BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 19 
the Wyandots residing near Solomon’s Town and on 
Blanchard’s Fork in addition to the reservation before 
made, sixteen thousand acres of land to be laid off in a 
Square form on the head of Blanchard’s Fork, the 
center of which shall be the Rig Spring on the trace 
leading from Upper Sandusky to Fort Findlay.” This 
reservation is indicated by a dotted boundary line on 
Map I. ‘This section was granted to the Indians be- 
cause such a large portion of it was unfit for agricul- 
tural purposes; while, at the same time, it formed an 
excellent hunting ground for them on account of the 
abundance of game of various kinds. Even after the 
reservation was thrown open to settlement deer, 
beaver, otter, mink and various species of water fowl 
were quite common. From the wording of the article 
granting the Big Spring Indian Reservation to the 
Wyandots, one would be justified in inferring that the 
Big Spring was at the head of Blanchard’s Fork in 
1818. If this is true, there must have been a natural 
drainage for this section in the earlier years of the past 
century, and as there was no well-defined outlet when 
the reservation was thrown open to settlement, the out- 
let or Blanchard’s Fork must have become so clogged 
up that nearly all traces of the original stream became 
obliterated. Ina history of Seneca County the follow- 
ing occurs: “Big Spring was once a very powerful 
one, and formed a small lake. Clearing of land de- 
creased its importance.’? ‘The reservation was ceded 
to the U. S. in 1832 Jan. 19th, and was thrown open to 
settlement in 1833. Big Spring township, Seneca 
County, was formed March 6, 1833, he town of 
Springville was laid out in 1834, by which time, most 
of the ridge land was occupied by settlers. During 
this year there occurred in this section, a very destruct- 
ive late Spring frost. 
In 1837 the crops were greatly injured by drought. 
Even the marsh was well dried off for that day. The 
