Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/234

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��at that date contained fifty or sixty families. The village occupied rolling land, in Section 18. A number of well-used trails led in va- rious directions from the town. The survey- ors drove a section post in a corn field, which they mention as being well cultivated. The village and graveyard were estimated to con- tain five or six acres. The Indians offered no resistance to the survey. In fact, they hardly comprehended its significance. The land in this township, down the valley, is regarded as prime, other portions, poor. The varieties of white oak, burr oak, ash and other hard timber are noticed.

The next township in this range, No. 20 — Vermillion — was surveyed by Jonathan Cox, while Gen. Hedges was surveying Green. The southern boundary was run by Gen. Hedges, in October, 1806, soon after he received his com- mission and orders from the Surveyor General of the United States. Gen. Hedges experienced considerable difficulty in running this line, owing to the variations of his compass. He resurveyed it three times, and observed, "I am at a loss to know to what cause to attribute the increased length of the south boundary of this township." On the third survey, he says: "I find the chaining correct; I am now much per- plexed to know the cause of my westing or turning south. The variation must operate very partial, or my compass must have been un- luckily altered." 'Te then resurveyed the west l)oundary, and, coming to the southwest corner, observes : '' Here I experience troubles of a new kind. Having already spent two days and a half waiting on an Indian chief, who appeared hostile to our business, I also labored under the difficulty of a hand being absent thirteen days on a tour for provisions; in the mean time having lived eight days on parched corn. I now find my camp rol)bed of some necessary articles, and two hands that I left to keep the same, revolted and run away. These difflcult-

��ing finished — expecting other surveyors after me to subdivide — all conspire to make me un- happy. No alternative remains but to proceed to Owl Creek, and get hands and provisions, this being the 20th day of October, 180G." This suspended operations on this township un- til the following April, when Jonathan Cox subdivided it into sections. The land is de- scribed as gently mountainous ; the timber of oak, hickory, ash, and other forest trees. On the eastern boundary several Indian trails were found, the majority leading to Greentown.

The range boundaries of ^Montgomery Town- ship, No. 22, were surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow, in October, 1806. In running the southern boundary of this township, seventeen chains west of the southeast corner, he crossed the famous trail leading from Sandusk}' to the fork of the Ohio. It is described in the notes of the survey as a well-worn trail or path. It was the well-known trail followed by Maj. Rogers and his rangers in 1761, on his return from establishing the station at Detroit. It was afterward followed by Gen. Beall in his expedition to Sandusky. The eastern boundary of this township is described as " low, wet and marshy, with bottoms subject to overflow." The timber was of the kind found in all parts of the county, the principal varieties already mentioned. The eastern part of the township is noted as good land; the middle and western parts as rolling and good. Jonathan Cox sur- veyed the township into sections in November, after Mr. Ludlow had completed the boundary- survey.

The next township. No. 23 — Orange — was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in October, 1806. He surveyed both the boundaries and the sectional lines. On the south boundary, about three miles west of the starting corner, they came to an Indian trail, bearing north- west and southeast. Its course was one leading into Mohican John's Town, and was surveyed

��ies increased ; my range and town lines not be- | in 1816, by Rev. James Huney, to Rowsburg

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