The Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio the Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio
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The Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio The Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio President-Editor .. ...... WALTER J. SHERMAN Secretary-Treasurer . ...... WILLIAM H . BLACK claimed it, we have for the most part been content to remain in ignorance," 1st Vice-President . ... WALTER A . EVERSMAN Librarian ........... .•.. .. NEVIN 0. WINTER said Prof. Theo. Pease in an able address recently before the Indiana His 2d Vice-President . .. .... WILLIAM A . GOSLINE Assistant Librarian . .. ... CARL Vrrz tory Conference. Jd Vice-President ... MRS. LOUIS A. MENN ELL Term expiring 1935- Term expiring 1936- Term expiring 1937- Upon one of the crude maps of the day the Marquis de Vaudreyil, last NEVIN 0 . W INTER WILLIAM F. BROER W ALTER A. E VE RSMAN WILLIAM A . GOSLINE MRS. KENT HAMILTON JULIAN H. TYLER Governor-general of New France indicated in red the boundaries of the Cana TRUSTEES { BLAKE-MORE GODWIN SILAS E. HURIN RICHARD D. LOGAN da surrendered to the B"ritish in 1760. This map is now in the British Mu GEORGE D. WELLES MRS. LOUIS A. MENNELL FRED BISSELL seum. On it the line in question passes from the mouth of the Ohio to and EDMUND T . COLLIN S WALTER J. SHERMAN ARTHUR T . SECOR up the Wabash to its source thence skirting the south end of Lake Michigan OFFICES and on northwest in a meandering line to the head waters of the St. Croix. President-Editor-800 2nd National Bank Building From this map the British thought they were entitled to the greater portion Secretary-Treasurer-16th Floor-2nd National Bank Building of what was afterwards known as the old Northwest Territory. But at the London Conference table of 17 61 the Envoy of France, Francois de Bussy, disclaimed the accuracy of the red line and demanded that the Ohio River BULLETIN No. 3-VOL 7 JULY, 1935 country be marked as a part of the French province of Louisiana and not of the French province of Canada and therefore not to be included in the territory surrendered to the British. CENTENNIAL OF THE OHIO-MICHIGAN WAR, The French Envoy further said: "The Sieur de La Salle discovered that river in 1683 and took possession of it in the name of the King. His success 1835-1935 ors established forts there; letters patent of 1712 gTanted to M. Crozat for the exclusive trade of Louisiana, put the Ohio in that province (Louisiana); all the French Geographers and all the old English geographers do the same; An article by Major Benjamin F. Stickney, one of the earliest pioneers we have had forts there and still have them; we are in a position to produce of Toledo, published in the town's diminutive first directory in 1858, con a constant possession for seventy years, while the English have never tains the following account of the struggle for possession of the disputed thought to make claims to the region before 1750, when the beauty of the territory lying between the "Harris" line on the north and the "Fulton" country became known to traders of their nation led thither by their in line on the south. terests. As to the line drawn by M. the Marquis de Vaudreyil on the map Note.-For the convenience of the reader, the editor has prepared the turned over in surrendering Canada, I have reason to think that it was not following so much the boundaries of Canada that he marked as those of the general government of Canada, which has always extended over the part of the province of Louisiana which approaches the Lakes." Chronology of Events Preceding and Following the War The resources of the Old Northwest were so tempting to their nationals 1787 that each had preferred war to surrendering it to the rival interests. July 13-0rdinance providing a government for the t erritory northwest Actually the eastern line of the French occupation was marked by the of the Ohio River defined the Northern boundaries of what are now the states Wabash and Maumee Rivers along which were strung a line of military posts. of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois by the line dividing the United States from the English traders and settlers were beginning to pour over the Alleghenies British possessions; but contained a proviso "that the boundaries of these eager to share the wealth of the Ohio country. three states shall be subject so far to be altered that if Congress shall here after find it expedient they shall have authority to form one or two states Then in 17 4 9 the French dispatched Celeron de Blainville, of leaden in that part of said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn plate fame, to expel the English from the Ohio country. Meanwhile efforts