impossible to name here the numerous persons to whom he is thus indebted, however agreeable it would be to his own feelings to do so. He is forced, therefore, to adopt the unsatisfactory mode of thus thanking them, one and all, indiscriminately, for their marked and constant courtesy.

May, 1869.

C. M. W.

HISTORY

OF

Athens County, Ohio.

E

CHAPTER I.

Indian Occupation of Ohio.

the territory included within the

IGHTY years ago limits of the present State of Ohio was an almost unbroken wilderness. The beautiful river that forms its southern boundary had, indeed, been threaded by a few eager explorers; but the white man had not yet established himself upon its banks. So too Lake Erie, on the north, had long before been furrowed by the adventurous craft of civilized men; but on all its borders there was not a hamlet nor house. Over the whole region, now so thickly populated, brooded the silence of life. The rivers were ploughed savage only by the swift canoe of the Indian, the forests echoed no sound of productive industry, and the virgin earth

waited for the race that was to develop its riches and its beauty.

To-day, in wealth and population Ohio ranks third among the states of the Union. Large cities, flourishing towns, peaceful hamlets, and smiling farms enliven and beautify the scene. Huge steamers, laden with passengers and with wealth, ply upon the rivers and lakes which, less than three generations ago, were silent and desolate. Railroads traverse the state in all directions; busy manufactories give employment to thousands; institutions of learning and charity abound, and, in all respects, the state ranks as a prosperous and powerful commonwealth.

History does not elsewhere record such an extraordinary case of rapid development, and the political philosopher finds abundant food for thought in tracing, from their first beginning, the causes that have contributed to so great a growth. We propose, in these pages, to chronicle some of the events and to sketch some of the individuals connected with the settlement and development of one small portion of this great state, viz: Athens County.

Before entering, however, upon matters purely local, let us take a general view of the country and its inhabitants prior to its first settlement by the whites, and thus enable ourselves more clearly to appreciate the wildness of the region to which the early settlers

came.