The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1950-11-16
Lazy Elm

Lazy Elm was the great tree that
leaned so crafty in the southwest
corner of Main and Water street, in
the first Cincinnati. A landmark for
many years, its shelter was a try
sting place for lovers and the scene
Of early mass meetings and public
gatherings. In its branches the
martins nested each year then flew
away to come again.
1t was in its shade that George
Rogers Clark's men put up two small
log cabins August /, 1880, to house
their 80 wounded and few army
supplies after sharp fight with
Shawnee Indians when trying to
land on the Ohio River bank.
The casualties and munitions were
left there in charge of Capt. Hugh
McGary and Thomas Vickerey,
scout, who related that when the
Clark Expedition returned from its
attack of the Indian villages along
Mad River, IA days later it brought
16 Indian scalps but is more of its
own men were missing.
Historic Spot
Two years afterwards (1732) Capt.
William McCracken, of the Light
Horse Cavalry in Clark's second ex-
petition against the Mad River
savages, died on litter when being
carried down the Mount Auburn hill
trail.
His wound had been slight but it
had become infected. McCracken
was buried beside one of the cabins
beneath Lazy Elm and the other was
torn down and strewn over his grave
to protect it from wild animals and
Indians. His moldered bones never
have been disturbed.
Going back bit further, a lost
squad of Bouquets expedition in
1864 had wandered to the Ohio River
and were cooking supper over a
camp fire beneath the great tree
when Indians attacked them. One
man was kiIIed-shot through his
eye. "We buried the poor fellow
where he fell, under the big elm
tree" a surviving soldier related
years later.
The old Bouquet veterans story
came out in 1905 when some men
were digging drain near the tree.
A very old man tottered to the edge
of the porch of nearby tavern,
from where he had been watching
them work. and pointed with his
cane. "Dig right there and little
deeper and see what you will fnd,"
he urged.
Placing little credence in the old
mans tale but more to humor him,
the workers did as he directed. They
brought up the pieces of skeleton
IA rifle ball still rattling inside the
skull. "This looked like the place."
the old man said and walked back
to his chair.
Church Service
Under Lazy Elm the Presbyterians
held their services on logs rolled up
for seats-when Abraham Garrison's
horse-mill its sweep pulled by ali
ak, was busy grinding. When the
little mill, on Main Street near
Fourth, was idle the Presbyterians
held church there during 17S9-179o
before the sect had cabin of it's
own.
Nothing except "lynch law" existed
in the Ohio wilderness during 1889
and the few years preceding it.
Manners and morals were loose"
then in log cabin Cincinnati and in
the land around it. Early in 1890 a
mass meeting was held under Lazy
Elm and a code of bylaws and penal
ties was formed, which every man
present signed and agreed to abide
by and uphold. They organized a
court, fixed trial by jury and ap-
pointed William Mcmillan "judge"
and John Ludlow sheriff." Neither
had any real status under existing
laws of the Northwest Territory.
The first offender tried was
Patrick Grimes, accused of stealing
cucumbers from a neighbor's truck
patch. He was arrested, tried by
jury and was sentenced to "29 lashes
on his naked back" The sentence
was duly executed beneath the tree
that afternoon. The next offender
fled for safety to the garrison at TT.
and was not tried. The
claiming that the army held
over the land, refused to
turn the refugee over to the
citizens court
First Weddings
With Mcmillan duly appointed
Squire" at the organization of the
citizens court, he officiated at the |
first three weddings held in Cincin-