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“Bold forest settlers’
they have scared
The Wild beast from his savage den,
our valleys to the sunshine bared
And Clothed with beauty, hill and glen.
“The car of steam now thunders by
The Place where blazed their cabin fires,
And where rang out the panther’s cry
Thoughts spped along electric wires.
”They vanish from us one by one,
In death’s unlighted realm to sleep;
And Oh! degenerate is the son
Who would not some memorial keep.”
No permanent settlements were attempted within the limits of Warren County
for more than six years after the first adventurers had established themselves
at Columbia, Cincinnati and North Bend. Yet extensive purchases of land
had been made in this region long before its first settlement. Before
three years had elapsed after the establishment of the first colony at
Columbia, Symmes had sold sections, half-section and quarter sections
in every range and township of his purchase. Why this long delay in occupying
the healthy and fertile lands of Warren County? The explanation is easy:
The Indians had manifested their hostility as soon as the white settlements
had been commenced, and parties of savages were constantly lurking in
the woods awaiting opportunities to kill and plunder. Even at the stations,
as they were called, near each other and near Fort Washington, and protected
by block-houses and pickets, the inhabitants were kept constantly on the
alert, and went to church with their guns. To have attempted the occupancy
of any lands within the limits of this county prior to Wayne’s victory
would have been extreme temerity.
STATIONS FOR DEFENSE AGAINST THE INDIANS
Many of the first settlers of Warren and Butler Counties remained at
Columbia, Cincinnati, or some of the “stations” within the
present limits of Hamilton County for several years after they had purchased
the lands which became their permanent homes. The unhappy condition of
many of these adventurers who were prevented from occupying their lands,
and the methods adopted of building stations of defense, are described
by Judge Burnet in the following extract from his Notes:
“A large number of the original adventurers to the Miami Purchase
had exhausted their means by paying for their land and removing their
families to the country. Others were wholly destitute of property, and
came out as volunteers, under the expectation of obtaining, gratuitously,
such small tracts of land as might be forfeited by the purchasers, under
Judge Symmes, for not making the improvements required by the conditions
stipulated in the terms of sale and settlement of Miami lands, published
by the Judge in 1787. The class of adventurers first named was comparatively
numerous, and had come out under an expectation of taking immediate possession
of their lands, and of commencing the cultivation of them for subsistence.
Their situation, therefore, was distressing. To go out into the wilderness
to till the soil appeared |
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to be certain death; to remain in the settlements threatened
them with starvation. The best provided of the pioneers found it difficult
to obtain subsistence; and, of course, the class now spoken of were not
far from total destitution. They depended on game, fish, and such products
of the earth as could be raised on small patches of ground in the immediate
vicinity of the settlements.
“Occasionally, small lots of provisions were brought down the river
by emigrants, and sometimes were transported on pack-horses from Lexington,
at a heavy expense, and not without danger. But supplies thus procured
were beyond the reach of those destitute persons now referred to.
“Having endured these privations as long as they could be borne,
the more resolute of them determined to brave the consequences of moving
on to their lands. To accomplish the object with the least exposure, those
whose lands were in the same neighborhood united as one family; and on
that principle, a number of associations were formed, amounting to a dozen
or more, who went out resolved to maintain their positions.
“Each party erected a strong block-house, near to which their cabins
were put up, and the whole was inclosed by strong log pickets. This being
done, they commenced clearing their lands and preparing for planting their
crops. During the day, while they were at work, one person was placed
as a sentinel to warn them of approaching danger. At sunset, they retired
to the block-house and their cabins, taking everthing of value within
the pickets. In this manner they proceeded from day to day and week to
week, till their improvements were sufficiently extensive to support their
families. During this time, they depended for subsistence on wild game,
obtained at some hazard, more than on the scanty supplies they were able
to procure from the settlements on the river.
“in a short time, these stations gave protection and food to a
large number of desititue families. After they were established, the Indians
became less annoying to the settlements on the Ohio, as part of their
time was employed in watching the stations. The former, however, did not
escape, but endured their share of the fruits of savage hostility. In
fact, no place or situation was exempt from danger. The safety of the
pioneer depended on his means of defense, and on perpetual vigilance.
“The Indians viewed those stations with great jealousy, as they
had the appearance of permanent military establishments, intended to retain
possession of their county. In that view they were correct; and it was
fortunate for the settlers that the Indians wanted either the skill or
the means of demolishing them.
“The truth of the matter is, their great error consisted in permitting
those works to be constructed at all. They might have prevented it with
great ease, but they appeared not to be aware of the serious consequences
which were to result until it was too late to act with effect. Several
attacks were, however, made at different times, with an apparent determination
to destroy them; but they failed in every instance. The assault made on
the station erected by Capt. Jacob White, a pioneer of
much energy and enterprise, at the third crossing of Mill Creek from Cincinnati,
on the old Hamilton road, was resolute and daring; but it was gallantly
met and successfully repelled. During the attack, which was in the night,
Capt. White shot and killed a warrior, who fell so near
the block-house that his companions could not remove his body. The next
morning it was brought in, and, judging from his stature, as reported
by the inmates, he might have claimed descent from a race of giants. On
examining the ground in the vicinity of the block-house, the appearances
of blood indicated that the assailants had suffered severely.
“In the winter of 1790-91, an attack was made, with a strong party,
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