James Smith was born in 1737 what today is Franklin County, Pennsylvania. In 1755 at age 18, Smith was taken captive by a small group of Delaware and Canasatauga [known more commonly as Conestoga] Indians. For the next four years Smith lived and traveled the Ohio country as an adopted member of a Canasatuga family of Indians.  In 1859 at the end of the French and Indian War, Smith left his Indian family and returned to his home in Pennsylvania. 

 In 1799 a book was published of James Smith’s life and times with the Indians during the French and Indian Wars.  A republished edition is at the Bierce Library at the University of Akron. An account of the remarkable occurrences in the life and travels of Col. James Smith, during his captivity with the Indians, in the years 1755, '56, '57, '58, & '59. With an appendix of illustrative notes. By Wm. M. Darlington, R. Clarke & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, 1870

The following are excerpts relating to the time James Smith’s spent in present day Summit County, Ohio.

     Some time in October, another adopted brother, older than Tontileaugo, came to pay us a visit at Sunyendeand [Sandusky Bay,] and he asked me to take a hunt with him on Cayahaga [the Cuyahoga River Valley.] As they always used me as a free man, and gave me the liberty of choosing, I told him that I was attached to Tontileaugo-had never seen him before, and therefore, asked sometime to consider of this. He told me that the party he was going with would not be along, or at the mouth of this little lake, in less than six days, and I could in this time be acquainted with him, and judge for myself. I consulted with Tontileaugo on this occasion, and he told me that our old brother Tecaughretanego, (which was his name) was a chief, and a better man that he was; and if I went with him I might expect to be well used, but he said I might do as I pleased; and if I staid he would use me as he had done. I told him that he had acted in every respect as a brother to me; yet I was much pleased with my old brother's conduct and conversation; and as he was going to a part of the country I had never been in, I wished to go with him-he said that he was perfectly willing.

     I then went with Tecaughretanego, to the mouth of the little lake, where he met with the company he intended going with, which was composed of Caughnewagas, and Ottawas.-Here I was introduced to a Caughnewaga sister, and others I had never before seen. My sister's name was Mary, which they pronounced Maully. I asked Tecaughretanego how it came that she had an English name; he said that he did not know that it was an English name; but it was the name the priest gave her when she was baptized, which he said was the name of the mother of Jesus. He said there were a great many of the Caughnewagas and Wiandots that were a kind of half Roman-Catholics; but as for himself, he said, that the priest and him could not agree; as they held notions that contradicted both sense and reason, and had the assurance to tell him, that the book of God, taught them these foolish absurdities: but he could not believe the great and good spirit ever taught them any such nonsense: and therefore he concluded that the Indians' old religion was better than this new way of worshiping God.

     The Ottawas have a very useful kind of tents which they carry with them, made of flags, plaited and stitched together in a very artful manner, so as to turn rain, or wind well,-each mat is made fifteen feet long, and about five feet broad. In order to erect this kind of tent, they cut a number of long strait poles, which they drive in the ground, in form of a circle, leaning inwards; then they spread the matts on these poles,-beginning at the bottom and extending up, leaving only a hole in the top uncovered-and this hole answers the place of a chimney. They make a fire of dry split wood, in the middle, and spread down bark mats and skins for bedding, on which they sleep in a crooked posture, all round the fire, as the length of their beds will not admit of stretching themselves. In place of a door they lift up one end of a mat and creep in, and let the mat fall down behind them.

     These tents are warm and dry, and tolerable clear of smoke. Their lumber they keep under birch-bark canoes, which they carry out and turn up for a shelter, where they keep every thing from the rain. Nothing is in the tents but themselves and their bedding.

     This company had four birch canoes and four tents. We were kindly received, and they gave us plenty of homony, and wild fowl, boiled and roasted. As the geese, ducks, swans, &c. here are well grain-fed, they were remarkably fat, especially the green necked ducks.

     The wild fowl here, feed upon a kind of wild rice, that grows spontaneously in the shallow water, or wet places along the sides or in the corners of the lakes.

