FRANKLIN. FRANKLIN COUNTY was formed from Ross, April 30, 1803, and named from Benjamin Franklin, who died April 17, 1790, aged eighty-four years, who was "at once philosopher, diplomatist, scientific discoverer, moralist, statesman, writer and wit, and in many respects the greatest of Americans, and one of the greatest men whose names are recorded in history." The prevailing character of the soil of the county is clay, and the surface is generally level. It contains naturally much low wet land, and is best adapted to grain; but it has many finely cultivated farms, especially along the water courses. In 1885 the acres cultivated were 151,102; in pasture, 55,100; woodland, 32,799; lying waste, 6,521; bushels wheat, 145,240; corn, 3,590,968 (being next to Pickaway the greatest amount of any county in the State); oats, 221,319; apples, 145,651. School census 33,223; teachers, 520; area, 540 square miles. It has 228 miles of railroad. The population of Franklin in 1820 was 10,300; in 1830, 14,756; in 1840, 24,880; 1860, 50,361; 1880, 86,882, of whom 63,224 were Ohio-born; 2,910 Pennsylvania; 1,920 Virginia; 1,699 New York; 601 Kentucky; 521 Indiana, 6,098 Germany; 2,742 Ireland; England and Wales, 1,598; British America, 396; France, 266; Scotland, 156. The tract comprised within the limits of the county was once the residence of the Wyandot Indians. They had a large town on the site of the city of Columbus, and cultivated extensive fields of corn on the river bottoms opposite their town. Mr. Jeremiah Armstrong, who early kept a hotel at Columbus, was taken prisoner when a boy from the frontier of Pennsylvania, and brought captive to this place after residing with them a number of years he was ransomed and returned to his friends. Mr. Robert Armstrong, also a native of Pennsylvania, being an orphan boy was bound to a trader, and while trapping and trading on the Alleghany, himself and employer were surprised by some Wyandots and Senecas. The master was killed and Armstrong brought to their town at Franklinton. He was raised by the Indians, became a great favorite, lived, married and died among them. He was occasionally an interpreter for the United States. He left two sons who went with the Wyandots to the far west; both of them were educated, and one of them was admitted to the Ohio bar. In the year 1780 a party of whites followed a band of Indians from the mouth of the Kanawha, overtook them on or near the site of Columbus and gave them battle and defeated them. During the fight, one of the whites saw two squaws secrete themselves in a large hollow tree, and when the action was over they drew them out and carried them captive to Virginia. This tree was alive and standing, on the west bank of the Scioto, as late as 1845. The annexed anecdote, derived from J. W. Van Cleve, of Dayton, shows a pleasing feature in the character of the Indian. A party, surveying on the Scioto, above the site of Columbus, in '97, had been reduced to three scanty meals for four days. They came to the camp of a Wyandot Indian with his family, and he gave them all the provisions he had, which comprised only two rabbits and a small piece of venison. This Wyandot's father had been murdered by the whites in time of peace: the father of one of the surveyors had been killed by the Indians in time of war. He concluded that the Indian had more reason to cherish hostility towards the white man than he toward the Indian. In June, 1810, there was an old Wyandot chief, named Leatherlips, executed in this county, and it is claimed for the sole reason that he was a friend of the white man and opposed to taking up armies against the whites. We take the account of this event from "Drake's Life of Tecumseh," where it is abridged from an article by Otway Curry, in the "Hesperian." Gen. Harrison entertained the opinion that his death was the result of the prophet's command, and that the party who acted as executioners went directly from Tippecanoe to the banks of the Scioto, where the tragedy was enacted. Leatherlips was found encamped upon that stream, twelve miles above Columbus. The six Wyandots who put him to death were headed, it is supposed, by the chief Roundhead. An effort was made by some white men, who were present, to save the life of the accused, but without success. A council of two or three hours took place: the accusing party spoke with warmth and bitterness of feeling: Leatherlips was calm and dispassionate in his replies. The sentence of death, which had been previously passed upon him, was reaffirmed. The prisoner then walked slowly to his camp, partook of a dinner of jerked venison, washed and arrayed himself in his best apparel, and afterwards painted his face. His dress was very rich-his hair gray, and his whole appearance graceful and commanding." When the hour for the execution had arrived, Leatherlips shook hands in silence with the spectators. He then turned from his wigwam, and with a voice of surpassing strength and melody commenced the chant of the death song. He was followed closely by the Wyandot warriors, all timing with their slow and measured march the music of his wild and melancholy dirge. The white men were likewise all silent followers in that strange procession. At the distance of seventy or eighty yards from the camp, they came to a shallow grave, which, unknown to the white men, had been previously prepared by the Indians. Here the old man knelt down, and in an elevated but solemn tone of voice, addressed his prayer to the Great Spirit. As soon as he had finished, the captain of the Indians knelt beside him and prayed in a similar