Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-07-07
The Story of a Historic Tree in Ful-
ton County Told by Itself
By Mrs. Agnes Howard McClarren

Editors Note: One of the features
Iof historic interest in Fulton County
is the Council Oak locator on the es.
tate of the late D. W. H. Howard in
Pike township, near the home site
of that pioneer of the county. No
one is better fitted to tell the story
of the changing scenes of which this
old tree has for so long been a silent
witness than the daughter of the
man who has himself met the In
dians in council beneath this tree and
as the agent of the American Gov
rernment advised and counciled with,
while he learned from them the his
tory and traditions connecte with
that tree. In beautiful andintense-
ly interesting manner, Mrs. McClar-
story which will increase in historical
rem has preserved this interesting
value as the years pass on.
I Ny first recollections are of my
rooslets drinking from the clear
flowing spring, and my leaves and
branches tossing in the sunshine and
dew of Heaven in the little valley
at the foot Of the hill. Except in
summer months the valley was near
ly filled with water then. And |
think the water must have tasted
sweeter here for so many deer, otter,
bear, beaver and ohter wild animals
came to drink and bathe. At this
time l was not tall enough to see
over the top of the hill, but a queer
little, race of dark colored people
used to come to its crest for game
l learned afterwards that they
Tweed in strange huts. Back from
the edge of the hill they built altar
filires and burned or buried their
dead. AS time passed on either
from pestilence or other causes they
grew fewer in number. Finally they
were replaced by a large, sinewy,
bronzed race of people. They seemed
much stronger, and far more ener-
getlc. AS | gazed over the hill /
could see hundreds of their tepees
and wigwams, all made of wild ami
NAL skins. The squaws would be en-
gagged busily preparing meals or
tanning hides, while the small pa
pooses rolled in the sun. The braves
would go on the war-path to deeds
of valor and victory or bring in the
bear and venison. Here their labors
ended, for it was beneath the digni-
ty of a brave to labor. | saw them
perform their weird dances about the
campfire accompanied by strange
noises peculiarly their own.
By this time | had become quite a
tree. Frequently they came to
build campfires beneath my branches
where numbers of them would gather
In solemn conclave. Upon such oc-
caslons one brave whom | recogRiz-
ed by his embroidered blankets and
gaudy feathers as the chief of some
tribe, would arise and with dignity
deliver few gutteral words In
this manner one chief after another
would express his opinion. Then a
long stemmed pipe, heavily decked
with ribbons, was passed. This was
filled with "kinakanic," tobacco
substitute made from the dried
leaves of the red swamp willow
Slowly this would go about the cir
Gle from mouth to mouth, each brave
taking one long whiff and sending
the smoke out thru his nostrils. This
learned, signifed a compact among
them, binding them together fol-
peace. Later, white people, OF
pale faces" as the Indians called
them, came from a far away land
Slowly but persistently they invaded
this territory-the Indians own. as
he fondly believed. Then the
gatherings became councils of war
The tribes formed compacts between
themselves to fight to the bloody enc
these encroachments upon THEN
homes: This war fare continued fol
many years. Sometimes the Indians
fought singly divided against the
whites, sometimes their efforts were
combined. But the whites continued
to settle in greater numbers.
Once after the braves returned
from the field of carnage, they camx
to me with bright, sharp instru.
ments. | saw that these were OF
British manufacture. They cut tw,
round places thru my bark and int
the body. The smaller incision was
near the ground. The larger was
placed higher up and directly above
1t. From this larger place radiateC
four deep depressions. Two of then
Were perpendicular to the grounC
anc extended up the tree trunl
from the upper edge of the circle
The other two ran out horizontally
from either side of the circle.
shook my branches in protest againsr
such mutilation. But what was m,
horror to see them bring a helples.
human victim and bind him to m,
trunk, head downward, fitting hi!
body into their carved depression,
like wax in a mold Then thev re
turned to the crest of the hill an,
. tortured the prisoner by shootint
; poison arrows into his body til
! death relieved his agony. Many
/ many times ! was subject to this hu
initiation for the French and Indial
, wars-the wars of advancing civil
, zatlon-were long and bitter. Ia afte
/ years l gave all my strength + OBJ
2 llterate these marks upon an other
= wise unblemlshed trunk. Now it i
rot discernible but the scar unde
/ the surface can never be erased
e Ihus these children of the fores
/ llVtG and fought and finally died an
n were buried IN one burial plICe o
: the hill top over the altars an
$ mounds of those prehistoric penpi
n before them, of whom they sale
k mo man knew his beginning and n
, man knew his end"
| AT times a pale faced youth lik
: so T.; ny others now fast filling til
country, came to hunt and trap. III
q Indians grew to have great conf
dence IN this boy who could spea
f. TO them IN their own language The
believed him to be their frien
, Often he came to their council fire
n persuading them to be peacefu
y Once he came to them and told the
u that their father, "the Great Chic
le was going to move them to a ne
country beyond the Great River, tt
~ Mississippi.H Here he said to them, /
&c white man would molest them al
r the game would be plenty. All tn
"a caused CONSERVATION among thel
~ They looked upon this place as the
IS home, and loved it. And not uni
after long months of persuasion we
they gathered together and sorro,
n fully taken upon their journey t
ward the Cptttnn cup Vb;. -.