Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/642

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��Phipps, Section 17 ; Jacob Myers, Section 18 ; William'Robison, Section 18; Samuel Boyle, Sec- tion 32. Mr. Boyle's cabin is yet standing, and is, probabl}', the oldest house in the township. John Duncan and William Hanlan settled on Section 30, and Robert McConkey on Section 13. Probably other settlers arrived before 1823, whose names cannot at present be recalled.

David Filloon erected the first blacksmith- shop in the township, on Section 19, the land being now owned by T. B. Andrews.

These settlers were mostl}^ from the Ligonier Valley, in Western Pennsylvania. Most of them came into the township along the old Wyandot trail, following up the Mohican, the Black Fork and Clear Fork, settling first where the latter leaves the township, in the northeast corner. Of those who came later, a portion followed the military road, cut by a sec- tion of Gen. Harrison's army in 1812, which is yet a highway, and runs diagonally across the township from northeast to southwest, on the high gi'ound south of the Clear Fork. This was, probably, the first road in the township. It is here in order, to relate a few incidents con- nected with the struggles of these earl}" settlers, in their first eflTorts at transforming the rugged wilderness into the present cultivated gardens. Space can only be given for a few that will illustrate life in that time.

Henry Nail relates, that, when a bo}', he was sent to Shrimplin's Mill, with two pack-horses, upon which the gi'ist was loaded. He started home late in the afternoon ; the path was nar- row and winding, so that he was compelled to drive one horse before the other, he riding the rear one. The twilight of the dense forest was fast deepening into darkness, and he made all possible haste to reach the more open country, fearing he might be intercepted b}' a gang of wolves. Unfortunately, the forward horse passed too near the projecting point of an up- turned root, and a large rent was made in the bag of meal, and its contents scattered upon

��the ground. Here was trouble. He had no means of fastening the parts of the torn bag together, and, if left over night, it was certain to be devoured by hogs or other animals, besides, there was a large family at home need- ing it for immediate use. Something must, however, be done immediately. The prolonged, undulating howl of wolves echoed through the forest, and an occasional child-like cr}', from a swamp not far away, fairly made his hair stand on end. The thought of a panther in the vicinity was not pleasant. His ingenuity being quickened, he drew several strands of hair from his horse's tail, gathered up as much of the meal as he could, and succeeded in closing the rent in the bag with the horse-hair. " I had not proceeded far on my way," said he, " when I heard the wolves quarreling over the remnant of the meal remaining on the ground, and with all my haste, by the time I reached the nearest clearing, there seemed to be a hundred of them within a few rods of me. The furious barking of several dogs belonging to a cabin near b}^, fortunately checked the pursuit, so that I reached home in safety."

On another occasion several 3'oung men re- siding on the Clear Fork started off to visit a pigeon roost, situated in a swamp near the pres- ent site of Danville in Knox County. Arriving at the swamp, and not knowing the exact local- it}' of the roost, they separated, arid, surround- ing it, were to proceed inwardly until the roost was discovered, or they should meet in the cen- ter. They had only advanced a short distance when one of the party, Alexander McKee, aroused a bear that had taken lodgings in the swamp. The animal immediately rushed upon McKee, seizing him by the leg just as he reached the branch of a tree he was trjdng to ascend. He held on with a death-grip, and shouted for assist- ance. His companions coming up, the bear let go his hold, and, rising on his hind feet, faced his new assailants, ready for fight. A rifle ball through the head sent him dancing a jig, and

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