|
Have you ever thought
about the
lives of those before the
European's came along. As long
ago as 12,000BC ancient people
inhabited the area of the
Cuyahoga Falls, Cuyahoga
Valley and the
surrounding vicinity. There
were actually three periods of
activity before the Europeans
settled. These include the
Paleo-Indian (from 12,000 -
10,000BC), the Archaic
(10,000-800BC), and the
Woodland (800BC-1600AD).
Paleo-Indian (from 12,000 -
10,000BC)
The
Earliest surviving evidence of
activity of man is dated as
far back as when the glaciers
were retreating. The Paleo-Indians
followed the movement of the
animals and retreating ice.
These early people were mobile
hunters and gatherers and
probably did not have
permanent living sites in the
area.
Archaic
(10,000-800BC)
Small
Family groups inhabited
semi-permanent campsites on
the flood plain or slopes
during the Early Archaic
period (10,000 -5,000BC). Some
shelter was afforded by nearby
rocks, perhaps even overhangs,
and water was provided by
springs near their campsites.
One site was found outside of
the park boundaries was
excavated and consisted of a
large multifamily base camp
and a small single-purpose
activity campsite. Within the
valley, burial sites, multiple
family campsites, hunting
campsites, and artifacts,
including bannerstones,
birdstones, gorgets, and
projectile points have been
discovered.
Woodland (800BC-1600AD)
During
Early Woodland (800-100 BC)
and Middle Woodland (100 BC -
900 AD) periods, farming
increased but hunting and
gathering were still
important. Projectile points,
flint bladed knives, ceramics,
and conical burial mounds have
been discovered. One site,
indicating a small
hunting-gathering band of
about fifty individuals, is
representative of the Late
Woodland Period (900AD -
1800AD). During
winter dwellers lived in rock
shelters and during the summer
they lived on the plains.
During various phases they
evolved in campsites, food,
and tools.
Indian Trails
Indians
came to the Cuyahoga Valley on
two different trails. One was
the well-worn Mahoning or
Watershed Trail that came west
from Pennsylvania. It ran
north of the present day
Youngstown and crossed the
upper part of the Cuyahoga
River near what is now Kent.
When it reached what
eventually became Stow, it
split, one branch going to
what is now Cuyahoga Falls
near what is now Portage Trail
at which point it intersects
with the other trail, the
Portage Trail. This is the
north-south trail which led
the Indians from the Cuyahoga
River to the Tuscarawas River
which was eight miles away.
Travel from one river to the
other was difficult and it was
necessary to get out at the
Signal
Tree and portage canoes
and belongings over the rough
path.
During
1680 thru 1800 the Europeans
came to settle about the
region. The settlers entered
the territory occupied by the
Iroquois Confederation of the
Six Nations. The Nations
that resided in the Cuyahoga
Valley area consisted of the
Seneca (Iroquois Nation), the
Delaware, the Mingo, and the
Ottawa.
Adena
& Hopewell Mound Builders
Native American's of Bath Township
Indian
Food
Native American
Stories of the Cuyahoga
Indian Trivia
Chief
Pontiac and the
Ottawas
Although
speculated locations
vary most believe an Ottawa village is near
the intersection of
the present Columbia
and Riverview Roads. .
Lewis Evans,
geographer and
surveyor, maps the
location here as the
'Village Tawas'. This
later became known as
Ponty's Camp. Although
this was his tribe and
camp named for him it
is believed that he
only came to the
Cuyahoga Valley
occasionally until his
death in 1769
Chief
Ogoontz
Another
interesting Indian
chief was Ogoontz.
Ogoontz was educated
by the French in
Canada and became a
prominent church man.
He alternated between
White and Indian
customs and could wear
a coat or paint and
feathers with equal
ease.
Chief
Net-a-wat-wees and the
Delaware's
The
Delaware Indians were
also known as the
Leni-Lenape and were
called the Grandfather
Nation by other
Indians. Within their
nation were the
Turtle, Turkey, and
Wolf Clans. Chief
Net-a-wat-wees
was chief of the
Turtle Clan. He had
several villages in
the region. One was at
the mouth of the river
near Valley View Golf
Course; the second on
Smith Road not far
from a Mingo Indian
Camp.
The permanent camp was
eventually located on
the north side of the
river close to where
the Ohio Edison Dam
was later built.
More About
Netawatwees
Chief
Stigwanish and the
Seneca's
The
Chief and his tribe
were known to farm
crops along the river,
specifically at the
river fork at the
lower end of the gorge.
Settlers purchased
corn grown by the
Indians on about 40
acres near what is now
Brandywine Gold
Course.
Stigwanish
built and erected a
totem pole, the only
one of record in
Summit County. Before
going on hunting
trips, the Indians
decorated the totem
pole with tobacco,
which was promptly
stolen by the
Whites.
The Chief was
quite friendly with
those from the white
settlements which
caused riffs with
other Indian groups.
Because of this the
settlers built Chief
Stigwanish a
blockhouse for him to
use if needed. There
is a pretty well-known
story about the Chief.
He was known for
drinking frequently
and heavily. In a
drunken rage, he threw
a tomahawk at his wife
and when she ducked to
avoid the tomahawk it
hit the papoose she
carried on her back.
He gave up his
drinking then on.
Chief
Wabmong
Two
Seneca Villages were
located in the Silver
Lake area. One was
northwest of the lake
near what is now Route
59. The other, a much
larger encampment, was
located near Crystal
Lake once called
Wetmore Lake or Stow
Pond. Approximately
500 Seneca Indians
lived where the
Mahoning Trail separated
the village from the
lake under the
leadership of Chief
Wabmong. One
relatively famous
story known by most of
the old-timers around
here was about Mrs.
Wetmore and this tribe
of Mingo girls and
women. As it goes...A
settler, Mrs. William
Wetmore befriended the
Indians and several of
the Native American
children came to play
with the Wetmore
children. The Indian
children wore little
if anything that
consisted of clothing.
As they grew older
this became a concern
to Mrs. Wetmore. So
Mrs. Wetmore taught
the children and the
Squaws how to sew
clothing from from
material that was
traded for furs and
skins.
It
is also known that
Chief Wabmong stopped
an area massacre by
ignoring a bribe by
the British and moving
his entire village
from the region
overnight thus saving
the population of Stow.
William
R. Lodge wrote a
letter in May 11,
1941, it contained the
following, "The
well-known Goose Egg
Island which has a
good sized channel of the
river on each side of
it, is located at the
Southwest corner of my
sanctuary property.
The well-known knoll
was the site of the
cabin of Chief Wabmong
of the Seneca's, who
had a village of 500
Indians on the roadway
south of Silver Lake.
These Indians lived
there prior to joining
the British and
Tecumseh in the battle
of the Maumee Valley
and those near Detroit
in 1812. They all left
here in a single
night, taking
everything except
their shakes and
tepees, according to
old settlers that we
knew when father moved
his family from
Cleveland to 'Stow
Pond', Silver Lake, in
April 1876."
Chief
Logan and the Mingo's
The
Mingo village was
placed at the
intersection of Yellow
Creek and Riverview
Roads. Logan was
known to be quite
friendly with the
whites until 1774 when
a group of settlers
killed his family. He
then became bitter and
angry and raided
settlements. The Mingo
Nation eventually
scattered throughout
Ohio. He continued to
berate and protest
against the whites
until his death in
1780.
|