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Historical Collections of Ohio

By Henry Howe

©1888

 

MORGAN COUNTY

 

Page 305

 

MORGAN COUNTY, named from Gen. Daniel Morgan, of the Revolution, was organized March 1, 1818. The Muskingum flows through the heart of the county, which, with its branches, furnishes considerable water-power. The surface is very hilly; the soil, limestone clay, strong and fertile.

 

Area about 400 square miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated were 57,506; in pasture, 120,966; woodland, 43,947; lying waste, 3,229; produced in wheat, 150,256 bushels; rye, 972; buckwheat, 240; oats, 74,190; barley, 108; corn, 482,299; broom-corn, 300 lbs. brush; meadow hay, 26,212 tons; clover hay, 1,772; potatoes, 37,802 bushels; tobacco, 123,080 lbs.; butter, 518,583; cheese, 450; sorghum, 2,883 gallons; maple syrup, 1,308; honey, 7,532 lbs.; eggs, 571,534 dozen; grapes, 23,040 lbs.; wine, 233 gallons; sweet potatoes, 2,126 bushels; apples, 4,181; peaches, 1,348; pears, 1,005; wool, 592,029 lbs.; milch cows owned, 4,876. School census, 1888, 6,066; teachers, 225. Miles of railroad track, 26.

 

 

 

Population of Morgan in 1820, 5,299; 1830, 11,800; 1840, 20,857; 1860, 22,119; 1880, 20,074, of whom 17, 789 were born in Ohio; 795, Pennsylvania; 467, Virginia; 65, New York; 27, Indiana; 13, Kentucky; 140, German Empire; 127, Ireland; 43, England and Wales; 15, British America; 5, France; and 4, Scotland. Census, 1890, 19,143.

 

The first settlement in this county, made at BIG BOTTOM, on the Muskingum, near the south line of the county, was broken up by the Indians. In the autumn of 1790 a company of thirty-six men went from Marietta and commenced the settlement. They erected a block-house on the first bottom on the east bank of the river, four miles above the mouth of Meigs creek. They were chiefly young, single men, but little acquainted with Indian warfare or military rules.

 

Those best acquainted with the Indians and those most capable of judging from appearances, had little doubt that they were preparing for hostilities, and strongly opposed the settlers going out that fall and advised their remaining until spring, by which time, probably, the question of war or peace would be settled. Even Gen. Putnam and the directors of the Ohio company, who gave away the land to have it settled, thought it risky and imprudent, and strongly remonstrated against venturing out at that time.

 

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about the house. Twenty men usually encamped in the house, a part of whom were now absent, and each individual and mess cooked for themselves. One end of the building was appropriated for a fire-place and when the day closed all came in, built a large fire and commenced cooking and eating their suppers.

 

The weather, for some time previous to the attack, as we learn from the diary of Hon. Paul Fearing, who lived at Fort Harmer, had been quite cold. In the midst of winter and with such weather as this, it was not customary for the Indians to venture out on war parties, and the early borderers had formerly thought themselves in a manner safe from their depredations during the winter months.

 

Two Cabins Built.—About twenty rods above the block-house and a little back from the bank of the river, two men, Francis and Isaac CHOATE, members of the company, had erected a cabin and commenced clearing their lots. Thomas SHAW, a hired laborer in the employ of the CHOATES, and James PATTON, another of the associates, lived with them. About the same distance below the garrison was an old “tomahawk improvement” and a small cabin, which two men, Asa and Eleazer BULLARD, had fitted up and now occupied. The Indian war-path from Sandusky to the mouth of the Muskingum, passed along on the opposite shore in sight of the river.

 

Indians Surprise and Destroy the Settlement.—The Indians who, during the summer, had been hunting and loitering about the settlements at Wolf’s creek mills and Plainfield, holding frequent and friendly intercourse with the settlers, selling them venison and bear meat in exchange for green corn and vegetables, had withdrawn early in the autumn and gone high up the river into the vicinity of their towns, preparatory to winter-quarters. Being well acquainted with all the approaches to these settlements, and the manner in which the inhabitants lived, each family in their own cabin, not apprehensive of danger, they planned and fitted out a war party for their destruction. It is said they were not aware of there being a settlement at Big Bottom until they came in sight of it on the opposite shore of the river in the afternoon. From a high hill opposite the garrison they had a view of all that part of the Bottom, and could see how the men were occupied and what was doing about the block-house. Having reconnoitered the station in this manner, just at twilight they crossed the river on the ice a little above and divided their men into two parties; the larger one to attack the block-house and the smaller one to make prisoners of the few men living in CHOATE’S cabin without alarming those below. The plan was skilfully arranged and promptly executed. As the party cautiously approached the cabin they found the inmates at supper; a party of the Indians entered, while others stood without by the door and addressed the men in a friendly manner. Suspecting no harm, they offered them a part of their food, of which they partook. Looking about the room the Indians espied some leather thongs and pieces of cord that had been used in packing venison, and taking the white men by their arms told them they were prisoners. Finding it useless to resist, the Indians being more numerous, they submitted to their fate in silence.

