"What constitutes a State?
Not high-raised battlements, or labor'd mound;
Thick wall or moted gate;
Not cities proud, with spires and turrets crown'd:
No! Men, high-minded men;
Men, who their duties know;
But know their rights, and, knowing, dare maintain, -
These constitute a State."

THE TOWN OF ASHLAND.

     Ashland was originally known as Uniontown, and was laid out July 28, 1815, by William Montgomery.  It retained the name of Uniontown until the establishment of a postoffice in 1822.  There was another Uniontown in the state and the name given the postoffice was Ashland, and the town has changed to the same name.
     The following were among the first families which located there:  William Montgomery, Jacob Shaffer, Elias Slocum, George W. Palmer, Alanson Andrews, Samuel Urie, Joseph Sheets, David Markley, Amos Antibus, Joel Luther, and Mr. Nightingale.  Joseph Shaffer, above named, was a shoemaker and a revolutionary soldier, and lived in a small dwelling upon the lot later occupied by the store of Judge Wick.
     Daniel Carter, from Butler county, Pennsylvania, raised the first cabin in the place about the year 1811, which stood where the store of William Granger was later in Ashland.  Robert Newell, three miles east, and Mr. Fry, one and one-half miles north of the village, raised cabins about the same time.  In 1817 the first store was opened by Joseph Sheets.
     Francis Graham gave the following statement of the early settlement of the town:
     The first school was kept by Mr. Williamson, a cripple, in 1821 and 1822.
     The first church was erected by the Methodists, on the lot where the courthouse now stands, and was of stone.
     The first blacksmith was the late Samuel Urie.  The shop stood where the Citizen's Bank was built, on Main street.
     The first cabinet-maker and undertaker was the late Colonel Alexander Miller, who resided on the Daniel Gray lot.
     The first tinner was John Croft, who was secured by the late George Swineford, on the lot where the agricultural works of Whitney & Company are now.  The next, the late Hugh Davis, at the east end of town.
     The first carding-machine was owned by the late Andrew Drumb, associated with his brother, the late Uriah Drumb.
     Mr. Swineford, also an early settler in Ashland, gave the following account:
     The first grist-mill in Montgomery township, one mile north of Ashland, by Thomas Oram, in spring of 1816.
     First sawmill, two miles from Ashland, in Milton township, by Allen Lockhart.
     First church, Methodist Episcopal, at Eckley's, now Smith's mills, in Vermillion township, 1819, and Old Hopewell, in Milton, 1817.
     First dry-goods store in Uniontown, Joseph Sheets, succeeded by Francis Graham.
     First blacksmith, Ludwick Cline, on Wooster road, two miles east of Ashland.
     First cabinet-maker and undertaker, the late Alexander Miller.
     First carding-machine, store where Smith's mill now is in Vermillion township, built by Andrew Newman; the next by the late Andrew and Uriah Drumb, in Ashland.
     The first tannery stood where Whiting's agricultural works now stand, built by John Croft, and subsequently owned by the late George Swineford.
     The first wagon-shop, where Barkholder's sawmill now stands, and was owned by Henry Wachtell.
     The first blacksmith in Ashland was the late Samuel Urie.
     The second cabinet-maker in Ashland, the late Jacob Grubb.
     Ashland is eighty-nine miles northwest of Columbus, and fourteen from Mansfield.
     Ashland will go steadily forward in the increase of her population in wealth, and number of valuable improvements.  It is surrounded by a fine, productive country, and can sustain a much greater population.
     "Ashland - A 20th Century Inland City," a chapter on the Ashland of today, will be found elsewhere in this work, written by William A. Duff, a promising young writer who was born and reared in Ashland.
     Francis Graham, who was for many years a prominent citizen of Ashland county, came to Uniontown (now Ashland) in 1821, and brought with him from Sandusky City a small stock of dry-goods and groceries.  Uniontown at that time was a small village, containing about fourteen or fifteen families; a small tannery, two distilleries, a sawmill, a wheelwright shop, a blacksmith shop, and there was one physician there at that time - Dr. Joel Luther.  Mr. Graham stated that previous to this, David Murphy, in 1818, had brought to Uniontown a small stock of goods, but did not replenish his stock.  Mr. Graham upon his arrival, found Uniontown without a store, without a church, without a tavern and without a postoffice.  Mr. Graham said: "Upon my arrival with my stock I rented a room for my goods from Mr. Sheets, and engaged board with him at one dollar a week.  Said Sheets entertained travelers when they called, there being no tavern in the place.  In 1822, John Hall, the wheelwright, opened a tavern in a small building, which was some years after moved back to give place for what was afterward the Slocum House.  I found goods in demand, but no money in the country to buy them.  They would go off like hot cakes if I would sell on credit but that would be a dangerous course for me to pursue, as my means were quite limited, and if my goods were sold without getting in exchange for them something that would buy more, it would place me in a critical situation; but I saw no alternative, and trust I must; at the same time I would take in exchange for my goods anything I could turn into money, or considered better than goods, and in pursuing that course, I found some hard bargains on my hands before the year came round.
     The products of the country brought low prices at any time, from the fact that there was no market or demand for them beyond home consumption.  It was very difficult for people to raise money to pay their taxes.  Wheat might have been had for twenty-five cents a bushel, cash, but no one wanted it only for family use; consequently there were no large quantities of that article raised.  Oats traded off at twelve to fifteen cents a bushel; corn was in better demand, and brought in store goods from fifteen to twenty cents per bushel, and became almost a lawful tender, because it could be converted into whiskey.
     The farmers sold their corn to the merchant for goods or to the distiller for whiskey, and sometimes took it west myself.  Horses, cattle, and hogs were sought for to some extent by trading men.

