Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/83

 HISTORY OF OHIO.

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��gave him and his associates 248,540 acres, exclu- sive of reservations which amounted to 63,142 acres. This tract was bounded by the Ohio, the two Miamis and a due east and west hne run so as to include the desired quantity. Symmes, how- ever, made no further payments, and the rest of his purchase reverted to the United States, who gave those who had bought under him ample pre- emption rights.

The Grovernment was able, also, to give him and his colonists but little aid, and as danger from hos- tile Indians was in a measure imminent (though all the natives were friendly to Symmes), settlers were slow to come. However, the band led by Mr. Stites arrived before the 1st of January, 1789, and locating themselves near the mouth of the Little Miami, on a tract of 10,000 acres which Mr. Stites had purchased from Symmes, formed the second settlement in Ohio. They were soon afterward joined by a colony of twenty-six persons, who assisted them to erect a block-house, and gather their corn. The town was named Columbia. While here, the great flood of January, 1789, oc- curred, which did much to ensure the future growth of Losantiville, or tnore properly, Cincin- nati. Symmes City, which was laid out near the mouth of the Great Miami, and which he vainly strove to make the city of the future. Marietta and Columbia, all suffered severely by this flood, the greatest, the Indians said, ever known. The site of Cincinnati was not overflowed, and hence attracted the attention of the settlers. Denman's warrants had designated his purchase as opposite the mouth of the Licking; and that point escap- ing the overflow, late in December the place was visited by Israel Ludlow, Symmes' surveyor, Mr. Patterson and Mr. Denman, and about fourteen oth- ers, who left Maysville to "form a station and lay off a town opposite the Licking." The river was filled with ice "from shore to shore;" but, says Symmes in May, 1789, "Perseverance triumphing over difiiculty, and they landed safe on a most de- lightful bank of the Ohio, where they founded the town of Losantiville, which populates consid- erably." The settlers of Losantiville built a few log huts and block-houses, and proceeded to im- prove the town. Symmes, noticing the location, says: "Thou.gh they placed their dwellings in the most marked position, yet they suffered nothing from the freshet." This would seem to give cre- dence to Judge Burnett's notes regarding the origin of Cincinnati, who states the settlement was made at this time, and not at the time mentioned when

��iMr. Filson named the town. It is further to be noticed, that, before the town was located by Mr. Ludlow and Mr. Patterson, Mr. Filson had been killed by the Miami Indians, and, as he had not paid for his one-third of the site, the claim was sold to Mr. Ludlow, who thereby became one of the origi- nal owners of the place. Just what day the town was laid out is not recorded. All the evidence tends to show it must have been late in 1788, or early in 1789.

While the settlements on the north side of the Ohio were thus progressing, south of it fears of the Indians prevailed, and the separation sore was kept open. The country was, however, so torn by internal factions that no plan was likely to suc- ceed, and to this fact, in a large measure, may be credited the reason it did not secede, or join the Spanish or French faction, both of which were intriguing to get the commonwealth. During this year the treasonable^ acts of James Wilkinson came into view. For a while he thought success was in his grasp, but the two governments were at peace with America, and discountenanced any such efforts. Wilkinson, like all traitors, relapsed into nonentity, and became mistrusted by the govern- ments he attempted to befriend. Treason is al- ways odious.

It will be borne in mind, that in 1778 prepa- rations had been made for a treaty with the Indi- ans, to secure peaceful possession of the lands owned in the West. Though the whites held these by purchase and treaty, yet many Indians, especially the Wabash and some of the Miami In- dians, objected to their occupation, claiming the Ohio boundary as the original division line. Clarke endeavored to obtain, by treaty at Fort Harmar, in 1778, a confirmation of these grants, but was not able to do so till January, 9, 1789. Rep- resentatives of the Six Nations, and of the Wyau- dots, Delawares, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawato- mies and Sacs, met him at this date, and confirmed and extended the treaties of Fort Stanwix and Fort Mcintosh, the one in 1784, the other in 1785. This secured peace with the most of them, save a few of the Wabash Indians, whom they were compelled to conquer by arms. When this was accomplished, the borders were thought safe, and Virginia proposed to withdraw her aid in sup- port of Kentucky. This opened old troubles, and the separation dogma came out afresh. Virginia offered to allow the erection of a separate State, providing Kentucky would assume part of the old debts. This the young commonwealth would not

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