Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-12-27
THE BLACK SWAMP.
Soil, Ghost Stories, superstitions, IntelIi-
gence, &c., Nc.

Soil, Ghost Stories, Superstitions, IntelIi-
gence, &c., &c.
In the olden times that part of Wood
county, called the Black Swamp was
diversified by pools, quagmires, willow
prairies, intersected by the branches,
of the Portage river. On the west of
tho Maumee river; on the East by
Sandusky county; on the North by
Oregon, and on the South by Hancock
county. The woods and prairies were
vocal with the music of wolves, screech
owls, bull frogs, wild cats and lynx.
The most noted reptiles were black
snakes, copperheads, and rattle snakes.
The game consisted of wild turkeys,
ducks, wild geese, rabbits. deer,
occasionally bears and black and gray
squirrels. The most pestiferous birds,
were hawks, ravens and black birds,
which together with foxes and rae
coons made havoc of cornfields and
grass plnts. The popular diseases were
rheumatism, bilious fevers, and fever
and ague. The distinguishing char
acteristic of the Inst named disease
was to shake a poor fellow terribly with
with fever. While these spells were
on no man ever thought any better OF
himself or of his country. At certain
seasons of the year the mud was phe-
nOminally, both as to sickness and
depth.
To illustrate the depth of Blacl,
Swamp mud the old settlers used to
spin OF u yarn like this: A traveller on
the pike from Fremont to Perrysburg
espied IL hat in the road: when he took
il up he was mortified to see n mans
head. But the man told him not to be
alarmed for he had n good horse under
him.
A place SO full OF wild animals and
withall so muddy could not be COM
plete without the presence of spirits
and witches,-at best witch stories
On the Findlay pike was haunted
house, where ghosts chattered and
danced the live long night. Many Il
poor horse lost his flesh by hard drives
in the night time. His tangled name
showed how the progeny that scared
Tam O'Shanter out OF his wits, had
made stirrups TO put his feet in. Spirits
used to come into houses, upset tables,
rattle the dishes, throw clubs and
stones against and over the houses and
then go away unseen into some mud
hole or some where else. 1t was belit-
ting that in such favored spot II gang
of horse thieves on the way from the
far West TO New York should fix up IL
depot. The Lions boys with the aid
of old man Ellsworth, killed the
Wyandotte chief with his squaw for
his money, while hunting in these
pestiferous bogs. In those times relig-
ious ideas were crude and false. Men
and women were tilted about and
thrown down in fits by angels from
heaven, Que anxious fellow thought
the Holy Ghost CANT into the meeting
and went down his throat and caused
him to shout glory, hallelujah. Others
under the illusion that it was II
bounden duty were plunged into
bitches and rivers. But most OF these
crude notions with fevers and ague
have gone. The Black Swamp is
ditched and drained and bids fair to
become the garden OF the State. II is
true that some OF tho boys play devil
on halloween and some get drunk, and
cuss and swear and glory In their
shame. But the day OF such things
with rattle snakes and copper heads IL
going by. Science and religion will
make men sober, aud restore them TO
their senses.
Prairie Depot, Dec. 9th, 1890.