MARKET PRICES FROM 1817 TO 1824.

FEATURES OF PIONEER LIFE.

IN THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.

[Picture of Ashland County Infirmary]

[Picture of Ashland College, Ashland]

THE EARLY SETTLERS.

SETTLEMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS.

[Picture of THENARROWS Up the Clear Fork, Near Loudonville]

SETTLING IN THE WILDERNESS.

LEADING ROADS AND WATERWAYS-
STAGE LINES, TAVERNS AND FLATBOATS.

BLOCKHOUSES.

[Picture of BLOCK-HOUSE AT JERMOMEVILLE]

THE PIONEERS
SEEK REFUGE IN THE BLOCKHOLDERS.

ADVENTURES AND LIFE IN THE BLOCKHOUSES.

THE EARLY MILLS.

[Picture of JEROME MILLS]

[Picture of JEROMEVILLE BRIDGE]

THE PIONEER PERIOD.
PG. 69

REMINISCENCE OF PIONEER TIMES.

THE PIONEER PERIOD.
PG. 69

REMINISCENCES OF A PIONEER.
PG. 70.

     Pioneer JONAS H. GIERHART gave the following account of his early life in Jackson township.  He removed from Maryland to the vicinity of Polk in July 1817.  The township was then unorganized and formed a part of Perry.  His nearest neighbor resided about two miles south of him, while on the north, he believed there was not a single white family between him and the lake.  When he came to the county with his wife and child,,, he placed the two latter in temporary charge of the family of Martin Hester, (being the place owned by David and Henry Fluke,) in Orange township, about three miles distant from the tract he owned.  The land above mentioned was in its wild condition, not a tree or shrub being cut, and of course without a cabin to afford him and his little family shelter.  On the first day he made a small clearing and preparation for raising a cabin.  This work he done himself, although utterly inexperienced in the use of the woodman's axe, as he had never in his life chopped a cord of wood, made a fence rail, or cut down or even deadened a tree, having previously worked only upon farms long cultivated.  On the second day his wife requested to visit the home her husband was engaged in preparing and accompany him to it with their child.  They accordingly set out on horseback, and in due time reached the place, when he proceeded with his work, and Mrs. Gierhart employed herself with her needle and the care of their little child.  One of the mares had been belled and hobbled, and, with her mate, was permitted to range for such food as the woods afforded.  Thus the day nearly passed, and toward evening the sound of the bell had disappeared, and Mr. Gierhart, taking in his arms his little child, and leaving his wife under the shelter of a tree, started in search of his beasts.  His animals had wondered much greater a distance than he had supposed; but he finally recovered the one that had been hobbled, and mounting it with his child, set out on his return to his wife.  He had not traveled far before he discovered that he was unable to find the blazed timber; and concluded it the safer way to make for the Jerome Fork, and he would be enabled to intersect the trail that led from Martin Hester's to his land.  On his way he met an old hunter, named John McConnell, to whom he explained his situation, and asked aid in finding his way back to his wife.  Mr. McConnell gave it as his opinion that he could not that night reach the place, but proposed that he remain at the house of Mr. Hester, then not far distant, until morning.  On their way to Hester's they struck the blazes which led to the place where he had parted with his wife; and committing his child to the care of Mr. McConnell, with directions to leave it with Mrs. Hester, he determined, against the protest of Mr. McConnell, who assured him of the impossibility of success, (as night was then rapidly approaching,) to go to the relief of his desolate wife.  He accordingly pressed forward on his way, guided by the blazed trees, and continued until the darkness rendered the marks upon the trees undistinguishable.  Here was before him a "night of terror" indeed - such a one as he had never passed, and never dreamed that he would be called upon to pass.  The thought of his helpless wife, in the depth of a wilderness of which the savage beast was the almost undisputed monarch, and no possible hope of affording any relief before the dawn of another day, was enough to wring any soul with agony.  Despite the darkness, he plunged blindly forward a few rods in what he supposed might be the right direction, and then, impressed with the utter hopelessness of proceeding farther, halted; and, raising a voice, the power of which was made terrible by his agony, called to his wife.  Its echoes reached her, and were recognized.  She sent fort her answer, but her voice having less compass than that of her husband, the sound did not reach his ear.  In his despair he laid himself down beside a tree, and maintained his sleepless vigils until morning, when he resumed his search, and finally came upon the trail he was seeking  Pursuing it rapidly, he soon reached Mrs. Gierhart, who had wisely maintained her position throughout the night, notwithstanding the distraction of mind which her anxiety for safety of her husband and child her own lonely situation, and the distant howling of wolves, were all calculated to inspire.  Soon after he had found his wife, and while they were yet relating to each other the experiences of the night, they heard the blowing of horns, and were soon met by neighbors, who had been alarmed by Mr. McConnell, who had started forth at the first dawn of day in pursuit of the lost husband and wife.

