87 



1812, preparatory to the arrival of Hull's army to the North, and 

 iudeed Urbana became the headquarters for the Northwestern Army. 

 A large portion of the army under Cass, Mc Arthur and Finley, 

 rendezvoused here awaiting the arrival of Col. Miller with the regu- 

 lars, and occupied the grounds where Thomas Berry and others now 

 reside, until June, when Col. Miller arriving the whole army moved 

 forward for Detroit and Canada, and so favorable were the reports 

 from the army as it reached the neighborhood of the British, and 

 victory seemed so assured for Hull, that the people here raised a tar 

 barrel on a pole in the center of the Public Square and burnt it with 

 many joyful demonstrations. But when the news of Hull's surrender 

 came back over the country none felt the mortification of that defeat 

 more than Urbana. 



About the year 1815 a small grist mill was erected where Mr. 

 Fox's woollen factory now stands, but not being A^ery profitable and 

 other mills springing up along Mad river, it was abandoned. 



The early settlement of this county, so far as the present bounda- 

 ries are concerned, was Tiot attended with as many difiiculties as the 

 early settlement of many portions of the country. Mad River and its 

 tributaries, King's creek and Buck creek, were rapid streams, and 

 although the country was comparatively level it was easily drained, 

 and so was less affected by miasmatic influences. A large portion of 

 the county, especially Salem township, where were the lands called 

 the barrens and especially the Pretty Prairie, was not heavily timber- 

 ed ; and at a very early period a large part of it was readily opened up 

 as a rich farming country. And whether from prejudice or tradi- 

 tion, or from knowledge derived from those "who have come down to 

 us," I am sure those early settlers were very decent people. 



Amongst those "who have come down to us from former genera- 

 tions" and attest of the early history of the town and so link us to the 

 last, are those worthy gentlemen. Judge William Patrick and Col. 

 Doug-lass Luse. 



