Taming the Wild Grape

By Janet Wells

Taming the Wild Grape is the story behind one man’s dream to create a legacy in the newly settled land of Ohio in the 1800s.

Following the Revolutionary War, Josiah Pelton was aware that his farm in Killingworth, Connecticut, could no longer support him and his wife, let alone allow each of their sons a place to prosper. His purchase of 6,605 acres in the Western Reserve prompted Josiah to embark on a six-hundred-mile journey with his son Jesse so that they could inspect the land and begin clearing it. When Josiah returned to Connecticut to bring the rest of his family west, Jesse, at the age of twenty-two, was left behind in the wilderness—his only companion a young man hired to help with the heavy work of felling trees and uprooting the wild grape vines that covered the land.

Josiah and his sons worked tirelessly to make their farms productive, and as more settlers arrived in the township of Gustavus, Josiah turned his attention to creating a community. Through personal tragedies as well as those of his fellow settlers, the ever-present threats of Indian attack, adverse weather conditions, and the War of 1812, Josiah’s dream took shape.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris NZ
• Release date: Jul 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669880745

Janet Wells

Janet was born, raised, and educated in Christchurch. After graduating from Teachers College, she spent many years teaching in New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. While living in North America, she and her husband, Graham, took every opportunity to travel extensively throughout the continent—notching up their fiftieth state in 2007. She now lives in Waimate, New Zealand, and enjoys finding “off the beaten track” places to visit in their caravan. Time at home is spent gardening, playing croquet and mahjong, and writing. Janet has family living in Auckland, New Zealand; Australia, and the United States.

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Copyright © 2023 by Janet Wells.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 07/27/2023

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853150

Dedication

For Graham, who assured me

daily that my book was the

best he’d ever read.

CONTENTS

PART 1

Chapter 1     Early summer 1800

Chapter 2     Fall 1798

Chapter 3     Fall 1798–Spring 1800

Chapter 4     Early spring 1800

Chapter 5     Early spring 1800

Chapter 6     Early spring 1800

Chapter 7     Early spring 1800

Chapter 8     Early spring 1800

Chapter 9     Spring 1800

Chapter 10   Spring 1800

Chapter 11   Spring 1800

Chapter 12   Spring 1800

Chapter 13   Spring 1800

Chapter 14   Spring 1800

Chapter 15   Spring 1800

Chapter 16   Spring 1800

Chapter 17   Spring 1800

Chapter 18   Spring 1800

Chapter 19   Late spring 1800

Chapter 20   Early summer 1800

Chapter 21   Fall 1800

Chapter 22   Winter 1801

Chapter 23   Spring 1801

Chapter 24   Spring and summer 1801

Chapter 25   Late summer 1801

Chapter 26   Fall 1801

PART 2

Chapter 1     Fall 1800

Chapter 2     Winter 1801

Chapter 3     Winter 1801

Chapter 4     Winter 1801

Chapter 5     Spring 1802

PART 3

Chapter 1     Spring and summer 1802

Chapter 2     Summer 1802

Chapter 3     Late summer 1802

Chapter 4     Fall 1802

Chapter 5     Fall 1802

Chapter 6     Fall 1802

Chapter 7     Fall 1802

Chapter 8     Summer 1803

Chapter 9     Spring and summer 1804

Chapter 10   Summer 1805

Chapter 11   Spring 1807

Chapter 12   Fall 1808

Chapter 13   Winter 1809

Chapter 14   Spring 1809

Chapter 15   Spring 1811

Chapter 16   Summer 1811

Chapter 17   Summer 1812

Chapter 18   Summer 1812

Chapter 19   Spring 1814–summer 1818

Chapter 20   Fall 1818

Acknowledgements

PART 1

Josiah Pelton, who in the spring of 1800 went with his son Jesse to Ohio to survey the north half of the Township of Gustavus, Trumbull Co., Ohio which he had bought.

Genealogy of the Pelton Family in America

By Jeremiah M. Pelton

CHAPTER 1

Early summer 1800

Northwest Territory, America

Two horsemen broke through the undergrowth and entered the clearing. They were traveling northwest with the afternoon sun in their faces. They paused a moment to wipe the sweat from their brows, giving the rest of the party of nine time to catch them up. Some had been together for their entire journey, while others had joined the group only recently. There was safety in numbers, and each knew that they probably wouldn’t survive long if they were traveling alone.

The air around the travelers was still. The lack of wind intensified the heat from the late afternoon sun. The only noise apart from the intermittent twitter of bird song and the buzz of insects was the chink of metal on the horses’ harnesses, the creaking of the leather saddles, and the occasional breathy snort from one of the horses.

