CHAPTER IV.

PUBLIC SQUARE.

     On the southeast corner of fractional lot No. 1.  Benjamin DOOLITTLE occupied a two-story log house, with a back building attached to west rear for dining room and kitchen, as a tavern stand, and being the same lot now owned and occupied by McDONALDS and others.
     Joseph HEDGES occupied a small frame with shed roof, called the knife-box, little west of northeast corner of fractional lot No. 4, as a store room of HEDGES & NEVILLE,with small family residence in the west end, and being the same lot now owned and occupied by GLENNS and others.
     John REYNOLDS owned and occupied a neat white two-story building on northeast corner of in lot No. 48, fronting east on the Public Square, and used in part as a store room; the balance being his family residence.  The store room being on the corner was also by him used as the Post-office, he being the first Postmaster of the place.  The very same spot is now used for the Post-office in the WEAVER house.  This whole lot is now owned by Henry WEAVER, and as already intimated, is the site of the WEAVER House.
     Widow FITCH, the mother of Mrs. BLANCHARD, owned and occupied in lot No. 1, opposite the WEAVER House, and had a small log building on it, which was occupied as a family residence, to which she added in front facing east on the Public Square, a respectable two story hewed log house, using the same soon after as a tavern stand for several years.  This site is now known as the DONALDSON corner, &c.
     Mr. DAVIDSON occupied a small frame, fronting the Square on lot No. 151 on part of the site of L. WEAVER's block.

SOUTH MAIN STREET.

     From the Public Square, south.  Alexander DOKE owned and occupied in-lot No. 104, and had on it a little south of the present tavern stand of Samuel TAYLOR, a double cabin residence of his family, and being a blacksmith, he had on the same lot of a smith shop.  This lot embraces all the ground south of S. W. HITT's store to the corner on market space, and owned now by several individuals.  All this ground during the war of 1812, was used as a artificer yard.
     W. H. TYFFE owned the south half of in lot No. 55, &c., and occupied the southeast corner of it, as his family residence; it being the same building now on said corner, having since been weather-boarded, and is now owned by his descendants.
     George FITHIAN, the grandfather of Milton FITHIAN, owned and occupied as a tavern stand, the same building now standing on in lot No. 63; it has undergone but little improvement in outside appearance, excepting the weatherboarding of the log part of it.  This same tavern was afterward owned and occupied by John ENOCH, the father of John ENOCH, Jr., and is now owned by the Second M. E. Church as a proposed future site for a Church edifice.
     George Hite,  on the next abutting lot on west side of South Man St., being No. 71, erected a two-story log house for his family, and being a wheel-wright, had a shop near it.  The present residence of Mr. BENNETT occupies the site of the old dwelling.
     Job GARD, the father of Gershom GARD, owned in-lot No. 87, the corner of South Main and Reynolds streets, and lived in a hewed log house near the present residence of Col. CANDY.  This lot is now owned by the New Jerusalem Church and others.
     Alexander McComsy, father of Matthias McCOMSY, owned and had a cabin for his family on south-east corner of South Main and Reynolds streets, on out-lot No. 18, now vacant and owned by William ROSS.
     William and John GLENN owned in-lots No. 124, 125, 126 and 127, on which they had sunk a tan-yard, with a rough log shop for finishing; this is now what is called the lower tannery, in the present occupancy of SMITH, BRYAN & Co.  William GLENN then owned and had a cabin-residence on lots No. 134 and 135, now owned by John CLARK, George COLLINS, and others.

NORTH MAIN STREET,

from Public Square, north.  John SHYACH owned in-lot No. 163, upon which his family lived in a respectable two-story, hewed log house, near the drug store of FISLER & CHANCE.  (Years afterward was burned.)  This property embraces the row of business buildings now occupied from the corner of North Main and East Court streets, to J. H. PATRICK's hardward store.
     Samuel McCORD had nearly opposite to last mentioned place, his family residence on lot No. 173, being a story and half hewed log house, which was many years after burned down.
     N. CARPENTER lived in a small one-story log cabin on the corner of in-lot No. 32, near the present residence of John SMITH, corner of North Main and West Church streets.
     John FRIZZLE, occupied a large double two-story log cabin as a tavern-stand, fronting east on North Main street, on in-lot No. 40, near present residence of O. T. CUNDIFF.

