Early Ohioans and Their Critters: "Painters," "Polecats," "Gallinippers," Et Cetera

$33.00

People were settling in Ohio long before it became a state in 1803. Christopher Gist, a fur trader in 1751, and later a land surveyor and an agent for the Ohio Land Company, saw first-hand that the region was alive with turkeys, deer, elk, and buffalo. Trappers helped spread the word that the territory we now know as Ohio was a remarkable place. This fascinating collection chronicles a variety of situations with both wildlife and settlers' livestock: dangerous and frightening predicaments; amusing anecdotes, and unusual encounters. The narratives, sometimes gruesome, are actual accounts of the harsh life on the Ohio frontier gleaned from journals, diaries, memoirs, books, and periodicals. Animals were an integral part of everyday life on the frontier and this unique collection paints a vivid landscape that is far different than we see today. The phraseology, often as interesting as the story itself, and several vintage illustrations add to the appeal of these accounts. Readers are advised to find a comfortable chair, because once the cover is opened, this book is hard to put down. Includes a bibliography.

Barbara Stickley Sour

(2005), 2007, 5½x8½, paper, 340 pp.

ISBN: 9780788425332

101-S2533