     As the wind was high and we could not proceed on our voyage, we remained here several days, and killed abundance of wild fowl, and a number of raccoons.

     When a company of Indians are moving together on the lake, as it is at this time of the year often dangerous sailing, the old men hold a council; and when they agree to embark, every one is engaged immediately in making ready, without offering one word against the measure, though the lake may be boisterous and horrid. One morning tho' the wind appeared to me to be as high as in days past, and the billows raging, yet the call was given yohoh-yohoh, which was quickly answered by allooh-ooh which signifies agreed. We were all instantly engaged in preparing to start, and had considerable difficulties in embarking.

     As soon as we got into our canoes we fell to paddling with all our might, making out from the shore. Though these sort of canoes ride waves beyond what could be expected, yet the water several times dashed into them. When we got out about half a mile from shore, we hoisted sail, and as it was nearly a west wind, we then seemed to ride the waves with ease, and went on at a rapid rate. We then all laid down our paddles, excepting one that steered, and there was no water dashed into our canoes, until we came near the shore again. We sailed about sixty miles that day, and encamped some time before night.

     The next day we again embarked and went on very well for some time; but the lake being boisterous, and the wind not fair, we were obliged to make to shore, which we accomplished with hard work and some difficulty in landing. The next morning a council was held by the old men.

     As we had this day to pass by a long precipice of rocks, on the shore about nine miles, which rendered it impossible for us to land, though the wind was high and the lake rough; yet, as it was fair, we were all ordered to embark. We wrought ourselves out from the shore and hoisted sail (what we used in place of sail cloth, were our tent mats, which answered the place very well) and went on for some time with a fair wind, until we were opposite to the precipice, and then it turned towards the shore, and we began to fear we should be cast upon the rocks. Two of the canoes were considerably farther out from the rocks, than the canoe I was in. Those who were farthest out in the lake did not let down their sails until they had passed the precipice; but as we were nearer the rock, we were obliged to lower our sails, and paddle with all our might. With much difficulty we cleared ourselves of the rock, and landed. As the other canoes had landed before us, there were immediately runners sent off to see if we were all safely landed.

     This night the wind fell, and the next morning the lake was tolerably calm, and we embarked without difficulty, and paddled along near the shore, until we came to the mouth of Cayahaga, which empties into Lake Erie on the south side, betwixt Canesadooharie [The Black River] Pressq' Isle [Erie PA.]

     We turned up Cayahaga and encamped where we staid and hunted for several days; and so we kept moving and hunting until we came to the forks of Cayahaga [mouth of the Little Cuyahoga and Cuyahoga Rivers.]

     This is a very gentle river, and but few riffles, or swift running places, from the mouth to the forks. Deer here were tolerably plenty, large and fat; but bear and other game scarce. The upland is hilly, and principally second and third rate land. The timber chiefly black-oak, white-oak, hickory, dogwood etc. The bottoms are rich and large, and the timber is walnut, locust, mulberry, sugar-tree, red-haw, black-haw, wild-apple trees etc. The West Branch of this river [the Little Cuyahoga River] interlocks with the East Branch of Muskingum [Tuscarawas River;] and the East Branch [the Cuyahoga River] with the Big Beaver creek, that empties into the Ohio about thirty miles below Pittsburgh.

     From the forks of Cayahaga to the East Branch of Muskingum, there is a carrying place, where the Indians carry their canoes out from the waters of Lake Erie, into the waters of the Ohio.

     From the forks I went over with some hunters, to the East Branch of Muskingum, where they killed several deer, a number of beavers, and returned heavy laden, with skins and meat, which we carried on our backs, as we had no horses.

     The land here is chiefly second and third rate, and the timber chiefly oak and hickory. A little above the forks, on the East Branch of Cayahaga, are considerable rapids, very rocky for some distance; but no perpendicular falls.

     About the first of December, 1756, we were preparing for leaving the river: we buried our canoes, and as usual hung up our skins, and every one had a pack to carry: the squaws also packed up their tents, which they carried in large rolls that extended up above their heads; and though a great bulk, yet not heavy. We steered about a south east course, and could not march over ten miles per day. At night we lodged in our flag tents, which when erected, were nearly in the shape of a sugar loaf, and about fifteen feet diameter at the ground.

