Pioneers Along Yellow Creek
The first winter spent along
Yellow Creek was no doubt a very long one. Americans began inhabiting
the area as squatters around 1785. These lands west of the Ohio River
were unsurveyed
lands, riddled with wild game amidst a labryth of rivulets and
ridgetops. Fort Steuben was built to aid the Surveyors in their study
of the lands. Several Native American tribes knew how valuable these
lands were for hunting
and also knew the secrets of the various salt springs along the creek.
There are many Indian Tales that can be read here! Wolf, Black Bear,
Cougar, now
long gone, once roamed the wilds, seeking out the whitetailed deer and
abundant variety of fish and vegetation. The early squatters recieved
bounties
for killing these larger animals.
The
settler's way of life was not an easy one. Most all materials needed
were hauled in over the steep hills by horses or oxen. Bartering with
neighbors was sometimes the only option, or worse, no option at all. By
1812-33, most settlements within Jefferson County began registering
their lands.
Check "Digging Up the Past" for much more information regarding evidence of early settlers!
