Qed Mens Poinds the Indian Thoroughfares
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E n ere a or n t o A c t of C on ress t d cc di g g , i n r t h e y ea 1900, B " A C H E B U T LE H U B T R R R L ER , I n t h e O fic e of t h e Lib ra ri a n of C ongress at W as n t n hi g o . N O T E H E call for independent copies of my copyrighted mono ” graph The Indian Thoroughfares of Ohio has led to its on revision and publicati in the present form . The new title In ” dian Thorou ghfares of the Central West is qu ite as appropri ate as rm for u os of has e i n the fo er, , tho gh m t the field work b en done of a t the state Ohio , all the import nt trails had their destina ion without the state . When not otherwise stated, towns and coun ties mentioned are in Ohio . The monograph was written at the suggestion of Mr . Ran dall , the successful secretary of the Ohio State Archaeological H a o sh an and istoric l S ciety , and was publi ed in the J uary quarterly of soc e that i ty. a 26 1 0 0 . Columbus , Ohio, J nuary , 9 PED MEN ’S DOADS n ISTOR" tells of two O hios the old and the ew . The old Ohio was all of that portion of the central west i and e w t o dra ned by the Ohio All gheny rivers , hich , R r to B el l e i vi ere N ew a . gether, fo med of Fr nce It w s included the territory bet een the Alleghenie , the Mississippi as we and the great lakes, save except the country of Illinois, a l t h e which early in history bec me a territory distinct by itse f , as - s- k as meadow lands of Kan t a ee became distinct later . As late “ ” t ar n n o as he Revolutionary w a English map pri ted Ohio s uth , l well as north , of the Ohio river . Of this central west (the old Ohio) only that part whi ch lay north of the Ohio river contained a resident Indian pogu lation . That portion south of the river was the Korea “ ” of the central west the dark and bloody battle ground of su rrou nding nations half a centu ry before the white man gave it that name . t h e North of the Ohio river, in valleys of the Alleghany, a W a Beaver, Muskingum , Scioto , Sandusky, Mi mi , Maumee , bash and Illinois , more white men knew the redman intimately than perhaps anywhere in the U nited States in the eighteenth d i n - n century . This knowledge of the In ian his own home la d resulted in gi ving to t h e world a mass of material respecting his country, customs and character . Among other things this knowledge of the northern division of the old Ohio during t h e Indian regime made it possible to map it, and some of these maps are essentially correct . ’ “ 1 Ma wi P ownal l s Mi ddl e B ri ti sh Col oni es i n N orth A meri ca 1 6 p th 77 , Lon on ( d , ’ - 6 RED MEN S ROA D S . The eastern half of the northern division of the old Ohio off lying between the Beaver and Miami rivers, ers special induce ments to prosecute t he study of this branch of Indian archae l a . ology, the Indian thoroughfares of the centr west Perhaps the more important conditions are not answered any better in any portion of the continent than in what is now the state of Ohio ; it contained a resident Indian population ; it was ext ensi v el v a n visited during Indi n occupatio by explorers , traders , spies , r armies, missionaries , su veyors and geographers , who studied and was and knew the land as it then ; and , finally , a last imperative condition is answered , it is in part a hilly country . It is possible to believe that in the earliest times the In i n dians travelled only on rivers and lakes . When they turned - and land we can be practically sure that they found , ready made - of deeply worn , the very routes travel which have since borne r adm ki n their name . For the beginning of the history of o a g ' o t wo in this central west, we must g back centuries , when the ff w bu alo, urged by his need of change of climate , ne er feeding grounds and fresher salt licks , first found his way through the forests . Even if the first thoroughfares were made by the mas ’ mou ndbu i l d er w todon and the , they first came to hite man s “ ” ff t 1 knowledge as bu alo traces , and later became Indian rails . w we In Kentucky , hich have already noted as unoccupied by “ ” w resident Indians , the word trace has come do n from last 1 A vivid description of the trail s of D arkest A frica as seen by D u C h ai l l u and Stanl ey h as come rec entl y fro m t h e pen of Jul ian H awthorne nd ma be n e est n i n t s onnec i on a “ y i t r i g hi c t T s a l s t wo or e e i n w a e se as ex he e tr i , but thr e f et idth , tr v r the v t panse from one side t o another ; you wal k i n them singl e—fil e ; if you s e as for a few o s ou ma s en s of o l e r n t o t p ide r d , y y p d the re t y ur if t yi g fin n A o n ou on e er s are an ol mns d the route agai . r u d y v y ide the gig tic c u of o es - s o a t wo n e al o o s and the f r t tree ; verhe d, hu dred f et ft, their b ugh dense fol iage make a roof through which no sunshine ever fal l s ; al l i s as na ma e e a s n l na ow ea of o o a e ture de it, xc pt th t i g e rr thr d th r ughf r , m o an o rea e man oo s s non can el l how an s a s a . c t d by hu f t tep , e t y th u d ye r g F or a s we k s mon s ou ol l ow s a l s o e o san s of m l s d y , e , th , y f uch tr i , v r th u d i e ; t e we l ai ou t w o a om ass t h e na ns n of the sa a e h y re d ith ut c p , by u ided i ti ct v g ; MA P RA N A R H D IND IAN T ILS O W TE S E S. "Th e evol ution of ou r A merican highways i s described el sewhere. A nd whil e not icing the fact that ou r roads have been comi ng down hill for a n i s n s n t o a a s i s of ou r z a on. ce tury , it i tere ti g rec ll th t thi true civili ti O u r s owns w on t o s as w as ou r s oa s and k e fir t t ere the hill p , ell fir t r d , li a om wn n a s T h e n of mo the ro ds have c e do i t o the v lley . eed the tive power furni shed by t h e streams led t o the building of mill s i n the v al h m n f s A o t e m s s an sma s t m n s. o o ley . b ut ill pr g up ll et le e t The c i g the a wa era was oom of ’ t h ou sand s of o owns and a s and r il y the d pr ud t vill ge , and the shrill scream of the loc omotive sounded t h e passing of the ol d thoroughfare s on the hills . no n n m om i onn i n a A ther i teresti g atter c es up n this c eec t o . A fter l a t o at Ad ebert C o C an a w k nown O o ecture by the u h r llege , level d , ell hi s a o and am on of oo oa s ook t on t o a s at legi l t r ch pi g d r d , t excep i t e ment made th at the first clearings and farms were al ong the ol d high i m n a a m n a m ways on the hilltop s.