The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-03
gp.elal pIspntch % tho lntellIgeneer


Special Dispatch 10 the Intellgeneer,
sTEUBENYILLE, Aug, 2.-ThIs city
comes by its name through a fort To-
Gated here which was named after the
Prussian officer, Baron Won steuben,
and the county was named after Thos.
Jefferson, A century has passed over
the heads of both city and county and
the citizens propose to celebrate the
passing OF the centennial mile stone by
grand three days pageant that will be
a fitting round up for the pride of our
people over their bright past. The com
mlttees are arranging for three days or
events, which Will include the civic,
industrial. religious, educational ana
military interests.
Jefferson was a pioneer among the
counties OF Ohio as regards settlement
and IL extended at one time from the
lakes to the river. The centennial Is TO
be a grand climax TO the work OF the
Wells Historical Society, organized in
February. 1894. Dawson Fllson being the
President and j. b. Doyle being secre-
tary. The work OF arranging for the
big celebration is In the hands OF COM
mittees, OF which George w. McCook,
descendant OF the tFlghtins Nc
Cooks" is chairman. 9
Any reliable data obtaihable as to the
race OF people inhabiting Ohio and this
section OF the Ohio valley docs not 80
back earlier than the middle of the sew
enteenth century Then the territory
between Lake Erie and the Ohio river
was great wilderness covered with
dense and trackless forests. So far as
can be learned no Indian villages dotted
this region. Tradition, however, tells
OF a powerful Indian nation known In
the history as the Eries who enjoyed
absolute possession OF this territory.
Whether they were annlhilated about
1855 by the arrogant Iroquols or eXter-
minated by plague Is not known. By
the year 1900 bands of IrOquOis roamed
over this territory, fishing and hunting,
and engaging in fierce warfare with any
invading bands who disputed their right
to the territory The land lying on the
west bank OF the Ohio was never occu-
pied permanently by any one tribe,
which accounts for the fact that the
earliest explorers found no Indian vii
lagos in this valley. In this valley and
state the Indian was a temporary So
journer. No one tribe left It's impress
on this region. Besides being a hunting
ground, this region was thescene of the
most sanguinary battles in the worlds
history. Peace only came between
these tribes in 1865. west OF here, at the
Seneca capital, where twenty Seneca
and twenty Wyandotte Indians were
killed, and then an eternal peace COM
pact was sealed.
Early Inhabitants.
In different parts OF this county are
found mounds and ancient fortified
lions which give rise to the idea that
Mound Builders inhabited this region
at one time. The Seneca tribe Of In
dams were to be found in this region
and they had headquarters at Yellow
Creek. this county. and at Mlngo town.
The Senecas were absentees or wander
ers and that Is what "Mingo" means.
De Celeron and other early explorers
visited this valley about the middle OF
the eighteenth century. In 1853 Wash
ington visited this valley and stopped
at Mingo town. The battles between the
settlers and Indians were very bloody
The murder OF Logan's family at yell
low Creek by Greenhouses men, started
Logan, who was known as the Mingo
Chief, on the warpath, and this murder
and the one at Captina contributed
toward melting the Indians TO engage
in the DunmOre Indian war. At Tom
llnson's Run, north OF here, occurred the
famous battle In which Andrew Poe
killed the chief Big Foot and another
Indian.
John Carpenter built the first block
house west Of the Ohio at Rush Run in
1853. 1t was known as Carpenters
Fort" At Rush Run Is where James
Maxwell's cabin and child were burned
by the Indians In the absence OF himself
and wife. causing the wife TO stab her
self and Maxwell TO enter on career OF
death to the Indians that earned for
him the name OF soft Stopper" The
Castlemen girls were captured at Crox
toms Run, this county They were af-
terward found at Detroit and only one
OF the sisters would leave her dusky
friends. Fort Laurens was erected west
of here In IT'S by detachment from
Fort Pitt. Charles Bllderback, an early
settler at Rush Run, was captured and
taken to Gnaddenhutten, where he had
fomahawlled the first Indian Killed in
the massacre. and he was killed before
the eyes OF his wife. The name Long
Knives" applied to Virglnians, grew out
OF Captain Gibson slAshng OF Chief
Little Eagles head with n sword In q
sklrmish near here. The massacre of
the Riley family occurred west Of Min
70. and at Battle Run, near the same
place, Is where the last battle between
the whites and Indians took place and
in which Capt. Van Busklrls was killed.
At Short Creek lived the Johnson boys,
who killed, after night, two Indians
who had captured them. receiving for
their exploit section Of land In Wells
township. The Williamson expedition
10 Gnaddenhuttcn. and the Inflated
Crawford expedition TO Sandusly, as
sembled at Mingo bottoms. Chief Corn
stalk. the renegade, Girty, "Auycr"
Mike Myers, the Wetzels, Znnes. Brady
and others, trRversed this valley a
point on hill on Short Creek being
named "Girty's Point" ana Wet2el per-
formed his feat OF running, loading ana
killing pursuing sayages at indian
Springs. south Of here. In l752, at Ian
caster, Pa, the Indians ceded the lands
west OF Ohio to Virginia
Virginia coded the land north OF the
Ohio TO the government in 1923, her nu-
thority over this section before this be-
ing exercised under her charter and the
George Rogers Clark conquest This
county Is a part OF the first seven ranges
surveyed IN Ohio. The land system OF
the United states beginning In Wells
township, where the first section " To-
Gated. sturdy settlers from Pennsyl.
yania, Virginia, Maryland and North
Carolina were AMONG the earliest In the
state. These lands. after the survey,
were frst pold publicly In Now York,
next Philadelphia, and lastly Puts
burgh. and then. in 1901, David llpRe