Excerpt from A History of Northwest Ohio: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress and Development From the First European Exploration of the Maumee and Sandusky Valleys and the Adjacent Shores of Lake Erie, Down to the Present Time No section of the United States has experienced more changes of sovereignty than has Northwest Ohio, and none has been the theater of more interesting historical events than this same division. Contrasting with the romance of the coureurs du bois, who roamed the trackless forests, the fascinating adventures, of the early pioneers, and the marvelous achievements of the American arms, history records for us the tragedy of the St. Glair defeat and the disastrous Crawford campaign, as well as the infamous memoirs of the Girty renegades. It has been a matter of intense interest and genuine pleasure to the writer to study the history of our section of the great State of Ohio, and attempt to transcribe it into a connected narrative form. There have been many county histories published, and two or three historical treatises of the Maumee Valley, as well as a number of valuable histories of the entire State of Ohio, but in no instance, so far as the writer is aware, has there been a separate history of the northwestern section of the state. From an historical standpoint Northwest Ohio is almost an entity unto itself. The actual French occupation did not extend much farther into the state than the territory covered by this history, and the British settlements likewise were practically limited to the time section. More Indians resided within the territory covered by these twenty counties than in any other part of Ohio, and it practically includes the territory reserved for them by the Treaty of Greenville, in 1795. Several of the most noted conflicts between the Americans and the aborigines took place upon this soil, and it was also the scene of the principal conflicts in the War of 1812 that occurred west of the Alleghenies, including one of the most famous victories of the American navy. It is also the arena of the only war that Ohio has ever waged on her own account. Hence it will be seen that Northwest Ohio deserves a history of its own, in which the important events can be elaborated upon and afforded a fuller description than any work covering the entire state. It has been the aim of the writer in the preparation of this work to transcribe the history into a readable form, and to give the events the space that each deserves. He has also attempted to be absolutely accurate in his statement of historical facts and events, and, where there is a conflict of authority, to follow the one that seems to be the most reliable. Errors have undoubtedly occurred in the work, for such is generally the case even when the greatest care and precaution have been taken. Repetitions will occasionally be found of the same events in the narrative history and in the county chapters. This has been unavoidable, and for it no apology is offered. There are occasionally incidents in connection with these events that did not seem to be a part of the general history, but which do have a particular interest in the county history, which is included for that very purpose. In each of the county chapters it has been the aim to include and condense the history of the county and towns within the county, in the preparation of which I have had the counsel, and in many cases the most valuable aid from residents within the counties, who have kindly acted as advisory and contributing editors in the preparation of this work. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com