EAST MAIN OR SCIOTO STREET,

from Public Square, east.  Joseph VANCE owned lot No. 155, and was erecting in the fall of 1811, the present two-story frame and part of the back building in which his son, Judge VANCE, now dwells, as owner of the premise described.
     Frederic GUMP occupied a small one-story cabin on east half of in-lot No. 160, near the present site of the Episcopal Church.
     David VANCE owned lot No. 97, and had on it a small story and half hewed log house, occupied by Solomon VAIL, and being the same house, with some additions, now owned and occupied by Joseph S. KIGER.

WEST MAIN OR MIAMI STREET,

     From Public Square, west.  David PARKISON owned and occupied a two-story log house, and had a smith shop near it, both fronting the street on in-lot No. 2, now opposite the WEAVER House, near the livery-stable and FISHER's rooms.
     Zephaniah LUCE owned in-lot No. 50, and occupied it by his family in a double log house, standing on the ground now occupied by Doctor MOSGROVE's large brick residence.  Mr. LUCE was also the owner of in-lots No. 51, 52, 53 and 54, and on the two first sunk a tan-yard, and had finishing-shop on same, which he used during the war of 1812, as Issuing Commissary Office, he holding that post.
     Lawrence NILES (hatter) occupied a hewed log house on east part of in-lot No. 3, being the same property now owned and occupied by Wm. SAMPSON, having been repaired in such a manner as to present a neat two-story house.  His family, like many new settlers, after living here a few years, became dissatisfied, and without waiting to dispose of their property moved west, seeking new adventures, and were never heard of afterward.  It was supposed they were either all drowned, or murdered by the savages.

EAST MARKET STREET,

East from South Main.  James FITHIAN occupied a two-story hewed log house, with an addition of a one-story on west side of it, (the latter being used in the war of 1812, as a Quartermaster's office) on in-lot No. 105, being the present premises of Mrs. Dr. Stansberry; the log buildings above described were moved east on to lot No. 109, property of estate of Samuel McCORD, and very recently torn down.
     Simon KENTON, as Jailor of Champaign County, occupied one family room below and the rooms above in the old Jail building, on lot No. 107, as his family residence.  Here two of his daughters, Sarah, afterward Mrs. Jno. McCORD, and Matilda, afterward Mrs. Jno. G. PARKISON, were married.  This lot is now owned by two of the LAWSONS.
     Frederick AMBROSE, by trade a potter, afterward Sheriff and County Treasurer, owned and occupied in-lot No. 111, and lived in a cabin on southeast corner, with a shop near it; this lot is now owned by Havery STUMP.
     Wilson THOMAS, colored, right south on the opposite side of the street on in-lot No. 121, owned and occupied a small cabin, near the present residence of Mrs. Jacob FISHER.
     ______ TONEY, a colored man, whose full name I have forgotten, but who was somewhat distinguished in the war of 1812, according to his own statements, occupied an old cabin in the NOrtheast corner of E. B. PATRICK's in-lot No. 112, fronting East Market Street.
     Peter CARTER, colored, husband of old Fannie, owned in-lot No.113, and had a cabin in the rear, which stood on the ground now occupied by the present African M. E. Church building.

WEST MARKET STREET,

West from South Main.  Edward W. PIERCE, a very highly educated lawyer, without family had a hewed log office near the present residence of Mrs. E. P. TYFFE, on in-lot No. 61.  He possessed sterling talents, but from some cause had much mental affliction, and in the winter of 1816, was found dead in the woods between here and Springfield, much torn by wolves as then supposed.  Persons of that day who professed to know the fact, said that in his very early life he had the misfortune to exchange shots in a duel, and killed his adversary, which was the secret of his mental malady.  This I give as a matter of information only.

EAST WATER STREET,

From South Main East.  Daniel HELMICK owned in-lots No. 136 and 137; on the latter he had a double cabin as the residence of his family, and on the corner of the former in front of the Second M. E. Church, his hewed log cabinet shop; he afterward built the brick house now owned by J. C. JONES.
     Nathaniel PICKARD, owned and occupied lots No. 142 and 143, and erected for his family residence a hewed log cabin, standing immediately West of Moses B. CORWIN's present brick residence.

WEST WATER STREET,

West from South Main.  William WARD, Sr., the old proprietor of the town, then lived in a double log cabin standing near the present residence of Mr. SMITH, southeast corner of West Water and High Streets, on a block of lots, No.'s 83, 84, 85, 86, 91, 92, 93, 94 and now the property of Messrs. SMITH, DONALDSON and others.