     In this manner we proceeded about forty miles, and wintered in these tents, on the waters of Beaver creek, near a little lake or large pond, which is about two miles long, and one broad, and a remarkable place for beaver. . .

     Some time in March 1757 we began to move back to the forks of Cayahaga, which was about forty or fifty miles; and as we had no horses, we had all our baggage and several hundred weight of beaver skins, and some deer and bear skins all to pack on our backs. The method we took to accomplish this, was by making short day's journies. In the morning we would move on with as much as we were able to carry, about five miles, and encamp; and then run back for more. We commonly made three such trips in the day. When we came to the great pond, we staid there one day to rest ourselves and to kill ducks and geese.

     While we remained here, I went in company with a young Caughnewaga, who was about sixteen or seventeen years of age, Chinnohete by name, in order to gather crannberries. As he was gathering berries at some distance from me, three Jibewa squaws crept up undiscovered, and made at him speedily, but he nimbly escaped, and came to me apparently terrified. I asked him what he was afraid of? he replied, did you not see those squaws? I told him I did, and they appeared to be in a very good humour. I asked him, wherefore then he was afraid of them? He said the Jibewa squaws were very bad women, and had a very ugly custom among them. I asked him what that custom was? he said, that when two or three of them could catch a young lad, that was betwixt a man and a boy, out by himself, if they could overpower him, they would strip him by force in order to see whether he was coming on to be a man or not. He said that was what they intended when they crawled up, and ran so violently at him, but said he, I am very glad that I so narrowly escaped. I then agreed with Chinnohete in condemning this as a bad custom, and an exceedingly immodest action for young women to be guilty of.

     From our sugar camp on the head waters of Big Beaver creek to this place, is not hilly, in some places the woods are tolerably clear: but in most places exceedingly brushy. The land here is chiefly second and third rate. The timber on the upland is white-oak, black-oak, hickory, and chesnut: there is also in some places walnut up land, and plenty of good water. The bottoms here are generally large and good.

     We again proceeded on from the pond to the forks of Cayahaga, at the rate of about five miles per day.

     The land on this route is not very hilly, it is well watered, and, in many places ill timbered, generally brushy, and chiefly second and third rate land, intermixed with good bottoms.

When we came to the forks, we found that the skins we had scaffolded were all safe. [The ancient tree known as the Signal Tree in the Chuckery Park ( Metro Parks) was most likely used to prepare and store fur skins as described by Smith. It’s also likely that numerous other nearby tress were bent erected as scaffolds in the same fashion, though only one survives to modern times.] Though this was a public place, and Indians frequently passing, and our skins hanging up in view; yet there were none stolen; and it is seldom that Indians do steal any thing from one another; and they say they never did, until the white people came among them, and learned some of them, to lie, cheat, and steal, but, be that as it may, they never did curse or swear, until the whites learned them; some think their language will not admit of it, but I am not of that opinion, if I was so disposed, I could find language to curse or swear, in the Indian tongue. . . 

     We took up our birch-bark canoes which we had buried, and found that they were not damaged by the winter; but they not being sufficient to carry all that we now had, we made a large chesnut bark canoe; as elm bark was not to be found at this place.

     We all embarked, and had a very agreeable passage down the Cayahaga, and along the south side of Lake Erie, until we passed the mouth of Sandusky; then the wind arose, and we put in at the mouth of the Miami of the Lake, at Cedar Point, where we remained several days, and killed a number of Turkeys, geese, ducks, and swans. The wind being fair, and the lake not extremely rough, we again embarked, hoisted up sails, and arrived safe at the Wiandot town, nearly opposite to Fort Detroit, on the north side of the river. Here we found a number of French traders, every one very willing to deal with us for our beaver.

     We bought ourselves fine clothes, amunition, paint, tobacco, etc. and, according to promise, they purchased me a new gun: yet we had parted with only about one third of our beaver. . .