As they continued westward, the two leading men rode their horses shoulder to shoulder as they had done for most of the journey. They were father and son. Anyone who looked at them closely would have known this without needing to be told. Although they were separated in age by some thirty years, they looked remarkably alike. Both men were above-average height, of a slight but sturdy build, with long, lean limbs. Beneath the brims of their hats, dark chestnut eyes constantly scanned the path ahead of them, alert to any subtle changes that might signal danger. The younger man’s head was covered in black unruly curls that were continuously trying to escape the confines of his hat. The older man had similar black hair, but his hair and side whiskers were beginning to show the gray tones that signaled advancing years.

Not too far now, lad, said the older man. Keep your eyes peeled for any signs. Storrs said that he had blazed the trees to make it easier.

The younger man had heard this information many times during the journey, but he respectfully acknowledged it again with a quick nod of his head. He knew his father’s excitement was mounting the closer they came to their destination. He was excited too, but he was reluctant to show it in front of the group of strangers with whom he now rode.

Just think, Jess, this time tomorrow we could be bedding down on our own land, said the older man as he turned in the saddle to look fully at his son, his eyes blazed with a mixture of pride and anticipation. It had been a long journey, and he was pleased that the end was close at hand.

grapes.jpg

You might say that the journey had begun thirteen years ago and nearly 650 miles to the east. Josiah Pelton, the older man, had been involved to some extent in the events from the very beginning. His son, Jesse, had only been party to the preparations for the past year. Many plans had to be made before the journey even began. Some of those plans had, through necessity, been made by others.

A chance encounter with Col. Lemuel Storrs and his father-in-law, Col. Henry Champion, had opened the way for events to begin unfolding in the lives of the Pelton family. On a warm day in the autumn of 1798, Josiah had ridden to New Haven on business. As was his custom, he had secured a room at Issac Beers’s tavern for the night. He liked staying here because you never knew whom you were going to meet. There were many other taverns operating inside the city limits, but Beers’s establishment was the preferred place to stay for many political figures of the day. Often important and influential men could be seen gathered around one of the tables in the tap room, sharing a mug of ale and planning the future of the nation.

After concluding his business at the bank, Josiah had returned to the tavern and had gone straight to the taproom. It had been a long meeting with the bank owner, and Josiah was in need of a mug of ale before dinner. As he sat near the window, his attention was drawn to a nearby table where several men were involved in a spirited conversation. He recognized Storrs and Champion among the group. Josiah was well acquainted with both men; his mother was related to Champion, and Josiah had met him on many occasions. His connection with Storrs was stronger, though, as he had served with him in the First Connecticut Regiment during the Revolutionary War.

As Josiah continued to watch the group and speculate about the purpose of their meeting, Storrs rose from the table and crossed the floor to where Josiah sat.

Good day, Pelton, said Storrs as he held out his hand in greeting. How fortunate to see you in New Haven. Are you here on business?

Josiah rose to his feet and took the proffered hand. He shook it warmly. Good day to you, Col. Storrs. Yes, I came down earlier today to meet with my banker. I’m staying the night and will return to the farm tomorrow.

How’s the farm doing? inquired Storrs.

This year looks like it will be another productive year. We should have a good harvest, sufficient for our needs and a little left over for selling at the market. But, truth be told, each year the yield seems to get less and less. I worry that soon I won’t produce enough to support all of my family.

Storrs nodded in understanding. Many farmers are experiencing the same problems as you, Josiah. Land here in Connecticut is in short supply—no room for farmers to expand their acreage.

Yes, my boys are getting older, and I would like to give them a portion of their own land to farm, but it’s just not possible.

Perhaps you should join us at our table—we just may have a solution to your problem, said Storrs with a chuckle. The gentlemen whom Col. Champion and I are meeting with are a small part of the Connecticut Land Company, which has just acquired three million acres of land at the eastern end of the Western Reserve in the Ohio Country. That’s where the future in farming is for adventurous men like you, Pelton. Come, sit with us and find out how you might change the fortune of your family.

This sounds interesting, said Josiah as Storrs led him to the crowded table. Storrs introduced him to the men gathered there, then directed him to a chair.

When Josiah was seated, Col. Champion turned to him, saying, Josiah, I don’t need to tell you what damage the war did to the countryside around this area. You witnessed it firsthand. Many of our citizens lost their homes and businesses at the hands of the British. Now, they have had to be compensated for that loss. But what you may not know is that Connecticut is desperate to refill its coffers, which compensation has drained dry in the past fifteen years. For the past three years, our company has been issuing mortgages on the land in the Western Reserve to the state as security for the purchase price. From time to time as payments are made on this obligation, the state gives us its deed of release and discharges the mortgage. Then we are able to sell that land to people like yourself who possess the right mind and adventurous spirit that will enable them to move west to develop the land.

We were just discussing the details regarding the surveying, platting, and selling of an area of land in the reserve, which will be known as Trumbull County—named after our governor, Jonathan Trumbull. We will be offering this land for general sale in the next few months, said John Morgan.

Go on, gentlemen, said Josiah. This sounds very interesting. As Storrs said—it may just be the solution that I have been looking for.

