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     THE JAMES FORAY -

     In the month of February, 1795, Jonas Davis, one of the Ohio company's settlers, was killed by Indians near the mouth of Crooked creek.  Major John James and three friends determined that they would avenge the murder, and started in pursuit.  Following is an account of their experience as written by Hildreth:  "The day after the death of Davis, a party of four young men, headed by John James, one of the most active and resolute of the borderers, proceeded down the Ohio in a canoe in pursuit of the murderers of Davis.  The rangers at Gallipolis had ascertained that a party of Indians were hunting on the head of Symmes creek, and then the direction pursued by the war party in their retreat, they were led to think they belonged to the land.  With all diligence they hastened on to the mouth of the Big

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Kanawha, in expectation of being joined there by volunteers from the garrison; but none turned out, declining to do so on account of the armistice made with the Indians after their defeat by General Wayne.  Proceeding on to Gallipolis and making known the object of their pursuit, four men volunteered their aid and joined them.  From this place they hastened onward to Raccoon creek, and ranged up that stream one day, without making any discovery of the Indians.  Here one of their men fell sick and turned back, while another had to accompany him, leaving only six to continue on the pursuit.  The following day they reached the heads of Symmes creek, where is a large pond, about a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide, a famous place for trapping beaver.  They soon fell upon signs of the Indians and on a bush by the edge of the pond found an Indian's cap made of beaver skin, which he had left to mark the spot where his trap was set.  Mr. James took this into his own keeping.  As it was near sunset, the party secreted themselves behind a large fallen tree, waiting for night, when they intended to attack the Indians in their camp, make one fire, and rush on with their tomahawks, not thinking the hunting party could number more than eight or ten men, but they subsequently found they amounted to near forty, divided into two camps, one on each side of the pond.  They had lain concealed but a short time when an Indian who had been out hunting came insight, and was closely examining the trail made by the whites, knowing that it was that of strangers.  When he came within forty or fifty yards, one of the part, Joseph Miller, fired, and the Indian fell.  As Mr. James rushed up with his tomahawk, he raised the war cry, and was instantly answered by his comrades from their camp, distant not more than two or three hundred yards, for they directly came rushing up in force, before James could accomplish his purpose, and with his party he was obliged rapidly to retreat, as the Indians far outnumbered them.  Seeing the whites likely to escape they set their dogs on their trail, who came yelping and barking at their heels, like hounds in pursuit of a fax.  Fortunately, it soon came so dark that their enemies could not see their trail, and followed only by the barking of the dogs.  For a day or two preceding

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it had rained heavily and when they reached the east fork of the creek, it was too high for fording.  They hastily made a raft of dry logs, but it became entangled in the bushes in the creek bottom, which was all overflowed, so that they had to abandon it.  Their escape this way being cut off, they were forced to return to the ridge between the two branches, and travel up until they could cross by fording.  A little before morning they halted and rested themselves until daylight, the dogs for some time having ceased to pursue them, or by barking to give notice of their position.  Soon after this, they found a fordable place in the creek and crossed over.  Here they lay an hour or two, waiting for the Indians, expecting them to pursue the trail with daylight, and intending to fire upon them in the water; but they did not come, having probably crossed higher up the stream.  When they reached Raccoon creek, that was also full, and had to be crossed on a raft.  The party reached Gallipolis the next day at evening.  Colonel Robert Safford, of Gallipolis, then acting as a ranger, went out the next morning and found the trail of the Indians pursuing the whites to within a short distance of the town.  The pond of Symmes creek is distant about one hundred miles from Belpre, and shows this to have been one of the most hazardous, daring and long continued pursuits after a depredating band of Indians which occurred during the war; reflecting great credit on the spirited men who conducted it.  It was the last warfare with the savages from this part of the territory.  The pond referred to above was located on the Black Fork of Symmes creek.

     TREATY OF GREENVILLE - General Wayne remained in the Indian country until he had accomplished all that he had been sent to do.  It was not enough to subdue the Indians.  They could not be exterminated nor removed from the territory, but it was necessary that they be induced to bury the tomahawk.  He worked to secure a treaty that all the tribes would recognize.  After much conciliatory work the Great Council assembled at Greenville on June 10, 1795.  During its sessions the chiefs were won over one by one, and on Aug. 3, 1795, the treaty of Greenville was signed

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by General Wayne and ninety chiefs and delegates of twelve tribes.  By this treaty all the territory south of the Greenville line was ceded by the Indians to the whites, for a consideration.  The ceded territory included what is now Jackson county, and the date above saw the Indian dominion over it ended forever.

     THE FIRST SALT BOILER - The time had now come for a permanent settlement at the Scioto licks.  Their location was common property and only fear of the Indians had kept out squatters.  The honor of being the first salt boiler to settle at the licks belongs to Joseph Conklin.  When the Great Council at Greenville was in session, he was living in Mason county, Kentucky.  He had his thoughts on the rich licks in the woods, however, and when the news of the treaty reached him, he at once gathered together his effects, and taking his family with him, he set out into the wilderness.  A companion or two joined him.  They crossed the Ohio and took the Guyan trace.  One evening they reached the sulphur spring that wells out at the foot of Broadway.  There they rested and camped for the night, and the history of Poplar Row began.  Conklin at once set to work to build a cabin.  Its location is not known, but judging from the circumstances and the condition of the surface surrounding the licks, it is believed that he built near the sulphur spring already mentioned.  This done, the work of making salt was hastily undertaken to secure a supply before the fall rains set in.  He used the salt water basins that the Indians had cut in the sandstone at the riffle just below the mouth of Givens' run and built his first furnace on the bank near by.  This furnace was a very simple affair, being little more than a kettle or two, something like a molasses camp. All hands worked hard at
salt making.  It was not long until a few persons came in from the Ohio company's lands to make some salt before winter.  There also came other visitors, not as* desirable, viz; the Indians.  After the treaty of Greenville, several bands came to the licks, little thinking that the white man was already there.  They were peaceable, however, and soon discovered that the white man was a convenience after all.  The Indian warriors disliked the drudgery

