The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-21
THE ZANE TRACE,


Colonel C. i. H. saFchet writes us lul-
,,ys IN the Guernsey, o., Times, in an
swer 90 inquiries by Rev A, G. Eagle
son:
your correspondent, Rev, A. G. Eag.
,sson, has found an old road and makes
inquiry 90 know If It may not be the
z,re Trace, and asks the question, "Is
mere anybody living who knows" The
law of Congress authorizing the open
,rc of a road from Wheeling, W, Va, to
limestone, KY, CMaysville) was pass
81 In 1895 and the work was begun the
raxt year by Ebenezer Zane, that is
",s hundred years ago. There Is GER
AMY no person living who passed over
,Ss qraee at that time, Il was called
Zanes Trace, for 1t was only truce,
M n road. The old Wheeling road
and the Zane Trace are substantially
,sa snme and there may be some yet
living who passed over the old Wheel
ing road, prior to 1922, when the nation
al road began 20 be constructed west
y, the Ohio river. Such person would
mo older than the writer, who Is re-
s1rdad as the oldest historical citizen OF
Guernsey county. Zane and his party
only followed an Indian trail from
wheeling creek, west to ChIlIieethe,
ln 1850, General Brodhead marched
from Wheeling with six hundred men,
having large drove of sheep and cat
he with him, for subsistence, and q
drove Of pack horses loaded with army
supplies He followed up Wheeling
creek on the Indian trail which crossed
over the divide on to saltwater, near TO
MorrIstown; there the trail branched,
one arm leading to Coshocton. the other
90 the crossing OF Wills creek, at Cam
bridge. We have the authority OF Ed
ward Bratton, a pioneer of Guernsey
county, that when on their journey they
were travelling up McMahon's creek
they struck the Broadhead trail near
the old Miller tavern in Belmont coun-
a. and followed 1t to near Antrim.
Guernsey county, The Miller tavern
was on the old Zane Trace and Nation
nj road When Zane following the In
dian trail came to the Muskingum rlv-
or, 1t was at Old Town, an Indian town
near Duncan's Falls That far he had
not made any new trail or trace. He
may have cut few bushes to make 1t
palmer, and blazed few trees. Here at
The Muskmgum he was to get his first
installment OF pay, a section OF land,
one mile square. He was not pleased
with the outlook at Old Town, and
prospected up the river until he came to
The site, now GAINESVILLE; here he con-
GUIDED 10 make his crossing; then he
cut trail back until he struck the orig
inal trail south of New Concord. He
then opened trail southwest from the
crossing at the Muskingum, until he
reached the Indian trail, which he fol-
lowed on TO Chilllcothe, Zane had with
him seven men, and great many per-
sons think that these men were cutting
and sIashing through the wilderness.
The men we're along, as was necessary.
for protection, not for work.
The Brodhead army passed from An
trim on to Coshocton, at the forks OF
the Muskngum, where they quelled an
Indian outbreak and returned back to
Pittsburgh, by way OF the Tuscarawas
valley and Sandy Creek. In 1892, John
Whetzel. william Mccullough, John
Hough. Thomas Biggs, Joseph Hedges.
Kinsie Dickerson and a man named
Linn. left Wellsburg, Va, to secure
horses stolen by the Indians, or to steal
horses IN retaliation. This party reach
ed the forks OF the Muskingum at Wax
atomika (Coshocton) and secured horses
aud we're on their way back, having
taken the Indian trail from Coshocton
that struck the Chillicothe trail at the
crossing OF Wills creek,near Cambridge.
They were expecting 10 reach the Ohio
river by this trail; this was four years
before Zane made his trace. Yet II was
u known path through tho wilderness.
At the Wills creek crossing this party
was surprised at night by the Indians
and three Of their number killed or died
from wounds afterward. As soon as the
trace began to be travelled by pack
horses 1t was called q road, the Wheel
ing road. and later the old Wheeling
road. In 1888 II was made a post road,
and postoffice established at Zanes-
VILE, and in 1893, one at Chillicothe. In
1903 my grandfather Travelled from
Wheeling TO Cambridge over this trace,
1t was not road. He had three wagons
and spent much time In cutting down
trees and filling up gullies; at that time
but few wagons had passed over the
trace. It would be the truth OF history
for me TO say that ne did more work be-
tween NeWells town {St. Clairsvihe)
and Cambridge than Zane and his party
did We Will only give the location
from Falrvlew to Cambridge; from
Fairview to Washington 1t was on the
south side Of the national road. from
Washington to Cambridge on the north
side.eXcept short distance on the Nyce
farm east of Cambridge, where 1t was
on the south side. Il could In no way be
connected with the Eagleson or Judge
Weyer farms. II angled through Wash
ington and many have passed near
where the Old Black tavern Of General
simon Beymer was located The ques-
ton, who was with Zane? Who this
party was, cannot be answered, Jona-
than Zane, his brother, and
John Mclntlre. afterwards hs
son-in-law, are the only two
mat history gives any account Of
They received the sectIon OF land at
GAINESVILLE. The question Is asked, who
were the surveyors? This we have an
bWefed; 1t was an Indian trall-they
were the surveyors. When Colonel John
T. Fremont found path through and
over the Rocky mountains. he was call
ed the "Path-iindcr:" he needed no sur.
yelorS the survey had been made by
,ne buifnloes, and their path made by
instinct, not by science, was the guide
mat made first way for Fremon;
ana MS party, then for the suTglnu
ude Of gold seekers in 40 and 80. Col.
onel Thomas II. Benton, In 1856 In a
speech IN the Congress OF the United
states, In favor OF the Pacific railroad
sad that the buffnloes were natural on
MneeFS. In the early history Of Ohio
the indian trails were well defined
pains Cr1gslnp Ohio iron, onst ia ,u,s,
ana from north to south. There woro
trails that we're iptersected by cross
tfalls, Just az we now have great high.
II MMLL NM- I'M -