manner. Their prayers, of course, were spoken in the 66 Wyandot tongue. . . . After a few moments' delay, the prisoner again sank down upon his knees and prayed, as he had done before. When he had ceased, he still continued in a kneeling position. All the rifles belonging to the party had been left at the wigwam. There was not a weapon of any kind to be seen at the place of execution, and the spectators were consequently unable to form any conjecture as to the mode of procedure which the executioners had determined on for the fulfilment of their purpose. Suddenly one of the warriors drew from beneath the skirts of his capote a keen, bright tomahawkwalked rapidly up behind the chieftainbrandished the weapon on high for a single moment, and then struck with his whole strength. The blow descended directly upon the crown of the head, and the victim immediately fell prostrate. After he had lain awhile in the agonies of death, the Indian captain directed the attention of the white men to the drops of sweat which were gathering upon his neck and face; remarked with much apparent exultation, that it was conclusive proof of the sufferer's guilt. Again the executioner advanced, and with the same weapon inflicted two or three additional and heavy blows. As soon as life was entirely extinct, the body was hastily buried, with all its apparel and decorations, and the assemblage dispersed." One of Mr. Heckewelder's correspondents, as quoted in his historical account of the Indian nations, makes Tarhe, better known by the name of Crane, the leader of this party. This has been denied; and the letter of Gen. Harrison on the subject proves quite conclusively that this celebrated chief had nothing to do with the execution of Leatherlips. Mr. Heckewelder's correspondent concurs in the opinion that the original order for the death of this old man was issued from the head-quarters of the prophet and his brother Tecumseh. In Columbus is a social organization called the "Wyandot Club." Its officers are, President, William Taylor; Vice-Pres. A. McNinch; Secretary, E. L. Taylor; Treasurer, G. W. Willard. Among their intentions is to perpetuate the memory of Leatherlips, by the erection of a monument on the place of his execution and burial, which is about fourteen miles north of Columbus near the Delaware county line. Steps were taken for this purpose at their annual reunion, September 18, 1887. This took place in a noble forest named "Wyandot Grove" on the west bank of the Scioto about eight miles northwest of the city, with about 150 invited guests, where under a spreading tent they sat down to a sumptuous repast gathered from the farm, garden, river, and tropics, amid which the florist made a gorgeous display. This feast had been preceded by a speech by Col. Samuel Thompson, in which he gave a sketch of the noble Wyandot tribe, the most humane of all the Indian tribes, and largely opposed to the torture of prisoners. He paid a tribute to one of their great chiefs, Tarhe, or Chief Crane, so wise in council, and so renowned in war, and who had interposed in vain to save the ill-fated Col. Crawford from the stake. "I learned," said he, "from our venerable friend, the late Abraham Sells, former proprietor of this beautiful grove, rightly named by him Wyandot Grove, near yon crystal spring once stood the cabin of this noted chief. It was here that the Wyandots halted to rest and refresh themselves when on their way to the white settlements at Chillicothe and subsequently at Franklinton, this county." The Colonel then told the story of Leatherlips, who was executed "for political reasons," substantially as already given. He was followed by Capt. È. L. Taylor, who spoke in a very interesting manner, after which a committee was appointed to take measures for the erection of the monument. The first settlement of this county was commenced in 1797. Some of the early settlers were Robert Armstrong, George Skidmore, Lucas Sullivant, Wm. Domigan, the Deardorfs, the M'Elvains, the Sellses, James Marshall, John Dili, Jacob Grubb, Jacob Overdier, Arthur O'Harra, Colonel Culbertson and John Brickell. This last-named gentleman was taken prisoner when a boy, in Pennsylvania, brought into Ohio and held captive four and a half years among the Delawares. He was liberated at Fort Defiance, shortly after the treaty of Greenville, the details of which will be found under the head of Defiance county. In the month of August, 1797, Franklinton was laid out by Lucas Sullivant. The settlement at that place was the first in the county. Mr. Sullivant was a self-made man and noted as a surveyor. He had often encountered great peril from the attacks of Indians while making his surveys. The following items of local history are from a “A Brief History and Description of Franklin County" which accompanied Wheeler's map. Next after the settlement of Franklinton, a Mr. Springer and his son-in-law, Osborn, settled on Darby; then next was a scattering settlement along Alum creek, which last was probably about the summer of 1798. Among the first settlers here were Messrs. White, Nelson, Shaw, Agler, and Reed. About the same time, some improvements were made near the mouth of Gahannah (formerly called Big belly), and the settlements thus gradually extended along the principal water courses. In the mean time, Franklinton was the point to which emigrants first repaired, to spend some months, or probably years, prior to their permanent location. For several years there was no mill nor considerable settlement nearer than the vicinity of Chillicothe. In Franklinton, the neighbors constructed