EAST REYNOLDS STREET,

East from South Main Street.  Joseph C. VANCE owned and occupied in-lots No.'s 152 and 153, and erected on the premises a two story log office, he being the first Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, and Surveyor, &c.

WEST REYNOLDS STREET,

West from South Main Street.  Isaac ROBINSON, a brick mason, occupied a cabin on one of out-lots on south side of the street, but I am now unable to locate it.
     John GILMORE, a brick mason, occupied a cabin on out lot No. 8, now enclosed in the private park grounds of Col. John H. JONES, in which his superb family mansion is situated.

EAST COURT STREET,

West from North Main Street.  Capt. Wm. POWELL occupied a small frame tenement on West side of in-lot No. 14, being the present premises of Duncan McDONALD.
     ______ STOUT occupied a small roughly built frame, which stood near the present residence of Miss Nancy JENNINGS on in-lot No. 22.

EAST CHURCH STREET,

East from North Main Street.  Samuel TREWETT the grandfather of Nathan REECE occupied in-lot No. 194, and lived in a hewed log one story cabin near the present residence of Robert BELL.  He was a local M. E. preacher.

WEST CHURCH STREET,

West from North Main Street.  John Huston a rough carpenter, built a story and a half hewed log cabin and occupied it on in-lot No. 26, being the present premises of William SCORAH.
     Daniel HARR the father of Newton HARR, was here with his then small family, and as I have no other building in my eye for a family residence, I am inclined to the opinion that he occupied a small cabin on in-lot No. 27, the present premises of W. H. COLWELL; if he did so occupy, it was only temporarily, for I remember soon after, he improved the north half of in-lots No. 55, 56 and erected the two story frame now owned by W. L. STUDYBAKER on South Main Street and occupied the upper part and rear buildings as his family residence, and front as a store room of Harrand RHODES - the latter being the father of Nelson RHODES, Esq.
     Henry BACON if memory serves me, owned and occupied a small frame building on the ground now owned by Mr. OSBORN, on in-lots No. 38, 39; he afterward erected the brick building known as the insurance Office on in-lot No. 8, and occupied it as a dwelling.
     Here are thrown hastily together a pen sketch of the population in Urbana in 1811, comprising 45 families, describing from memory the kind of tenements with their localities as nearly as possible; there may be some errors but it is believed they are few.  One sad reflection presents its self now; all these have gone the way of all the earth.  There may possibly be an exception, but the writer of this is not aware of any.
     It may be proper here to point out the public buildings of the town.  The jail has already been noticed.  The Court-house was a large log building on lot No. 174 on East Court Street, which has undergone a change, and is now the property of Duncan McDONALD, and is used as a family residence.  During the war of 1812-15, it was converted into an army hospital, and in it many deaths occurred from a prevalent epidemic malady of that day denominated "cold plague," and the bones of the victims now rest in the old town grave-yard.  And may God in his merciful Providence avert that unhallowed cupidity, that is now instigating municipal desecration upon their silent abode.  This building having been appropriated to the use above indicated, the upper part of the jail was fitted up for the purpose of holding the courts, and was so used until the new court house in the public square was finished, in about the end of the year in 1817,and this latter temple of justice remained as county court house, until the clamorous raids of the populace culminated in the erection of our present one, standing on in-lots No. 16 and 17, about the year 1839.
     In the earlier settlement of the town, the practice in the winter seasons, was to convert the larger class residences, for the time being into Bethels for public worship, and in the warm summer months, to congregate near the present Public Square, under the shade of the spreading branches of the large oak trees then in that vicinity.  And as soon as the Court House first alluded to was finished, it became a place of public worship, and the same will apply to all its successors.  But, I started out with the intention of informing the public that when I first came to Urbana, a large hewed log M. E. Church had recently been erected on in-lot No. 207, and under the itinerant made of that denomination, was regularly supplied by many sterling pioneer preachers, during the years up to about 1816, when the brick church now part of the GANSON livery establishment was erected.  The pulpit in the old log house was supplied something in this order during the years indicated, by Rev. John MEEK, ____ CLINGMAN, Samuel BROCKANIER, John COLLINS, and perhaps some others.  About 1816 as already stated, the brick edifice situated on east half of in-lot No. 176, was duly dedicated and supplied in the manner named above, by the higher order of talent in the persons of Rev. David SHAFER, Henry B. BASCOM, _____ CRUME, _____ CUMMINGS, John STRANGE, _____ WESTLAKE, &c.  It may also be remarked that they were fortunate in the years here embraced, say up to 1825, in having a first-class order of local ministrations, and the interests of the Church were fully sustained under Rev. Samuel HITT and otehrs like him, who were ornaments to their profession, and she added to her number daily such as gave evidence that they had passed from death unto life.  Many incidents might he recorded of the thrilling scenes connected with the spiritual labors of that old church, before it put on its new dress, in the exchange of the old houses of worship for its present new temple, situated on north half of in-lots No. 24 and 25.  This denomination has always been in the lead in this locality, owing perhaps to the indomitable zeal manifested by both ministry and laity, in the propagation of their popular tenets.
     The only other religious interest in this town for the first thirty years after its first settlement, was Presbyterianism, but its growth was greatly behind that of the Church described.  It however was the instrument in disseminating much wholesome religious instruction, and exerted an influence for good, upon the morals of the community.  It had to encounter difficulties, and inconveniences for want of a house of worship;  the Court House was substituted, and not till about 1829 had it any house of its own for the congregation, and before it was finished, the tornado of 1830 entirely demolished it, and another was erected on a new site on lot No. 18, on the same site of the present imposing structure, this being the third within less than thirty years. --------- and so on.....