to through the southernly end of Lake Michigan." establish a neutral zone between the English and the French failed. The The so-called Mitchell Map of 175 5 was relied upon by the committee former would have it extend from the Alleghenies to the Wabash while the which drafted the ordinance. This map was also used by the Peace Com latter would have the Ohio River as the western boundary of neutrality. missioners at Paris in 1783. It was a crude map and full of errors particu larly as regards Lake Michigan. By it the southern boundary was shown Then came the surrender of Fort Necessity, Braddock's defeat, the war as in about 42 degrees north latitude-or the latitude of the mouth of involving all Europe and the rise to power of the great War Minister, Detroit River and this error caused all the succeeding trouble. William Pitt, with victory for England and defeat for France, accompanied by the loss of the Province of Canada. But what was Canada and where 1802 was the boundary between the two French provinces of Canada and Louisi April 30-Congress passed an act authorizing the people of the territory ana? So the long drawn out round table conference at London and Paris and of Ohio to form a state constitution preparatory to her admission into the the final decision as recorded in the Treaty of Paris of February 18, 1763, Union and described her northern bounary as follows: "On the north by which "declared that the confines between the dominions of Great Britain and an east and west line drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, France on this continent, should be fixed by a line drawn along the middle of running east after intersecting the due north line from the mouth of the the Mississippi River from its source, as far as the River Iberville ( 14 miles Great Miami, until it shall intersect Lake Erie or the territorial line, and below Baton Rouge) and from thence by a line drawn along the middle of thence with the same through Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line." (See map this river and of the Lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain to the Sea." page 4.) The whole story is told in an interesting manner by Professor Pease November 29--A convention of the people of Ohio adopted a constitution and recorded in Indiana History Bulletin, February, 1935. under the aforesaid act, giving the State the same northern boundary as con- The Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio tained in the enabling act with this proviso: "Provided always, and it is of Michigan Militia: "You will now perceive that a collision between Ohio hereby fully understood and declared by this convention, that if the southerly and Michigan is inevitable and will therefore be prepared to meet the Crisis." bend or extreme of Lake Michigan should extend too far south, that a line due east from it should not intersect Lake Erie, or if it should interest March 31-Governor Lucas, of Ohio, arrived at Perrysburg with his staff Lake Erie east of the mouth of the Miami River of the Lake, then and in and the boundary commissioners to run and remark the "Harris''. About the that case, with the assent of the Congress of the United States, the northern same time General John Bell, of the Ohio Militia mustered into service about boundary of this State shall be established by and extend to a direct line 600 men fully armed and equipped. They went into camp at Old Fort Miami. returning from the southern extreme of Lake Michigan to the most northerly Governor Mason with General Joseph Brown brought about 1,000 men of Cape of the Miami Bay, after intersecting the due north line from the mouth the Michigan Militia to Toledo ready to resist any advance of the Ohio of the Great Miami River aforesaid; thence northeast by said territorial line authorities to run the boundary line. to the Pennsylvania line." April 7-United States Commissioners and the Ohio Governor in the 1803 cause of peace agreed to the resurvey of the "Harris" line and that residents of the disputed territory might choose their own government until Congress February 19--The State of Ohio was admitted into the Union without acted in the matter. But acting Governor Mason of Michigan refused to any allusion by Congress to the boundary line. acquiesce. 1805 April 25-Michigan authorities arrested nine of the party of surveyors running the "Harris" line and locked them up at Tecumseh. January 11-Congress created the Territory of Michigan with boundaries as follows: "All that part of the Indian Territory which lies north of a line May 6-Major B. F. Stickney arrested and jailed at Monroe for having drawn east from the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, until it acted as a Judge of an Ohio election on Michigan soil.