a kind of handmill, upon which they generally ground their corn. Some pounded it, and occasionally a trip was made with a canoe or periogue, by way of the river, to the Chillicothe mill. About the year 1799, a Mr. John D. Rush erected an inferior mill on the Scioto, a short distance above Franklinton; it was, however, a poor concern, and soon fell to ruin. A horsemill was then resorted to, and kept up for some time; but the first mill of any considerable advantage to the country was erected by Col. Kilbourne, near Worthington, about the year 1805. About the same time, Carpenter's mill, near Delaware, and Dyer's, on Darby, were erected. About one year, probably, after the first settlement of Franklinton, a Mr. James Scott opened the first small store in the place. which added much to the convenience of the settlers. For probably seven or eight years, there was no post-office nearer than Chillicothe, and when other opportunities did not offer, the men would occasionally raise by contribution the means, and employ a man to go the moderate distance of forty-five miles to the post-office to inquire for letters and newspapers. During the first years of the settlement, it was extremely sickly-perhaps as much so as any part of the State. Although sickness was so general in the fall season as to almost enty discourage the inhabitants, yet, on the return of health, the prospective advantages of the country, the luxuriant crops, and abundance of game of all kinds, together with the gradual improvement in the health. of the country generally, induced them to remain. The principal disease of the country being fever and ague, deaths were comparatively seldom. it FRANKLINTON 1846.-Franklinton lies on the west side of the Scioto, opposite Columbus. It was the first town laid off in the Scioto valley north of Chillicothe. From the formation of the county, in 1803, it remained its seat of justice until 1824, when it was removed to Columbus. During the late war, was a place of general rendezvous for the northwestern army, and sometimes from one to three thousand troops were stationed there. In those days, it was a place of considerable note; it is now a small village, containing, by the census of 1840, 394 inhabitants.-Old Edition. Franklinton now is included in the city of Columbus. It has changed less than any part of the city so near the centre, and preserves to this day many of its old style village features. It is a quiet spot, but cannot much longer so remain in the rapid progress of improvements. WORTHINGTON IN 1846.-Worthington is a neat town, 9 miles north of Columbus, containing 3 churches, and by the census of 1840, 440 inhabitants. At WORTHINGTON FEMALE SEMINARY IN 1846. this place is a classical academy, in the old botanic college building, in fine repute, under the charge of the Rev. R. K. Nash; also a flourishing female seminary, under the patronage of the Ohio Methodist Conference, of which the Rev. Alexander Nelson is the principal. The building is of brick, and stands in a pleasant green.Old Edition. Since 1840 to 1880 Worthington has increased from 440 to 459 inhabitants. It is now on the line of the C. C. C. and I. railway. It has long been known as an educational point, and it was the attractions of this spot that first drew Bishop Philander Chase to Ohio. He came out and settled here in 1817, bought five village lots, and a farm of 150 acres just south of the place. About 60 acres were cleared, and the total cost was two thousand and fifty dollars. He was appointed principal of the academy and conducted services in the Episcopal church. While residing here he was made in 1818 the first Bishop of Ohio. Worthington was also honored by the early residence of Salmon P. Chase. Williams Bros.' combined history of Franklin and Pickaway counties gives the following amusing items: Boyhood Pranks of Salmon P. Chase.Salmon P. Chase came to Ohio to live with his uncle, Bishop Chase, in 1820, when but twelve years of age. He did chores about the farm, drove the cows to pasture and home again, took grain to the mill, and was kept busy when not at school. He once received instructions from his uncle to kill and dress a little young pig which was to be roasted for dinner. He knew how to kill and scald him, but either the water was too hot, or he left the pig in too long, for when he expected to remove the bristles easily, he could hardly pull out even a single bristle at a time. He was aware that the pig must be ready promptly for dinner, and bethought himself of his cousin Philander's razor which he got and with which he neatly shaved the pig. The job was well done and reflected credit on the barber, but about ruined the razor. Salmon was also accustomed to ride a horse belonging to Squire Charles E. Burr, the same animal being a favorite with the college professors and others. He found that by sticking his heels in the sides of the horse that he resented the indignity by kicking. He enjoyed the fun and continued it until the horse was completely ruined for the ordinary uses of a horse; it could not be used for any purpose whatsoever except to kick every thing within the swing of his heels, which i ever after did, and with a gusto. nortur Salmon lived with his uncle about a year and a half. Mr. Elias Lewis, of Worthington, now in his eighty-third year, when a bricklayer had Salmon P. Chase for carrier and speaks with pride of the a man who afterward became a governor of Ohio and chief justice of the United States should have carried the hod for him. t that The township of Sharon, in which Worthington is, was very early settled by |