The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-07-25
History of Pike Township.
BY JACOB SMITH.

never show those tongues again.
The historian of Tuscarawas county
gives Mr.. Snellbaker credit for killing
the Indian, and also says that the
Indian killed was a chief of a small
clan or village in Wayne county, and
was usually known by the name OF
Beaver Hat" The place where this
tragedy occurred, must have been some
where along the creek in its course
through Section 80 of Pike township
The Old Delaware capital mentioned
by Col Ball is the village which we
have alluded too, opposite the south
west corner of Pike township.
In section 19 pretty near its center
in circular depression in the earth
about sixty feet in diameter. This is
at the foot or base of a large hill, and
looks as though il had been removed
by the hand of man. Starting in on
the level it extends back into the hin
about the distance mentioned, and the
walls encircling 1t on either side ex-
cept in front are ten or fiftesn feet in
heighth. In this low place there was
formerly an abundance of water, seem
ingly issuing from the earth all over
the bottom of the depression but Of
late years the spring has found an
outlet at some other point. In early
days this place was known as Deer
Lick" and deer could be found, some
times, in large numbers at this spring
drinking water. 90 not know wheth.
er the water contained any saline or
other mineral matter or not, but the
place was a great resort of the wild
animals that were to be found in this
section of the country at an early
day. Rev. David Yant deceased,
(whose articles on pioneer history are
/ familiar to many,) frequently hunted
deer at this place and in several in.
stances his efforts were crowded with
success. John Shroyer one of the pion
GERS of Pike, at one time shot deer
on the hillside but few rods above
the lick. John Lesseck of Bolivar
passing by the place nearly sixty years
ago, shot a large porcupine off tree
close to the lick. Several others of
the early settlers also shot deer at
this place.
Close to the west line of section II
on land now owned by Charles Buch-
man, is large earthwork or mound
which at an early day presented quite
an imposing appearance. AS l remem
ber II when first saw 1t sixty years
ago, it stood near the old road that
ran along down on the west side OF
the Bears Run" valley and but q
short distance from the foot of bluf
low ground near small brook that
followed the valley down from the
west. At that time the land in It's i'm
mediate vicinity and adjoining 1t was
not cleared. il stood about twenty
feet in heighth, a perfect cone In
shape, and with a diameter at the base
not to exceed twenty-five or thirty feet
and to crown all on the center of the
summit stood a tree Of near two feet
| in diameter. 1t was in my juvenile
days when / first saw this curiosity,
and then used often to wonder how it
happened that there had been such
nice haystack of ground built there,
Many years ago the ground adjoining
this mound was cleared, the tree on
the summit cut down and in tilling the
ground the sides Of the structure have
been plowed down as much as possible
the tree roots on the summit having
dScayed, the earth has been washed
down by the rains until at present
the mound is not much more than one
half its former heighth. If this earth.
work was constructed by man (and !
| have reason to believe II was from its
exact contour and hsighth) 1t may
possibly be the resting place of some
person Of note among the race called
Mound Builders" or may be the tomb
of a number of them, probably sacri-
ficsd on some noted occasion. 1t has
never been opened and investigated,
and consequently we can only conject,
ure as to what may have been the
reason for its erection, II 1t is as We
believe 1t to be, the work of man.
There are two or three other earth
works or mounds in the township bu.
as we have never learned anything
definite concerning them we will not
trouble the reader with any descrip'
tion of them.
AS to the existence in the past of a
race of people called Mound Build
ers," we have abundant evidence IL
the mounds, Notifications. walls, ele
waited squares and covered ways which
are scattered thickly over the land;
but where in all the discoveries made
has there been any thing left on record
or found, that would give us any
knowledge with regard to the race
which has long since passed away
Many have attempted to fathom the
mystery of their existence, but when
confronted with such questions as:
Whence came the first inhabitants oi
the land? Who reared those Immense
and numerous fortifications, etc, the