AS TOLD BY THE PIONEERS.
PG. 72.

[Picture of partial view of PARTIAL VIEW OF LOUDONVILLE]

[Picture of MAIN STREET, LOUDONVILLE]

KATOTAWA.
PG. 78

     Upon the theory that the traditions of a place are a part of its history, we give the traditions of the locality in the eastern part of Ashland county known as Katotawa, copying the following from the Times?
     "Your correspondent has received numerous inquiries as to the correct pronunciation and spelling of Katotawa.  My own way of spelling is as I have always spelled it and pronounce it Ka-tot-a-waw.  There is no real authority for spelling the word and every one can spell it has own way if he chooses.   Will give some of the numerous ways of spelling:  Catotaway, Katawawa, Katotowa, etc. or if you wish you can grind it out thus; Cha-tacht-a waugh and still be correct.  Believing with Josh Billings that the easiest way of spelling a word is as it is pronounced I think my way as near correct as any other.  Perhaps a sketch of the tradition of Katotawa will be interesting to the readers of the Times.  Old Katotawa was a chief of one of the many tribes of Indians that once populated this - then wilderness.  Through our valley runs a small stream which has its source near Polk and flows southward, unites with the creeks east of Ashland and flows into what is called Jeromefork.  On the banks of the former stream Old Katotawa or 'Cha-tacht-a-waugh' often pitched his tent and fished in its  waters which are always cool being fed by fresh water springs and small tributaries, and once well stocked with river trout.  When advancing civilization reached this point, as usual, the 'noble red man' was significantly pointed toward the setting sun and given Horace Greeley's advice 'Go West.'  The Indians were steadily crowded back from the frontier but not however, without several desperate fights of which the History of Ashland county gives sketches..  Katotawa, then a very old man, remained alone in his hut on the banks of the stream, the few remaining days of his life.  Some say that he was killed - beheaded; and the superstitious claimed that his ghost - the ghost of a headless body wandered along the river on dark and foggy nights.  Your correspondent never had the pleasure of seeing his royal ghostship or any one who ever did; yet this is part of the tradition of Katotawa.  The stream has ever since been known by that name which it is said was given by this old sachem and the prosperous valley along the Katotawa stream we call the Katotawa valley."

HISTORIC LYONS' FALLS.

OLD TOM LYONS.

     Tom Lyons, an old Indian of an infamous character, who had taken a bloody part in the Wyoming massacre, (1778), was killed in the southern part of Ashland county in about 1820, by a young man named Joe Haynes to avenge the murder of a kinsman.  The killing occurred on the outskirts of the Leedy swamp, in the southern part of Jefferson township, Richland county.  He was an ugly looking savage, and was known to all the pioneers.
     On a few occasions he related his achievements.  He had been in many battles on the border, and had taken many scalps.  He related some of his acts of extreme cruelty, and a few of his barbarities inflicted upon teh wives and children of the border settlers.  He was with the other Greentown and Jerometown Indians in the battle of the Fallen Timbers.

THE INDIAN HUNTER.
(Tom McConnell)

[Picture of SANDUSKY STREET, ASHLAND]

[Picture of CLEVELAND AVENUE, ASHLAND]

SIMON GIRTY.

     The notorious renegade, Simon Girty, was the son of a notorious drunkard, who had emigrated from Ireland.  The old man was beastly intemperate, and nothing ranked higher in his estimation than a jug of whiskey.  His sottishness turned his wife's affections, and she yielded her heart to another, who knocked Girty on the head, and bore off the trophy in his prowess.  Four sons remained behind, Thomas, Simon, George and Games.  Three latter were taken prisoners in Braddock's war, by the Indians.  George was adopted by the Delawares, and died in a drunken fit.  James was adopted by the Shawnees, and became a bloody villain.  Simon was adopted by the Senecas, and became an expert hunter.  In Kentucky and Ohio, he distinguished himself as an unrelenting barbarian.  It was his constant wish that he might die in battle.  this was gratified.  He was cut to pieces, by Colonel Johnson's mounted men, at Proctor's defeat.

JOHNNYCAKE AND HIS WIFE.

A PIONEER TALK.
Essey by Miss Rosella Rice (now deceased) read
Before the Ashland County Association in 1879

[picture]

MISS ROSELLA RICE.

EARLY DAY SPORTS.

A SALT BOILING INCIDENT.

FACTS VERSUS FICTION.