 

While this was transacting the other party had reached the block-house unobserved; even the dogs gave no notice of their approach, as they usually do, by barking; the reason probably was, that they were also within by the fire, instead of being on the alert for their masters’ safety. The door was thrown open by a stout Mohawk, who stepped in and stood by the door to keep it open, while his companions without shot down those around the fire. A man by the name of Zebulon THROOP, from Massachusetts, was frying meat and fell dead in the fire; several others fell at this discharge. The Indians then rushed in and killed all who were left with the tomahawk. No resistance seems to have been offered, so sudden and unexpected was the attack, by any of the men; but a stout backwoods Virginia woman, the wife of Isaac MEEKS, who was employed as their hunter, seized an axe and made a blow at the head of the Indian who opened the door; a slight turn of the head saved his skull and the axe passed down through his cheek into the shoulder, leaving a huge gash that severed nearly half his face; she was instantly killed by the tomahawk of one of his companions before she could repeat the stroke. This was all the injury received by the Indians, as the men were all killed before they had time to seize their arms, which stood in the corner of the room. While the slaughter was going on, John STACY, a young man in the prime of life, and the son of Col. William STACY, sprung up the stair-way and out onto the roof, while his brother Philip, a lad of sixteen, secreted himself under some bedding in the corner of the room. The Indians on the outside soon discovered the former and shot him while he was in the act of “begging them, for God’s sake, to spare his life, as he was the only one left.”

 

 

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lad, Philip STACY, was discovered; their tomahawks were instantly raised to dispatch him, when he threw himself at the feet of one of their leading warriors, begging him to protect him. The savage either took compassion on his youth or else, his revenge being satisfied with the slaughter already made, interposed his authority and saved his life. After removing everything they thought valuable, they tore up the floor, piled it on the dead bodies and set it on fire, thinking to destroy the block-house with the carcases of their enemies. The building being made of green beech logs the fire only consumed the floors and roof, leaving the walls still standing when visited the day after by the whites.

 

There were twelve persons killed in this attack, viz., John STACY, Ezra PUTNAM (son of Major Putnam of Marietta), John CAMP and Zebulon THROOP—those men were from Massachusetts; Jonathan FAREWELL and Jas. COUCH, from New Hampshire; William JAMES, from Connecticut; Joseph CLARK, from Rhode Island; Isaac MEEKS, his wife and two children, from Virginia. They were well provided with arms, and no doubt could have defended themselves had they taken proper precautions; but they had no old revolutionary officers with them to plan and direct their operations, as they had at all the other garrisons. If they had picketed their house and kept a regular sentry, the Indians would probably never have attacked them. They had no horses or cattle for them to seize upon as plunder, and Indians are not very fond of hard fighting when nothing is to be gained; but seeing the naked block-house, without any defences, they were encouraged to attempt its capture. Col. STACY, who had been an old soldier, well acquainted with Indian warfare in Cherry valley, and had two sons there, visited the post only the Sunday before, and seeing its weak state, had given them a strict charge to keep a regular watch, and prepare immediately strong bars to the doors, to be shut every night at sunset. They, however, fearing no danger, did not profit by his advise.

 

The party of Indians, after this, bent their steps towards the Wolf creek mills; but finding the people here awake and on the lookout, prepared for an attack, they did nothing more than reconnoitre the place, and made their retreat at early dawn, to the great relief of the inhabitants. The number of Indians who came over from Big Bottom was never known.

 

The next day Capt. Rogers led a party of men over to Big Bottom. It was a melancholy sight to the poor borderers, as they knew not how soon the same fate might befall themselves. The action of the fire, although it did not consume, had so blackened and disfigured the dead, that few of them could be distinguished. Ezra PUTNAM was known by a pewter plate that lay under him, and which his body had prevented from entirely melting. His mother’s name was on the bottom of the plate, and a part of the cake she was baking at the fire still adhered to it. William JAMES was recognized by his great size, being six feet four inches in height, and stoutly built. He had a piece of bread clenched in his right hand, probably in the act of eating, with his back to the door, when the fatal rifle-shot took effect. As the ground was frozen outside, a hole was dug within the walls of the house and the bodies consigned to one grave. No further attempt was made at a settlement here until after the peace.

