Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-06-08
Gen. Bierce Tells of the First Wagon
That Reached Portage County.
There Was an Early Day When Akron Was the
Athens of Ohio, Just as She Is In the
Twentieth Century.

The concluding part Of the first
chapter of Gen Bicrce's history de
voted to Akron, follows:
The spring of 90 was u noted era
in the history of the Reserve A grist-
mill was erected at the Falls in New
burgh, in which the inhabitants could
get their corn ground, instead of
pounding it. This was the first mill
on the Reserve.
In May 80, Lewis Day, and others,
arrived at Deertield Portage county,
in u wagon, whicn, SO far as | can
learn. was the first wagon ever so far
west; and on the 18th of November of
that year, Gen. John Campbell married
daughter of Mr.. Ely, which ] believe
was the first wedding in the bounds
of Portage county, which then in
'luu'u thlS' hty N'l' hiu'ii'' ~
Calvin Austin, Esq, Of Warren, who,
! in company with Calvin Peasc after
wards Judge of our Supreme court,
came to the wedding Oh foot, there
being no roads.
The first permanent settlement made
! in this county, was in 1900 by David
Hudson. at what is now called Hud
sou, in honor of him. This year had
nearly proven fatal to The whites
through the imprudcnre of two men
Mcmahon and Story, who killed Capt
George and Spotted John, two Indians
at the salt works in Trumbull county
Mcmahon was tried aud acquitted
Stacy fed. Ouondaga George wa,
present and insisted upon taking i'm
mediate vengeance by an indiscrimi
nate slaughter of the whites before
they had time to unite for defence
but captain Peters, another chief, was
bribcd by the whites, and he pre-
vented the determination of the whit,
race ON the Reserve.
Mcmahon in the war of 1872 serve,
in the north western army -undct
Harrison, and was discharged in Nov
J enber of that year, and took patl
for the Old Portage, but was over
taken by some Indians and made t,
pay the penalty of the Salt Sprinj
murder
, The first mail route through an,
part Of this country was cstabiishe,
by Mr.. Granger, +. NJ General, Il
1903. from plttsburg to Warren, Ash
tnbula and Cleveland, thence to Hud
son in this county then through tn
wilderness to Deerheld, and then I
fittsburg, which route was perform
ed weekly on horseback.
I'm 1906 one of those occurrence
h"ip'u'u 'hht hShlh tHudiEtltu w
peace of the settlement Some Nc
hawk Indians encamped in Deerlielc
Conceiving themselves wronged in
horse trade, shot Daniel Diver throug
the head. The party consisted of Joh
Mohawk, Rigson and his two son,
At this time all the militia in Pol
tagc county composed one Bpttalio
under the command of Mai. Rycrs q
Deerheld. He assembled some of hi
men, aud started in pursuit on IN
following night they overlook the II
dians encamped on the western ban
of the Cuyahoga in what is no'
Boston. They fired upon them, an
killed Nicksaw, and took Bigson an
his son prisoners. 1t was in the dept
of winter and the Indians were take
back, bound, and not even allowed III
covering that would have made
brute comfortable.
The consequences were that the II
dams were frozen so that they we,
crippled for life, They were trie
and acquitted, as the act was that
Mohawk, in consequence of QUAR-
between him and Diver, in whic
the others had no part. But thoup
acquitted he could no longer purs,
the chase. His squaw perished in Il
woods after his capture, and the POI
old Indian aud his sons would S
hours on the banks of the Mahonn
and weep over their fallen conditio
What made his regrets more paint
was, he had ever been the friend
the whites-scrved under Wayne
his battle with the Indians s-had he,
entrusted with important charges, M
ever proved faithful TO his trust
Such was the gratitude the /