CHAPTER VII.

     I will at this point break the thread of those scattered _____ sketches and return to the subject of the early population of the place.  The forty-five families that have been _______ braced within their numbers many young persons of both sexes and frequent intermarriages occurred.  And _____ the years between 1811 and 1820.  I will ____ few in this _____ I can from memory.

     George Hunter intermarried with Ruth Fitch. _____ Mrs. Blanchard
     James Robinson intermarried with Miss S______ _____ ______ Alex Doke.
     As__ Sweet with Miss ______
     Allen M. Poff?. afterward _______________ _______ Fithian, daughter of George Fithian.
     John Gl__n with a Miss ______ of Kentucky
     William N___ with Miss Swing, ___ sister of Mrs. _____
     Amos J. Yarnall with Miss Swing, sister of _______.
     Hugh Gibbs with Elizabeth Fitch daughter of Nathan Fitch and sister of Mrs. Blanchard.
     Peter R. Colwell with Lavina _____. Sister to above.
     John Goddard with Mary ____ father and mother of Doctor Goddard.
     David Vance, S___&c. with Miss Wilson.
     James Paxton with Miss Luce, sister of Col. D. Luce.
     George Moore with a Miss Luce, sister to above.
     Samuel Miller with Elizabeth Dunlap, daughter of Rev. James Dunlap.  Mrs. Miller survives.
     Col. William Ward, Jr. with Miss Hughs, daughter of Rev. James Hughes.  Mrs. Ward survives
     William Chatfield with Elizabeth Hull, niece of Mrs. Goddard.
     Doctor William Fithian, now of Illinois, with a Miss Spain, and after her deceased, with Miss Berry, daughter of Judge Berry.
     John A. Ward with Eleanor McBeth, daughter of Judge McBeth, one of our first Representatives in the State Legislature.
     Benjamin Holden with Lucinda Pennington.
     Mathias McComsey with Phebe Logan.
     Joseph S. Carter with Miss Fisher, daughter of Madox Fisher, of Springfield.
     John Downey with Miss Parkison.
     John McCord with Sarah Kenton in 1811, and John G. Parkison with M___ Kenton, both daughters of General Simon Kenton.
     John Hamilton, _________ 1811, and soon after intermarried with Miss Atchison, sister of Mr. _. H. Patrick.
     ____ Eva_ Banes, with Miss Ward, daughter of Col. William Ward, Senior.
     J___ _ ___ with __________
     G_____ _____ with a Miss McGill, daughter of James McGill. 
     J___ _y__s with Miss ______
     Col. Douglas Luce? with Miss Taylor, daughter of Alexander Taylor.
     David ____ with Miss T_____
     John M____dex? with Miss ____-g____
     William _____ with _____ Ki________
     _______ _____ with ________ _____ _____ name of Calvin _____ __ who came here a __________  without any means.  __________ as best _____ by perseverance in study ___ ____ himself for the ____ ______ Miss Hill, sister of Col. ______ and _____.  ____ ___ ___ _ ____ sufficient to take himself and wife ____ ____ _____ _____ where he
NOTE:  The rest is too hard to read.
     It may ____ stated that ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ list of early pioneers, very large number of enterprising young men came to Urbana and located themselves as merchants, mechanics &c.  I will name a few, Hezekial WELLS, Thomas WELLS, and William McDONALD (who is well known, and came here at an early day, connected himself in a mercantile interest, and became afterwards a public man, he representing this county in the Legislature in after years.)  William NEIL, late of Columbus, commenced business here as a merchant, in a small frame near the stove store of John HELMICK.  He was likewise the Cashier of the old Urbana Bank.  J. BIRDWISTLE, about the beginning of the War of 1812, opened a hotel in the corner building lately torn down by Kauffman and Nelson on corner of fractional lot No. 2, and will here note that Joseph LOW, father of Albert and others, continued the same business after BIRDWHISTLE, in the same house; John and Uriah Tabor manufactured hats on the hill west of the square on West Main Street, near the present residence of E. KIMBER.  _____ PRICE had a shoe shop, location not now recollected.  Henry WEAVER, a previous old settler of Mad River township, came to Urbana with his small family about 1813, built the small room now standing on the east end of Mr. GANMER's present residence on lot No. 160 Scioto Street and occupied it as his family residence, in which he also had a shoe-bench and worked at shoe-making connecting with it a stall for the sale of apples.  This was the beginning to the vast amount of wealth which he has acquired and is now enjoying in the eighty-fourth year of his life.  