Heroes of the Forest

Our county had been traversed by white hunters for some years before actual settlements were made. In the year 1773, a Baptist missionary accompanied by a trader named Duncan, is said to have traveled over the path taken by Christopher Gist. Lewis Wetsell and Simon Girty, famous hunters and traders, visited the Indian town at Lancaster. To reach that place, it would be necessary to follow some of the various Indian trails through our county. We are quite sure that traders stopped within our borders for purposes of barter. In the eastern part of Bearfield Township, near the Morgan County line, 78

is evidence of a trading post. Only a few years ago, there was found at this place, a Spanish coin of the eighteenth century, some bits of iron and vermillion. The latter, evidently, was to sell to the Indians for decorative purposes. The surveying of the land and the opening of Zane's Trace had the effect of opening the land to settlement. Perry County had the advantage of some of the other counties in that its hills were more healthful than the flat lands of Fairfield and Pickaway. Who the first permanent settler in our county was is not definitely known. It is not probable that there were any before the year 1800. In 1801, however, we know positively, of several. A man by the name of George Arnold had entered some land in Reading Township, where the town of New Reading now is. He did not settle on the land, but sold it to Christian Binckley, the great-grandfather of Capt. T. D. Binckley, present Representative from this county. He thus became the first permanent settler, as far as known. He came from Washington County, Maryland. In 1802, several additions were made to the popu- lation of our county. Among the first to arrive was Peter Overmeyer, who came with his family from Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. It might be interesting to note that he, too, was the great-grand- father of our own Capt. Binckley, of New Lexington. Peter Overmeyer was the father of the Peter Over- meyer who died but a few years since, and grand- father of J. B. Overmeyer, ex-treasurer of this county. The younger Peter Overmeyer was three years of age when he came to Perry County. Living to a ripe old age, he had seen the growth of the entire county. He 79

had experienced the hardships of pioneer days, had received his education in the crude way in which it was to be got at that time, and no man was more able to narrate the early experiences in the woods of Perry County than he. His name deserves to go on the list of the "Heroes of the Forest." In the same year that Peter Overmeyer came to Reading, other settlements were made in the vicinity. Robert Colborn settled east of Somerset. Frederick Heck came to the neighborhood of Otterbein and George Bowman took up his residence on west Rush- creek. From this time the settlements were made more rapidly. Fink and Miller, the proprietors of Somerset, came in 1803. Soon small clearings began to appear in the woods, the settlers' cabin was being built and the smoke curled from the stick chimney. The Pioneers had come mostly from the states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and New York. The Pennsylvania Germans and the Virginians pre- dominated. The method of bringing families and household goods was by wagon or horseback. Often the head of the family had come on ahead and had the cabin ready for occupancy. If such was not the case, the wagon in which they came served as their home till the trees could be felled for the house. These homes were made of round logs. The roof was clapboards, held in place by long poles. The floors. were logs hewed on one side. Greased paper served for windows. One end of the house was utilized for the fire-place. The hearth consisted of flat stones. Here the cooking was done with utensils few and simple. A pot and skillet were deemed sufficient, and the family that owned a "Dutch Oven" was considered fortunate. 80

The clothing was spun and woven by the women from flax raised in the clearing. Linsey-wolsey was a common fabric. It was a mixture of wool and cotton. The food was necessarily coarse and plain. Hom- iny was a staple diet. For meats they depended in part upon the animals of the forest. But hogs were soon raised and "hog and hominy" became popular. These were the "Good old times" about which we hear so much. To old people who live in the past, this may be true. But they were hard times, never- theless, in more ways than one. It was an experience that few care to repeat. In spite of the hardships and many disadvantages, our pioneer fathers extracted their share of life's enjoy- ment. People helped each other more then than now. There were log-rollings and barn-raisings and corn- huskings. These were always made social affairs. The settlers cabin had no newspaper and few books. The Bible was one of these and its contents was read and re-read, till it was committed to memory. The long winter evenings were passed in work of vari- ous kinds. The pioneer knew very little beside labor. During the day, mother and daughters often helped in the fields. In the evening, wool and flax were to be spun, stockings knitted, clothes made, brooms from hickory splints manufactured, harness mended, corn shelled and dozens of other duties, then to go to bed and sleep during the long winter nights and awake in the morning, and find on the bed covers, a thin layer of snow, which had sifted in through the clapboard roof. The men and women who came to the woods of Perry County, cleared its forests, built for themselves 81

and families their rude homes, extracted from the land by dint of hard labor, food and clothing, and then left to succeeding generations a heritage of material wealth, independence of mind, and above all a high type of manhood and womanhood, certainly may be called "Heroes of the Forest." Their work is done. The third and fourth genera- tions now occupy the land they conquered. They now sleep in the soil, wrested from the hands of untamed Nature and around their narrow beds can be heard the hum and buzz of the industry of a newer time for which they laid the foundation, ''Careless crowds go daily past you, Where their future fate has cast you, Leaving not a sigh or tear; And your wonder works outlast you - Brave old pioneer! Little care the selfish throng Where your heart is hid, Though they thrive upon the strong, Resolute work it did. But our memory-eyes have found you, And we hold you grandly dear; With no work-day woes to wound you- With the peace of God around you- Sleep, old pioneer!" - Will Carleton. 82

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