians numbering eigt
cen or twenty of the Getaway and W
andot tribes, heard the FREEING and d
tected the locality of the scouts. Thu
he divided their force into two partit
it with the purpose of approaching the
lie, from a different course, one of whit
ct was from a direction the scouts wou
e. be most likely to take in an effort
L. escape.
IT. While Cuppy was engaged with h
of gun he happened to look up, and sa
rh at a distance an Indian moving abo
IT. peering through the u%nderbrush. |
4 L. nnnHinAnlu Snrnnn 70 hin fnnt ~