George BELL, who came here at an early day erected a small nail cutting establishment on lot No. 160, North Main Street, near the present location of P. R. BENNETT's jewelry shop.  Francis DUBOIS opened a kind of tavern stand in a double log house on the corner of in-lot No. 24 near the First M. E. Church building.  The GWYNNES located within the years indicated in these sketches, and opened what was then a large dry goods store in a red one-story frame building on lot No. 154, being the lot now occupied and owned by Mr. L. WEAVER; William DOWNS was also one of the early settlers here, and carried on blacksmithing.  John HURD was one of the oldest settlers, and learned the trade of blacksmithing with Alex. DOKE, and carried on the business afterward to some considerable extent.  John WALLACE and Elisha C. BERRY came here at a very early day as carpenters, and when REYNOLDS and WARD had determined to establish a factory, they were employed to erect the large building now occupied by Mr. FOX, and in the process of its erection Mr. WALLACE met with an accident that came near proving fatal; he was employed about the hip in the roof on the south side, when the scaffolding gave way and precipitated him to the ground, making a cripple of him ever after.  Mr. WALLACE being very worthy man with considerable culture, was elected Sheriff, and held other important public trusts up to the time of his emigration west, years afterward.
     About the end, and at the conclusion of the war, many accessions were made to the population from New Jersey, Kentucky and other places, but as there are some other subjects before that time that need attention, I will have to bring this to a point, by remarking that this historical dotting of business men and business places might be greatly extended in locating tailor, shoemaker, cabinet, wheelwright, carpenter, chair, saddler, potter and other mechanical shops; adding to the list other mercantile interests not already noticed.

CHAPTER IX.

SIMON KENTON, whose name will appear frequently in these pages, was an early settler in Urbana.  I quote from Judge Burnet's letters as found in Howe's History.  In his letters he says that when the troops were stationed at Urbana, a mutinous plan was formed by aprt of them to attack and destroy a settlement of friendly Indians, who had removed with their families within the settlement under assurance of protection.  Kenton remonstrated against the measure as being not only mutinous but treacherous and cowardly.  He contrasted his knowledge and experience of the Indian character with their ignorance of it.  He vindicated them against the charge of treachery which was alleged against them as a justification of the act which they were about to perpetrate, and reminded them of the infamy they would incur by destroying a defenseless band of men, women and children, who had placed themselves in their power relying on a solemn promise of protection.  He appealed to their humanity, their honor and their duty as soldiers.  Having exhausted all the means of persuasion in his power, and finding them resolved to execute their purpose, he took a rifle and declared with great firmness that he would accompany them and declared with great firmness that he would accompany them to the Indian encampment and shoot down the first man that dared to molest them; that if they entered their camp they should do it by passing over his corpse.  Knowing that the old veteran would redeem his pledge they abandoned their purpose and the poor Indians were saved.  Though he was brave as Caesar the reckless of danger when it was his duty to expose his person, yet he was mild, even tempered and had a heart that could bleed at the distress of others.
     General Keaton lived many years in Logan county, on what was called the old Sandusky road, about four miles north of Zanesfield on his farm,  where he died April 29th, 1836, aged 81 years and 26 days.  His remains were removed to Urbana by the deputation of citizens from that place I think in 1865, and buried in the cemetery about three-quarters of a mile east of the city in a lot of ground appropriated by the city for that purpose containing about seventy-five or one hundred feet in a circular form with a view of erecting a monument at some future day.  The only thing that now marks his grave is the same plain stone slab that stood at the head of his grave in Logan county, with his inscription:  "In memory of Gen. Simon Kenton, who was born April 3d, 1755, in Culpepper County, Va., and died April 29th, 1836, aged 81 years and 26 days."
     His fellow citizens of the west will long remember him as the skillful pioneer of early times, the brave soldier and honest man.

