Pioneers

Pioneer life Cridersville Ohio early settlers homesteads forests roads farms families Auglaize County local history Cridersville Historical Society. As the pioneers built their homes, between each homestead were still thick forests with few roads. The closest towns were small and had been established before the Shawnee departure— St. Marys (1823), Lima (1832), and Wapakoneta (1833). Travel to these towns was difficult. Because of the isolation, the pioneer families had to be self sufficient. They grew their own food, made their clothes, and continued chopping down more trees to expand their farm fields. Pioneer life was hard work! In 1835, Daniel Bowsher and his younger brother Benjamine made a trip on horseback through this area. The brothers were so impressed with what they found they purchased 160 acres. In the spring of 1836, Daniel and Benjamine, along with Jacob Delong, lead an expedition of 27 people from Ross and Pickaway Counties to pioneer this area. They came by trails, waded swamps, and pushed through thick forests until they reached Duchouquet and Shawnee Townships. They discovered that it was an area of swamps, thick forests, and abundant wildlife. A few members of the group found it too wild and returned home without unloading. The others were convinced the plentiful deer, wild turkeys and other game more than compensated for the hard work of clearing and draining the land and building new homes in the wilderness. The first land purchased in the area was made in 1834. George Delong purchased 80 acres at $1.25 per acre at a government land sale in Pi- qua, Ohio. George lived in Ross County south of Colum- bus. He had bought the land without seeing it. Today, his land is the site of Cridersville Elementary School and Delong Pioneer Nature Park. GEORGE DELONG CATHERINE BOWSHER Wife of Daniel Bowsher In 1835, Daniel Bowsher and his younger brother Benjamine made a trip on horse- back through this area. The brothers were so impressed with what they found they purchased 160 acres. When the Bowsher families came, their first task was to build their log homes. They lived in a log hut built by the Shawnee while they were...