“Geographical and Historical”

Date

2-21-1812

Newspaper

Western Intelligencer

Page and Column

Page 4, Column 2

Newspaper Location

Worthington, Ohio

Serial Number

1195

Abstract

Geographical and Historical sketches of Ohio.

Transcript

Geographical and Historical Sketches of the state of Ohio. No. 3. (Continued.) OF THE SCIOTO COUNTRY. The northern part of the Scioto district of country, commencing at about 85 miles from the Ohio, and extending to the Sandusky Plains on both forks of the river, and the smaller streams, and even to the heads of the east fork, is generally variegated in the most delightful manner conceivable, with gradual swells and depressions; every where interspersed with large creeks, or small but durable brooks of the most excellent water, with wide tracts of bottom land, even on the small branches, making it one of the most delightful tracts of country for farming in the United States. This part of Scioto country, is very unlike the others in this respect, that it is very uniform in the quality of soil, and face of the ground, the best and most experienced farmers, have generally decided, that although the bottom lands in this part of the district are superior to those more to the south, they are still not superior to the upland, not even for corn and hemp, except for a few years at the first opening, and for all other crops the uplands are found superior from the first, and are undoubtedly the most enduring lands in the country. That part of this tract of country which lies on the head waters of the west fork of the Scioto, as also some of the ground on the waters of the east fork, which extend into the Sandusky plains, are exceptions to the general description of the fact of the country and water last given, being rather too level and wet, and even swampy in the north-westerly quarter. The kinds of timber are very various: in some places the prevailing timber on the upland is oak in others beech and sugartree, but in all parts, whatever may be the prevailing timber, there is a great mixture of other kinds, particularly white and blue ash, black walnut, locust, elm, &c. and all the most thrifty growth. When we say generally, that the rivers and creeks in the northern part of the Scioto country have extensive bottoms along their banks, it must be understood that the main west branch of the river is excepted, it being the fact that after a short distance from the confluence of the two streams, the bottoms on the west branch to the distance of about 30 miles become very narrow, the lands on each side lying high, with abrupt banks or ledges of limestone-from the tops of which banks the country rises very gradually, laying the land in a handsome form on both sides to the distance of about a mile, and in many places more, where the ground becomes very level and considerably wet, except where drained by small runs of water. This strip of country next adjoining the banks of the river and its bottoms though high is very rich and productive, where cultivated, a part of which is called second bottom. The prevailing timber upon this, as also, upon the other branch for a number of miles up is beech with sugar tree, there are also a very great plenty of various kinds of valuable timber mixed with them, viz. black walnut, blue ash, and some cherry, &c. &c. On two or three of the branches which put into this river from the west, are more extensive bottoms than on the main river itself, particularly Mill creek and a small stream, not before mentioned, which puts in upon the west side, nine miles south of the Indian boundary, called Bokes' creek, which is about 10 or 12 miles long, and about 15 yards wide at its mouth.

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