CHAPTER XI.

ADDITIONAL SETTLERS

(SHARON'S NOTE:  The beginning of this is very hard to read but I will extract what I can)

     There might many more pioneer scenes be presented in relation to Urbana and Champaign County, but it is difficult to weave them into the narrative of events in order in which they occurred, and I will leave them for other pens.  The same general remarks that I have delineated in these sketches, in regard to the disposition to aid each other, may be applied to the old settlers of this whole community; the same wild adventures are also equally aplicable, and older settlers than myself will be more competent to portray them.  I will, however, here state that some other old settlers' names should be mentioned in connection with early pioneer life in Urbana.  Thomas PEARCE, father of Harvey, as I am informed, before Urbana was located, built and occupied a log cabin on what is now known as market space, and opened a field north of Scioto Street, and cultivated it for some years.
     The following additional names may be noted as very early settlers in this town:  William BRIDGE, James McGILL, James HULSE, Folsom FORD, Joseph GORDON, William MELLON, Samuel GIBBS, Hugh GIBBS, Benjamin SWEET, Martin HITT, A. R. COLWELL, William McCOLLOCH, William PARKISON, Curtis M. THOMPSON, George MOORE, Alexander ALLEN, and others.  At this point it may be noted that Harvey PEARCE and Jacob Harris PATRICK are believed to be the oldest male settlers now here who were born in Urbana, both of whom are over sixty years old.
     Through the kind assistance of Col. Douglas LUCE, who has been in Urbana from 1807 to this time, I am enabled to present the following list of old settlers of the township of Urbana.  It is to be regretted that it will be impossible to extend to them individually anything more than the mere names, which will divest them of much interest, as each one of them might be made the subject of interesting pioneer experience.  It may be here noted that as other persons who live in the other townships of the county are engaged in presenting the names of old settlers in them, it will supercede the necessity of my extending them beyond the limits of Urbana township:  Samuel POWELL, Abraham POWELL, John FITZPATRICK, Joseph KNOX, James LARGENT, John WILEY, Joseph PENCE, Jacob PENCE, William RHODES, John THOMAS, Joseph FORD, Ezekiel THOMAS, John TREWITT, George SANDERS, Jessie JOHNSON, Benjamin NICHOLS, William CUMMINGS, John WHITE, Robert NOE, Robert BARR, Alexander McBETH, Isaac TABOR, Bennett TABOR, Tabian EAGLE, Job CLEVENGER, James DALLAS, John WINN, S. T. HEDGES, Jonas HEDGES, Rev. James DUNLAP, John PEARCE, John DAWSON, Charles STUART, Christopher KENAGA,, Minney VOORHEES, Jacob ARNEY, John G. and Robert CALDWELL, Richard D. GEORGE, ____ WISE, (near the pond bearing his name,) Thomas DONLIN, Isaac TURMAN, William McROBERTS, ____LOGAN, Andrew RICHARDS and Thomas WATT.  Many of the above settled in Urbana Township as early as 1801, and all of them before 1820.
...........................and so on.....

HULL'S TRACE.

