Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-07-04

ent time, but these are nothing when
compared with the great mass of un-
written history, made during the ages
before the solitudes were ever disturb
ed by the crack OF rife or the sound
of white mans voice.
Early French travellers, who were
among the very first whites to invade
this part Of the country, told glowing
stories in the reports they wrote home
to their. government, of the many elk
which weres to be found here; years
later when the trading operations of
the French, were extended from the
Canadas through the wilderness as far
as Pittsburg, and then west, trading
post was established at Old Portage,
only five miles north Of Akron on the
Cuyahoga river, and just few hun
dred yards north OF where the famous
portage toward the Tuscarawas river
began. Here the Indian tenants of
the forest vastness came periodically,
some coming in their canoes from up
and down the river, and others coming
overland to this point, which seemed
| to be a meeting OF the ways. The
hides that the Indians had gathered
with the aid of bows and arrows and
l,fintlocks were traded for gay cloths
and beads. and the Frenchmen waxed
prosperously corpulent.
The old residents, the fathers of the
present generation of inhabitants Of
the farms of the valley are fast passing
away, but some of them have been
heard to relate that in their youth
they still saw piling and the decaying
posts in the river bank, where the old
French trading post stood. Time
has erased these evidences of the early
industry of Summit county, and with
the passing away Of the pioneer farm.
ers of the district the. traditions of
those wild times will soon all be lost
Only fragments Of these fascinating
tales Of the past are to be had even
now.
Several roads of the Indian times
crossed at Old Portage which was then
a very important center. The Smith
road, which comes down into the Guy.
ahoga valley from the west here, was
made on the site of a much Travelled
Indian trail running from Pittsburg
on the east, to the country which was
later Sandusky, on the west In the
valley at Old Portage, this trail crossed
the river. Parties Of Indians travel.
ing from north to south and those 60.
ing from east to west collided here oc.
casionally, and their battles were
doubtless many and very fierce, as is
shown by the almost countless arrow
heads which have been picked up or
the surrounding hills, and are still tc
be found.
On the side Of the hill leading from
the Cuyahoga valley to the upland or
the west is still to be seen mound
which In the memory of living men was
higher and had definite shape. This
was once fortifcation, built by In
dians at some long gone time OF danger
when, under the leadership of rene.
gade white man, they fortified them.
selves against an enemy. The hills
surrounding have yielded many arrow
heads and stone implements of wal
and the chase, which shows that there
was considerable fighting done there
At the time of the French and Indiar
war. Portage path and the ..Cuyahoga
river carried many marching bands
of redskins and their French allies or
their way to harrass the British out
posts.
The Moravian missionary, Johr
Heckewelder, who changed savage In.
dians to Christian people, went into
central Ohio over the river and Por
tage path. After the massacre of the
Moravian Indians at Gnudenhutten tn,
survivors, led by Heckewelder fec
north. over this same aground. Later
they returned, going up the Cuyahog;
river. across the portage and down Tho
Tuscarawas river, to their former
homes. Another massacre took plao,
and again the survivors fed northwars
over this ground. This time they die
not return.
This was the chief highway in this
part of the country. Franklin and
Washington spoke Of it's Importance
and future usefulness for the trans
portation of troops and supplies il
time OF war, in reports made to Con
gress. Tt
The crossing OF the trails here mad'
Old Portage an important point, ant
the second inhabitant of Northampton
settled on the edge Of the valley there
Later there was tavern nearby, ant
the passersby made days marcl
long or short, as happened to be nee
essary in order to reach Kings tav
ern." So important was Old Portag'
considered that shortly after the ar
rival of Major Miner Spicer. Akon'
first settler, he built road from hi
home, at what is now the corner o.
spicer and Carroll sts., to Old Portage
'that he might be in touch with civi
lization." r
AS the country was settled more an(
more, the Importance of the river ant
the portage increased instead of de
creasing, and the tavern and thos
!. built later entertained many travele
and Indian fighter famous in borde
times.
Food, clothing and supplies wert
transported over the former trail nov
the Smith road, through this part o
the country from Pittsburg to posts il
the west This was line of commun
faA tAx.