[Pg. 400]

1805

     "Major CARTER's son, HENRY, a smart boy of about eleven years, was drowned at the mouth of the river.  Search was made along the beach for the body, many days without effect.  DAVID ABBOTT built the Cuyahoga Packet" at Chagrin river, a schooner of twenty-tons, which sailed on lake Erie until the war, when it was captured by the British." - (BARR.)
     Judge HUNTINGTON about this time abandoned his hewed log house, the most aristocratic residence in Cleveland city, and removed to the mills he had purchased at the falls of Mill creek.  This was probably owing to the same cause, which induced other families to prefer the highlands, the prevalence here of the detestable ague.  What is now Newburg was then much the largest settlement
     This was the year of the final settlement with the Indians, for their claims to lands west of the river.  WM. DEAN, on his return from the treaty ground, writes to Judge HUNTINGTON as follows:  The letter is superscribed to "The Hon'l. SAM'L. HUNTINGTON, at the mills near Cleaveland," and is dated "On board the sloop Contractor, near Black river, July 7, 1805."
     "Dear Sir: - On the 4th instant, we closed a treaty with the Indians, for the unextinguished part of the Connecticut Reserve, and on account of the

[Pg. 401]
United States; for all the lands south of it, to the west line.  Mr. PHELPS and myself pay about $7,000 in cash, and about $12,000 in six yearly payments, of $2,000 each.  The government pays $13,860, that is the annual interest, to the Wyandots, Delawares, Munsees, and to those Senecas on the land, forever.  The expense of the treaty will be about $5,000, including rum, tobacco, bread, meat, presents, expenses of the seraglio, the commissioners, agents and contractors.  I write in haste, being extremely sorry I have not time to send you a copy of the treaty.  You will see General CHAMPION, who will be able to give you further information.
     Having some intention of making a purchase of considerable tracts of land, in different parts of the Reserve, amounting to about 30,000 acres; I beg of you to inform me what I should allow per acre, payments equal to cash; and address me at Easton, Pa.  From thence, if I make a contract, I expect, with all speed, to send fifteen or twenty families of prancing Dutchmen."

     ABRAHAM TAPPEN, of Unionville, Ashtabula Co., O., among many reminiscences of the surveys and settlements, thus refers to this treaty.
     "Owing to various causes, a treaty for the extinguishment of the Indian title to the Company's land west of the Cuyahoga, and also the Sufferers', or Fire Land, was not held until June 1805.  Cleveland was designated as the place for holding the treaty.

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[Pg. 406]

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A DISTRESSING SHIPWRECK

WHEELER W., WM. W., and WILLIAM WHEELER.
Our immediate ancestors were not as well versed in orthography as they were in penmanship.  The disturbances of the Revolution, had a depressing effect upon education, even in New England.

1806

     "Early in the spring, Mr. HUNTER, his wife and one child, with a colored man, called BEN, and a colored boy, were driven ashore in a skiff, a short distance east of Rocky river.  The shore at that place is a rocky cliff, nearly perpendicular.  They held as fast to the rocks as possible, the surges breaking over them continually.
     "The wreck occurred on Friday, and the storm continued to increase that night.  On Saturday there was no abatement, and the children died.  Mrs. HUNTER expired on Sunday, and Mr. HUNTER on Monday.  Some traders were passing along the coast for Detroit on Tuesday, and discovering BEN, who was the only survivor, brought him back to Cleveland.  He was almost naked, having for three days and four nights kept his position on the cliffs, without a morsel to eat, by means of some bushes which grew in the crevices of the rocks.  Major CARTER took care of BEN, and treated him kindly, for a year or more, while he was an invalid.  The flesh came off from his lower limbs, rendering him a very disagreeable object.

[Pg. 408]

SURVEYS WEST OF THE RIVER.

     "Surveys were commenced this year on the lands west of the Cuyahoga river.  This brought many strangers to the place, which contained more white people than ever before.  The year was rendered conspicuous by the holding of a militia training.  They marched and countermarched to the lively roll of JOSEPH BURKE'S drum, which he had used in the Revolutionary War, and to the soul-stirring strains of LEWIS DILLE'S fife.  They were all undoubtedly brave, many of them bearing on their shoulders the old fire-arms of the Revolution."
     "The little settlement sustained a severe loss in the death of DAVID CLARK, and received a valuable accession in Judge WALWORTH and Major PERRY, Senior." - (BARR.)

     ABRAHAM TAPPEN, an old surveyor, proposed to run the town lines.  The following extracts are from a full account of the survey by himself, published in the Cleveland Herald, in January, 1851:
     "I had spoken to Mr. AMOS SESSIONS to join with me, and endeavor to obtain a contract for surveying the new purchase the coming season.  Mr. SESSIONS was not a surveyor, but he was a man then in the prime of life, and possessing energy of character, and great perseverance in business he undertook, would make him a safe and trustworthy partner.  We accordingly made the following proposals to be laid before the Directors:

[Pg. 409]

SURVEYS WEST OF THE RIVER.