 

McConnelsville in 1846.—McConnelsville, the county-seat, named from its original proprieter, Robert McCONNEL, is situated upon the east bank of the Muskingum, seventy-five miles southeasterly from Columbus, thirty-six above Marietta, and twenty-seven below Zanesville. The view was taken in the centre of the town. On the left is seen the court-house, the jail and county clerk’s office, and in the distance, down the street, appears the Baptist church. This thriving town contains one Presbyterian, one Congregational, one Baptist, one Protestant Methodist, and one Methodist Episcopal church; fifteen mercantile stores, two newspaper printing-offices, one foundry, one woollen factory, two flouring mills, and had, in 1840, 957 inhabitants.—Old Edition.

 

 

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cratic, J. B. TANNEHILL, editor and publisher. Churches: one Baptist, two Methodist, one Methodist Episcopal, one Methodist Protestant, one Universalist, one Presbyterian and one Catholic. Bank: First National, James K. JONES, president, R. STATNON, cashier.

 

Manufactures and Employees.—George P. Hann, cigars, 16 hands; McConnellsville Sash and Door Co., doors, sash, etc., 9; McConnellsville Roller Mills, flour, etc., 6; Morgan County Democrat, printing, 5; McConnellsville Herald, printing, etc., 7; James Bain, wagons and buggies, 7; E. M. Stanberry & Co., flour, etc., 3.—State Reports, 1888.

 

Population, 1880, 1,473. School census, 1888, 469. Capital invested in industrial establishments, $101,500. Value of annual product, $131,000.—Ohio Labor Statistics, 1887. Census, 1890, 1,771.

 

MALTA is on the west bank of the Muskingum river, directly opposite McConnellsville, on the Z. & O. Railroad. It has two churches. City officers, 1888: J. W. ROGERS, Mayor; W. S. CONNER, Clerk; H. A. DAVIS, Treasurer; J. H. DUNNINGTON, Marshal; Harmon SEAMAN, Street Commissioner; Newspaper: Valley Register, Independent. Bank: Malta National, W. P. SPARGUE, president, George S.. CORNER, vice-president.

 

Manufactures and Employees.—A. M. Dunsmoor, furniture, 5 hands; Brown-Manly Plow Co., Malta plows, 130; McGrath & Humphrey, doors, sash, etc., 8; G. L. Hoffman & Son, harness leather, 10.—State Reports, 1888. Population, 1880, 652. School census, 1888, 239. Capital invested in manufacturing establishments, $64,000. Value of annual product, $162,000.—Ohio Labor Statistics, 1888.

 

THE DEVIL’S TEA TABLE.

 

One of the most remarkable natural curiosities of the Muskingum valley is the “Devil’s Tea Table,” which stands on one of the bluffs on the east side of the river, three miles above McConnelsville, on a farm owned by L. D. REED. Its position is exactly central on the top of a high hill, the ground sloping rapidly from it in every direction. It stands like a lone sentinel, keeping its silent watch, as the years go by, over the beautiful river whose waters glide by it on their way to the ocean. The following description of it was contributed to this work by Dr. H. L. TRUE, of McConnelsville.

 

It consists of an immense table of sandstone estimated to weigh over 300 tons, supported by a slender base of shelly slatestone. It maintains its place and position mainly by its equilibrium, the top being so evenly balanced on the pedestal that if a small portion were broken from one side of the table it would cause it to topple over. The table is quadrangular or diamond shaped, and has the following dimensions: it is about 25 feet high, 33 feet long, 20 feet wide, 10 feet thick, and 85 feet in circumference. The dimensions of the base are as follows: length, 18 feet, width 5 feet, height about 14 feet, circumference 40. The long diameter is in a direction north and south.

 

When this massive stone is viewed in close proximity it appears to lean in every direction, so that on whatever side an observer may be, it seems liable to fall on him.

 

There is a difference of opinion as to whether this rock can be made to vibrate or not. Some claim it is easy to vibrate it while standing on top. My own experience is that it cannot be made to vibrate with a pole from the ground, although it looks as if it could be done.

 

 

In 1820 a number of keel-boatmen, under the direction of Timothy Gates, gave out that on a certain day they were going to push it down into the river. Many of the early settlers gathered there to witness the proceeding. But the boatmen failed in their attempt to unsettle it, and the crowd was disappointed. Several attempts to overthrow it have since been made, notably one by falling a tree against it, but all resulted in failure.

 

Another remarkable stone formation in this picturesque valley of the Muskingum is the “natural bridge” on the Glenn farm, two miles south of Roxbury.