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of salt making, and they were well pleased when they found that Conklin, and his companions were willing and anxious to barter salt for game and other necessaries.  Thus commenced a trade with the Indians that continued for several years, some of them visiting the salt works even after the organization of the county.  Among them were Shawanese, Senecas, Delawares and representatives of many other tribes.
     Conklin prospered at the licks, but he was only a squatter, and he foresaw that conditions would change before many year
had passed.  In 1801 he had a fine furnace and one of the richest wells, and when William Givens proposed to buy them, he sold out and moved away, settling near Wheeler's Mills, in Scioto county.

     CONGRESS ACTS - John Nicholson never came into possession of the springs.  Their discovery and location soon became known to the General Government, and they were set aside for the use of the whole people.  This action was taken May 18, 1796, when an act of Congress was approved, providing for the sale of lands in the territory northwest of the Ohio.  The reference to the licks is found in the third section of that act, which is as follows:
     Section 3. Be it further enacted, That a salt spring lying upon a creek which empties in the Scioto river, on the east sider together with as many contiguous sections as shall be equal to one township, and every other salt spring which may be discovered, together with the section of one mile square, which includes it, also four sections at the center of every township, containing each one mile square, shall be reserved for the future disposal of the United States; but there shall be no reservations except for salt springs, in fractional townships, where the fraction is less than three fourths of a township.

     THE SECOND SALT BOILER - John Martin, who came to the Scioto licks in 1796, was the second salt boiler of whom there is record, and the first to remain in the neighborhood.  He thus became the founder of the oldest family in the county.  The first

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ancestor of whom there is record was James Martin, who was born in Ireland in the early part of the last century.  Like many another young Irishman, he emigrated, and settled in Pennsylvania.  He found his wife there.  In a few years he went south to Maryland.  Little is known of their family.  A son was born to them in 1772, whom they named John.  Two other sons were named Hugh and James, but our story concerns John only.  His youth covered the stormy years of the Revolution, when he could enjoy only few advantages, but he developed that sturdy manhood which made America free.  Nothing is known of his Maryland life except that he acted as teamster for a time and hauled flour from the Ellicott mills to Baltimore.

     When the news came of the successful issue of the Indian war in Ohio, Martin was one of many whose thoughts turned toward the west.  In 1796 he started through the wilderness for the new born Buckeye state, and did not stop until he reached (he Scioto Salt Works, now known as Jackson.  Here he found employment at the salt works, which occupation he followed for many years. He worked for the firm of Ross & Nelson, and afterward for John Johnson and others.  Other members of his family came here, including his father.  The latter left in later years and went to Tennessee, where he died in 1816, after marrying a second time. The manufacture of salt became less profitable with the discovery of stronger brine in other parts of the state, and John Martin then turned his thoughts to farming.  He entered a large tract of land in what is now Franklin township, and removed there to live, where he spent the rest of his life until 1856, when he returned to this city to live with his son Courtney.  He died Dec. 15, 1858, aged 86 years, 11 months and 6 days.  He had been a member of the M. E. Church here for 45 years.  His remains were interred in the old cemetery, but were removed to Fairmount in 1900.  His wife survived him and lived with her son Courtney until her death, which occurred Dec. 26, 1866.  She was born in Maryland Dec. 25, 1786, her maiden name being Margaret Shoup.  Her family came to the salt works at an early day, where she was married to John Martin in 1805.  Another

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sister, Mrs. Sylvester, lived here until recent years.  Both united with the M. E. Church in 1801, and Mrs. Martin was a member for 65 years.  The Methodist meetings were held for many years at her home on Poplar Row, long before Jackson was laid out.

     John and Hugh Martin joined the Tupper expedition to Sandusky in the War of 1812.  Hugh was taken ill on the way and was left behind, but John served throughout the campaign, which was short but severe.
     John and Margaret Martin had a family of five children, who grew to maturity.  They were Courtney M., John M., Elizabeth, Nancy and Eliza.
     Courtney Mclntyre Martin was born in Lick township, in this county, Sept. 14, 1800.  Nancy Stephenson was born in Tacy's Valley, Cabell county, Virginia, August 22, 1800.  They were married October 10, 1831, Rev. Truit officiating.  Both died July 2, 1804.  Their funeral was held July 4, at 9 a. m., and both were buried in the same grave side by side.  Born within 23 days of each other, dying the same day, and buried in the same grave, their lot may be said to have been peculiarly happy.
     The second son, John M., was born in Franklin township in 1808.  He came to Jackson and went into business at an early period.  He was elected Treasurer of the county in 1834, and served until 1841.  He was elected Recorder in 1861 and served until 1867.  He was afterward postmaster of Jackson.  He died Jan. 20, 1884, aged 75 years.
     Elizabeth was married to Harmon Lowry. They removed to Vinton county in the fifties, and she died at McArthur several years ago from the effects of burns.
     Nancy was born Jan. 29, 1820.  She was married to Daniel Stewart and became the mother of eight children.  She died Aug. 4, 1892, aged 72 years, 6 months and 5 days.
     Eliza was the youngest and she survives.

     SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY - The growth of the settlement at the licks was very slow until after Ohio was admitted into the Union. The cause is not far to seek. As already mentioned,