     The following facts in regard to Hull's Trace, I obtained from several pioneers that were here and saw HULL when he passed through with his army.  I will give the names of some of my informants:  Judge VANCE, of Urbana, John ENOCH, Wm. HENRY, and Henry McPHERSON.  It was in the year 1812 he took up his line of march from Urbana.  Their route was very near the present road from Urbana to West Liberty, a few rods east until they reached King's Creek.  About two miles beyond this they crossed the present road and continued on the west until they arrived at Mac-a-cheek, crossing that stream at Capt. BLACK's old farm.  Coming to Mad River, they crossed it about five rods west of the present bridge at West Liberty.  Passing through Main street, they continued on the road leading from the latter place to Zanesfield until they reached the farm now owned by Charles HILDEBRAND.  Here they turned a little to the left, taking up a valley near his farm.  Arriving at McKees Creek, they crossed it very near where the present Railroad bridge is; thence to Blue Jacket, crossing it about one mile west of Bellefontaine on the farm now owned by Henry GOOD.  They continued their line of march on or near the present road from Bellefontaine to Huntsville.  They halted some time at Judge McPHERSON's farm, now the county infirmary, passing through what is now Cherokee, on Main street, to an Indian village called Solomon's Town, where they encamped on the farm now owned by David WALLACE.  The trace is yet plain to be seen in many places.  Judge VANCE informs me there is no timber growing in the track in many places in Champaign county.
     I forgot to say they encamped at West Liberty.  James BLACK informs me he saw Gen. HULL's son fall into Mad River near where Mr. GLOVER's Mill now stands, he being so drunk he could not sit on his horse.

PHENOMENAL

    There has been, as the reader will see elsewhere, two dreadful tornadoes in these counties; one at Bellefontaine, the other at Urbana.  In addition to these phenomena this county was visited by several earthquakes.  These shocks were distinctly felt in Champaign and Logan counties.  They were in the winter of 1811-12.  See PATRICK's and my accounts of tornadoes elsewhere in this volume.
     On the 7th day of February, 1812, at an hour when men were generally wrapt in the most profound slumbers, this country, generally, was visited by another shock of an earthquake.  It was of greater severity and longer duration than any previous one yet.  It occurred about forty-five minutes after three o'clock in the morning.  The motion was from the south-west.  A dim light was seen above the horizon in that direction, a short time previous.  The air, at the time, was clear and very cold, but soon became hazy.  Two more shocks were felt during the day.  Many of the inhabitants, at this time, fled from their houses in great consternation.  The cattle of the fields and the fowls manifested alarm.  The usual noise, as of distant thunder, preceded these last convulsions.  The shock was so severe as to crack some of the houses at Troy, in Miami county.  The last shock seemed to vibrate east and west.
     This shock was felt with equal severity in almost every part of Ohio.  Travelers along the Mississippi river at that time were awfully alarmed.  Many islands, containing several hundred acres, sunk and suddenly disappeared.  The banks of the river fell into the water.  The ground cracked open in an alarming manner.  Along the river, as low down as New Orleans, forty shocks were felt, from the16th to the 20th.  At Savannah, on the 16th, the sock was preceded by a noise resembling the motion of the waves of the sea.  The ground heaved upward.  The people were affected with giddiness and nausea.

TORNADO AT BELLEFONTAINE

     Tornado at Bellefontaine, June 24, 1825, as related to me by those who witnessed it:  About one o'clock, there was a dark mass of clouds seen looming up in the west and seemed to increase in volume and in terrific grandeur as it approached the town.  The mass of black clouds now intermingled with others of a lighter hue of a vapory appearance, all dashing, rolling and foaming like a vast boiling cauldron, accompanied by thunder and lightning, presenting a scene to the spectator at once most grand, sublime and appalling.  A few minutes before its approach there seemed to be a death-like stillness, not a breath of air to move the pendant leaves on the trees.  It seemed as if the storm king, as he rode in awful majesty on the infuriated clouds had stopped to take his breath in order to gather strength to continue his work of destruction.  Man and beast stood and gazed in awful suspense, awaiting to all appearance, inevitable destruction.  This suspense was but for a moment; soon the terrible calamity was upon them, sweeping everything as with the besom of destruction, that lay in its path.  Fortunately this country was then new and almost an unbroken forest, consequently no one was killed.  It passed a little north of the public square, however within the present limits of the town, struck Mr. HOUTZ's two story brick dwelling, throwing it to the ground, and a log spring-house, carrying it off even to the mud sills; it picked up a boulder that was imbedded in the ground, weighing about three hundred pounds, carrying it some distance from where it lay.  Mr. CARTER, who was there at that time, informs me it stripped the bark off a walnut tree from top to bottom, leaving it standing; it carried a calf from one lot and dropped it into another.  Mrs. CARTER says she saw a goose entirely stripped of its feathers.  Passing through the town its course lay in the direction of the Rushcreek Lake, passing over the little sheet of water, carrying water, fish and all out on dry land.  The fish were picked up the next day a great distance from the Lake; even birds were killed and stripped of their feathers.  The writer of this followed the track of this storm for nearly thirty miles.  Its course was from the south-west to the north-east, passing through a dense forest.  I don't think it varied from a straight course in the whole distance.  Its force seemed to have been about the same.  It did not raise and fall like the one that passed through Urbana some years after.  Last summer the writer visited the track of this storm where it crossed the Scioto near where Rushcreek empties into that stream in Marion county, where the primitive forest stands as it left it.  There as elsewhere it is about one-half mile in width.  In the out-skirts of the track there are a few primitive trees standing shorn of their tops looking like monumental witnesses of the surrounding desolation.  But for five hundred yards in the center of the track there is not one primitive three standing, they have fallen like the grass before a scythe.  If such a storm should pass over Bellefontaine now, there would be nothing left of it.

