Thought you might enjoy this--the person who sent it is not a member of this list so it didn't make it there. Alice ------- USGenWeb Project County Coordinator for the following: Marshall Co. KS http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/genweb/marshall/ Geauga Co. OH http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohgeauga/geauga.html Seneca Co. OH http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohseneca/seneca.html Clark Co. WA http://www.rootsweb.com/~waclark/clark.htm List Manager for OHSENECA-L; OHGEAUGA-L; WACLARK-L; & KSMARSHA-L -----Original Message----- From: BHurst1948@aol.com <BHurst1948@aol.com> To: OHAshtab-L@rootsweb.com <OHAshtab-L@rootsweb.com>; OHCuyaho-L@rootsweb.com <OHCuyaho-L@rootsweb.com>; OHGEAUGA-L@rootsweb.com <OHGEAUGA-L@rootsweb.com>; OHLake-L@rootsweb.com <OHLake-L@rootsweb.com>; OHTrumbu-L@rootsweb.com <OHTrumbu-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, October 24, 1999 1:45 PM Subject: {not a subscriber} Western Reserve Centennial Souvenir 1896 by H. U. Johnson, Orwell, Oh >Since this book is so small I will send the rest of the stories that are in >the book. Not all at once - anecdote by anecdote as my time allows. Enjoy! > >FROM THE FIRELANDS - The first regular settlement on these was in 1808. The >few inhabitants were isolated and suffered much for want of food and >clothing. They subsisted much of the time on parched and pounded corn, >together with wild meat. >It is recorded that once upon a time, a hunter rapped at a cabin door, and >was bidden enter by a feeble voice from within. Doing so, he found a pale >emanciated woman sitting by the fire, holding a puny babe. On beholding him, >the women burst into tears. Soon recovering herself, she pointed to the bed >saying, "There is my little Edward, I expect he is dying; here is my babe so >sick I cannot lay it down. I am so feeble I can scarce remain in my chair, >and poor husband lies buried beside the cabin. Oh, that I could fall into my >mother's arms!" It was only one of many similar scenes incident to pioneer >life on the Reserve. >In my early boyhood I used to fish with a young lawyer, named "Thom" Johnson, >residing near Seville, Medina County. On one occasion he told me, that >whilst hunting on the Fire Lands sometime in the thirties, he, together with >two or three others, became lost in the forest and did not find a clearing >until late in the evening. Making their way to a log house, in thecenter of >this, they found it occupied by a lone woman. Stating their case, they asked >supper and lodging. The woman told them she had nothing but a little meal >and some milk. From the meal she made a johnnycake and of this and the milk, >they partook with a relish and then retired to bed. During the entire night, >the hostess busied herself grating the glazing corn on the bottom of a pan >punched full of holes, in order to have the wherewith to breakfast her >guests. The frugal meal over, they asked for their bill. "O, nothing," was >the reply. A five dollar bill was placed in her hands, and the hunters >pursued their way as well satisfied as though they had lodged at a hotel. >Those were the days of genuine, unselfish pioneer hospitality. >The following, from Howe's "Historical Collections of Ohio," shows something >of the early penchant for visiting: "A gentleman settled with his family >about two miles west of Vermillion River without a neighbor near him. Soon >after, a man and wife settled on the opposite side of the river, about three >miles distant. The lady on the westside was very anxious to meet her >east-side neighbor, and sent her a message stating when she would make her a >visit. At the appointed time she went with her husband to the river but >found it so swollen from recent rains as to render it impossible to cross on >foot. There was no canoe or horse in that part of the country. The obstacle >was apparently insurmountable. Fortunately, the man on the other side was >fertile in expedients; he yoked up his oxen anticipating the event, and >arrived at the river just as the others were about leaving. Springing upon >the back of one of the oxen, he rode him across the river, and when he had >reached the west bank, the lady, Europa-like, fearlessly sprang upon the back >of the other, and was borne safely across the surging waters, and safely >landed upon the opposite bank. When her visit was concluded, she returned in >the same manner." > >