'PAINESVILLE, August 20th, 1805.

     'To GEN. HENRY CHAMPION: - We will survey the land belonging to the Connecticut Land Company, west of the Cuyahoga river, at the rate of (blank) dollars, (blank) cents per mile.  We will survey it into townships, and make other sub-divisions as shall be directed by the Company.  We will plainly blaze and accurately chain the lines; will map, and return field, book, &c.  We will begin and finish the survey next season.  For the purpose of furnishing provisions and other necessaries for said survey to receive (blank) dollars in hand at the commencement of the survey; remainder at the close.  For the well and faithful performance of such survey, we will bind ourselves in bonds with sufficient security.

'ABR'M TAPPEN
'ANSON SESSIONS.'

     The contract was made, the work commenced and vigorously prosecuted during the season. 
     "From the west side of the Reserve, five hundred thousand acres of land, was to be measured off by the surveyor of the Fire Land Company.  ALMON RUGGLES, Esq., was the surveyor of that Company.  The balance of the Reserve, from the east line of the Fire Land to the Cuyahoga river, was comprised in our contract for Surveying, amounting to some eight hundred and thirty thousand acres.  We agreed to and did meet in Cleveland on the 15th of May, to-

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THE SURVEYORS OF CLEVELAND.

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SURVEYS WEST OF THE RIVER.

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THE SURVEYORS OF CLEVELAND.

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PROGRESS OF THE SURVEY.

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THE FIRE LANDS TRACT.

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THE FIRST CUSTOM HOUSE

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T. D. WEBB'S STATEMENT.

     The Cuyahoga had one advantage which Grand river had not.  Its boatable waters approached those of the Tuescarawas, having a portage of only seven miles, to reach indefinite canoe navigation connection with the Ohio river.  This route began again to be regarded as important expecting through it to obtain commercial intercourse of much value.  A scheme for improving the rivers and portages was already under discussion.

1807.

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A SOCIAL PARTY.

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SENECA'S IDEAS OF JUSTICE.

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HUDSON READY FOR WAR.

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HOW NICKSHAW WAS KILLED.

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DEATH OF SENECA.

the Seneca nation among us, will harm our citizens and their property.
                                                                    "I am, sir, respectfully yours,
                                                                                      SAM'L HUNTINGTON."

     SENECA, who according to Mr. CARTER'S statement, was a brother of BIG SON, is well spoken of by all the early settlers.  The late EDWARD PAINE of Chardon, was the companion of the STILES family during the dreary and severe winter of 1796-7.  After setting forth the conduct and character of the Indians who frequented the Cuyahoga, he says, "That they are capable of disinterested benevolence, and confer favors when none are expected, cannot be doubed by any one acquainted with Seneca, or as his tribe called him, "STIGWANISH."  This in English means "Standing Stone."  In him there was the dignity of the Roman, the honesty of Aristides, and the benevolence of PENN.  He was never known to ask a donation, but would accept one as he ought, but not suffer it to rest here.  An appropriate return was soon to be made.  He was so much of a tetotaler as to abjure ardent spirits, since in a drunken spree, he had aimed a blow at his wife with a tomahawk, and split the head of his child which was on her back."  His hoe was in Seneca county, Ohio, from whom it was probably named.  He also came to a violent death in 1816, at the hands of JACOB AMMOND of Holmes county, Ohio.  AMMOND claims that it was done in self-defence, SENECA having first fired upon him.1

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

     During this year the great scheme for opening communication between lake Erie and the Ohio river was put before the public.  Resolutions had been offered by JOSHUA FORMAN in the New York Legislature, for a survey of a canal to connect Hudson river with lake Erie.
     The improvement of the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas was then the great idea, of this part of the country and of Ohio.
     It was thought if twelve thousand dollars could by some means be raised, the channels of those streams could be cleared of logs and trees, and the Portage path made passable for loaded wagons.  Thus goods might ascend the Cuyahoga in boats to the Old Portage, be hauled seven miles to the Tuscarawas, near New Portage, and thence descend that stream in batteaux.  This great object excited so much attention, that the Legislature authorized a lottery to raise the money.  A copy of the scheme, and one of the tickets is here given.

     Q                                               No. 11441.

CUYAHOGA AND MUSKINGUM NAVIGATION
LOTTERY.

     THIS ticket entitles the bearer to such Prize as shall be drawn against its number (if called for within twelve months after the drawing is completed,) subject to a deduction of 12½ per cent.
No. 11441.

                                                         J. WALWORTH, {Agent for the Board of Commissioners.

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