THE LOST CHILD.

     About two miles directly west of Lewistown, in Logan county on the farm now owned by Manasses HUBER, was the scene of this melancholy event.  Abraham HOPKINS (son of Harrison and Christiana HOPKINS) about five years old, was lost November 13, 1837.

"Heaven to all men hides the book of fate,
And blindness to the future has kindly given."

     How cosily this little fellow slept in the arms of his mother the night before this sad event.  The father and mother likewise slept sweetly, unconscious of the sad calamity that was then at their very door.  They got up in the morning, ate their breakfast as cheerfully and with as great a relish as they ever did; the father goes singing to his daily toil, while the mother attends to the ordinary duties of her house, cheered by the innocent prattle of her happy boy.  Everything passed off pleasantly till about 2 o'clock, when Mrs HOPKINS started with her little son to visit a neighbor, about a half mile distant - a Mr. ROGERS.  She had to pass by a new house, now being built by Charles CHERRY, an uncle to the boy.  When they got there, they stopped for a few moments.  The little boy wished to remain with his uncle; he did so, and the mother passed on to Mr. ROGERS'.  The little fellow got tired playing about the house, and said he would go after his mother, and started.  There was a narrow strip of timber between the new house and ROGERS', and nothing but a dim path through it.  Mr. CHERRY cautioned the boy not to get lost.  It seems he soon lost the dim path, for he hollowed back to his uncle, saying, "I can go it now; I have found the path."  These were the last words he was ever heard to say, and the last that was ever seen of him.  Mrs. HOPKINS having done her errand, returned to the new house where Mr. CHERRY was still at work, and inquired for her boy; and what was her surprise, when she was told he had followed her and not been seen since!  Immediate search was made by the frantic mother and father, and Mr. CHERRY.  They immediately went to Mr. ROGERS' and to another neighbor living but a short distance from him, but no tidings could be had of him.  It was a pleasant day, and he was barefooted.  They could see the tracks of his bare feet in the dust in a path that led through the field to the house.  It seems he had gone to the house, and not finding his mother there (for she, finding the family absent had gone to another house) he attempted to return to his uncle at the new house, where his mother had left him.  Soon the alarm was spread far and near, and people collected from all parts of the country.  There were at times over a thousand people hunting him.  They continued their search for three weeks.  Every foot of ground for three miles from the house was searched, even the Miami river was dragged for miles; but all in vain - not a track could be seen in the yielding allavial soil of the neighborhood - nothing, save the imprint of his little feet in the dust of the path in the field above - mentioned; not a shred of his clothing was to be seen anywhere, and to this day his history is a profound and melancholy mystery.  It is, however, the opinion of Mr. CHERRY, the uncle of the child, that he was stolen by the Indians.  He says there was an Indian who, for many years, had been in the habit of trapping in the neighborhood, and suddenly disappeared, and has never been seen there since.  There was a deputation of the citizens sent out where the Indian lived, and accused him of the crime, but he resolutely denied it.  Mr. HOPKINS has been singularly unfortunate with his family; one son died in the army, and another was crushed by the cars, near Champaign City, Illinois, where he now resides.