Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/458

 fk^

��444

��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��numbers of European Germans, with their in- defatigable industry and marvelous economy and thrift ; their passionate desire for the own- ership of real estate enough to absolve them from the payment of rent ; their skill in me- chanics, agriculture and horticulture ; their universal instruction in the primary depart- ments of letters and science. They have proved themselves the best of citizens, the friends of common schools, of the Republic, of civilization, of law and order. Such a founda- tion readily explains the marvelous beauty and solidity of the superstructure that in so few years has attained such vast proportions.

The history of the city and township is so interwoven that it cannot be written sep- arately. They have run together in the race of progi-ess, and whatever has been the measure of success, it belongs equally to both. It may, or may not be new to a majority of its citizens, to hear that Mansfield was not born on its pres- ent location. It first saw the light on the south- west quarter of Section 25, about three miles southeast of its present location, on Rocky Fork, at what was Beam's, afterward Campbell's and now Goudy's mill. As this location and its first settlers are fully described in another chapter, it will not be dwelt upon here.

Gen. James Hedges was the pioneer of the township. He was here as a Government Sur- veyor in 1806, a year before the first settlement was macte. The name is a well-known and honored one, is interwoven in the warp and woof of Mansfield history, and still stands high in the roll of its honored citizens. Hedges was accompanied by Maxfield Ludlow and Jon- athan Cox. These, and their attendants, whose names are not given, drew their lines tlu-ough the woods, and rolled themselves in their l)lank- ets by their camp-fires, before any white man built his cabin within the limits of the town- ship.

In looking for the first settlers of any town- ship or county, it is natural to turn to their

��eastern boundaries, and to the banks of any stream that may cross them ; for the Indian trails were generally along the streams, except where they diverged to some prominent spring, or to cross from one stream to another. These trails were the highwaj^s of the wilderness, and were generally followed liy the advancing pio- neers. True to this principle, the first settle- ment is found on Rocky Fork as above de- scribed. Here Jacob Newman was induced by his friend and kinsman. James Hedges, to build the first cabin, the first, not only in the town- ship, but in the county also. It came very near being the first in the future city, for it was built near the boundary line of the town that was then staked out. These pioneers knew that a new county would soon lie created here, and determined to profit l\y it. They thought if they laid out a town on the Rocky Fork, near that beautiful spring, and induced settlers to come in, it would grow up into a city and become the county seat. They laid out the future city, but it never went any farther at that place. It was not platted or recorded, and no settlements made within its limits. For some reason it was abandoned, and the present site determined upon. What their reasons were is a matter of uncertainty, but it is conjectured that the "big spring" on Fourth street had some influence ; that Gen. Hedges had, pi'oba- ably, some intimations as to the future liounda- ries of the new county, and thought this would be a central location ; and Doctor Bushnell says a very potent reason was in the fixct that Mr. Hedges had entered for himself the section upon which the city now stands, and wanted the new city located upon it. and that he actually paid these early settlers $1,500 in silver as an inducement. However this may be, their city on Rocky Fork was aliandoned ; thej' came up that stream and laid out the present city on the 11th day of June, 1808. The men who thus established the foundation of this monu- ment to their memories, were Joseph Larwill,

�� ��=iTv

�� �