The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1950-01-19
Where WauseOn Went
To School

Almost within an hour of each
other, Capt. Anson Reeds 32-tor
schooner and two emigrant wagons
with jaded horses met at the end ot
their journey-old Ft. Meigs, below
Perrysburg on the east bank of the
Maumee River.
Darkness already had fallen the
night of June IT, 1921, and the men
on the wagons gathered the four
cows and few sheep they had driven
alongside, hobbled their horses and
rolled up in their blankets for the
night. They were Edward and
Richard Howard. Their father,
Thomas Howard; their wives; a
sister, Mrs. Sidney Howard Nelson;
Edwards son, I'D. L." Howard; Mr..
and Mrs. John E. Hunt, and Celia,
daughter of the Richard Howards,
remained on schooner until morning.
They had come by boat, while the
Howard brothers had driven their
teams and stock along the shore of
Lake Erie from Buffalo.
The Howards and Hunts had left
Yates County, New York, early in
May by emigrant wagon for their new
home on the Maumee below Ft.
Meigs, where "peace reigned, lavish
crops could be grown, the lowing of
many cattle heard and pleasant
relations maintained with ones
neighbors." 1t had been a rough and
hard journey.
Find Indian Village
Next morning all were awaken
ed by loud shouts, wild yells and
the barking of many dogs. The
Howards and Hunts barely could be-
lieve their eyes-they almost were
in the middle of a teeming Indian
village. Pole and bark shacks lined
either side of a narrow, crooked
street; kettles swung on bars over
outside wood fires and Indian child
rem and dogs swarmed all over the
place. The braves and squaws were
boistrous too, but were more con-
cerned with inspection of the schoon-
er and wagons.
And so, buying land "pig-in-a-
poke" the Howards and Hunts had
come to their new fertile lands and
lowing cattle, with good neighbors
all about.
The Indian village was large one
-Awp-a-to-wa-jo-win, where the
council house was and the chief of
the Ottawas lived. Chief O-to-sah
had four sons: Notin-no, Ottokee,
Wa-se-on and Wa-sa-on-quet, each
with a different mother The Indians
then were polygamous.
More Indian Towns
Other Indian villages were there
Tone-tog-a-nee, at the mouth of the
creek named FOR it; Na-wash, on the
Indian island 10 miles below par
rysburg; San-wa-co-sac, on Auglaize
River above Defiance; and a large
one where Maumee now stands. Awp-
a-to-wa-jo-win on the east side of
the Maumee River, 10 miles below
Perrysburg and opposite the Indian
island.
The Howards did not find the
Indians unfriendly-just curious and
a bit distant. So they built their
cabins on the west side Of the Maui
NEE, opposite Indian island and
across from Awp-a-to-wa-jo-win.
The only white settlement there
at the time was "Orleanes," almost
at the site of old Ft. Meigs, and on
the northwest bank of the Maumee.
1t was inhabited exclusively by
Canadian French, who were in the
fur trading business with the In
dians. John and Frank Hollister,
Robert A. Forsyth, and Judge VOL
colt, whose wife was squaw-the
daughter of Little Turtle.
The Presbyterian mission and
school was established on the east
bank of the Maumee 10 miles above
Perrysburg by Rev. Isaac Van Tassel
in 1921 or 1822-about the time the
Howards and Hunts came to the
neighborhood. Reverends Sackeet
and Coe, assisted Van Tassel and
Thomas Mackelrath and "old maid,
Miss Riggs were teachers.
Indian, White Children Play
Together
The Howard children, I'D. W." ane
Celia, went to the mission schoo
with the Indians; played with them
grew up with them, and were equal
ly wild, "with many Indian ways ant
mannerisms." Celia later married ;
pioneer, Valentine Winslow, Fultol
| County.
D. w. Howard-the boy-whel
over 10, more than 80 years ag'
| related that it was hard to get TIL
Indian children to the school. Forcet
by the savages to attend, they woul'
play hockey about the second da.
and never again get within earsho
of the place. Howard ran away too
but his parents sent him back. Thel
again, he tried to hide among tn
Indians, who because of their friend
ship with his parents, sent him home
| School, kept six hours day 81,
days a week, and an Sunday ther