John Caldwell slid a pamphlet across the table to Josiah and said, Have a look at this, Pelton. This pamphlet shows the map of the townships in Trumbull County. You could have your pick of the land within that county.

Josiah picked up the pamphlet and looked at it closely. He could feel the excitement of the men gathered around the table washing over him. He began to feel excited as well. He looked up from the pamphlet and said, My sons Ithamar and Elias have left the farm in Killingworth to take up farming in Vermont. If I bought land in the Northwest Territory, there would be plenty for all my sons to have their own farms, and the family could be united again. Gentlemen, may I keep this pamphlet to show my wife and children at home? This indeed may very well be the answer to our problem.

Josiah spent some more time at the table discussing details with the men. At last, with his head full of ideas and his heart thumping with excitement, he took his leave and retired to his room for the night. Sleep was a long time coming, though, as he thought about the best way to present this new information to his family.

grapes.jpg

During the night, Josiah mused on the idea of buying land in the Ohio Country. He admitted to himself that the idea was very appealing. The war had exacted a heavy toll in the colonies. The lands along the Atlantic coastline still bore the marks of the conflict. Josiah saw the opportunity to buy land in the Western Reserve as a chance to begin again, especially for his younger sons who would soon be old enough to start out on their own.

There had been a long period of change following the war, which had required many adjustments. The revolution had freed his fellow colonists from British rule, but this new freedom brought a new set of problems that had to be overcome—the need for new government systems to replace the monarchical rule, a change in trade and economic habits, and the role of the church now that the clergy no longer needed to swear allegiance to God and the king. Add to this a population that had suffered greatly through the years of revolution and was now trying to rebuild and strengthen their homes as well as the very foundations of their way of life. Josiah felt like many of the citizens of Connecticut that life had become uncertain and insecure. Maybe a move to the Western Reserve was what Josiah and his family needed to rebuild their lives. But before a move could take place, he would have to convince Mary of its necessity.

CHAPTER 2

Fall 1798

Killingworth, Connecticut

Josiah had a lot to think about on the ride back to Killingworth. He held a leisurely pace and used the time to get his thoughts organized. Now, as he rode up the sweeping access way from the road to the house and barn, he felt the excitement rise in him again. He had much to discuss with his family. Although the ultimate decision was his, he had to be sure that his family would be willing to make the move west.

That night after the housemaid had cleared the supper dishes, Josiah asked the family to remain at the table and told them about his chance encounter with Col. Storrs and the men from the Connecticut Land Company. When everyone was settled, he began sharing his thoughts. While I was at Beers’s tavern in New Haven, I met up with Col. Champion and Col. Storrs. They and some of their partners in the Connecticut Land Company were discussing a deal that they will soon be bringing to public notice. The government is opening up the land to the north of the Ohio River and the west of Pennsylvania for settlement. The Land Company has had an area of 637 square miles surveyed. It has been divided into several townships. Josiah paused and looked at the faces of his family. Not one of those faces showed the slightest trace of excitement or curiosity. Josiah took the pamphlet John Caldwell had given him from the pocket of his waistcoat. He laid it on the table so that they could see the map of the proposed townships. Then he picked it up and began reading a description of the Western Reserve to his wife and children.

When he had finished, Mary said, Josiah are you proposing that you should buy some of this land? With what purpose would you do that?

Well, Mary, I was thinking we could buy some land and move there. We could establish a farm in the fertile soil, and it would be a place for our children and our children’s children to grow and put down roots. Having said this, he looked around the table at his family members to gauge their reactions to his proposal. They were all remarkably silent, seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

He watched the face of his wife, Mary, as she sat at the opposite end of the table from him. They had been married for thirty-one years, and in that time, he had seen her change from a shy young girl of twenty years into the strong, capable woman who now sat before him. Mary had been born into the wealthy family of Giles and Mary Chatfield Griswold. Giles was a land owner and well-respected member of the Killingworth community. Griswolds had lived in Killingworth since 1663 when Edward Griswold, Mary’s great-great-great grandfather, had arrived from England. He had acquired nearly two hundred acres for his plantation when the town of Killingworth was originally laid out. Fortune had smiled on the Griswolds. Over several generations, the family had gone on to amass great wealth and standing in the community. As well as building their own empire, they had helped to develop the town and the surrounding county. But in spite of this, Mary’s life had not always been easy. During their marriage, Mary had given birth to fourteen children, six of whom had not survived infancy. Mary was devoted to her family, but burying her babies was no task a woman took well. She bore the loss of her children with a stoic outward demeanor, but Josiah knew she missed each child dearly. She often told him that she found herself wondering what the lives of those children and hers would have been like if she had been able to rear them to adulthood. Josiah also knew how much Mary missed her sons Ithamar and Elias and her daughter Lydia.

Ithamar was their eldest child. He had married Mercy Griffin nearly four years ago. They already had a young family of their own—two daughters, Eunice Loraine and Flora. Ithamar had moved his family to Essex, Vermont, not long after he and Mercy had married because the farm at Killingworth didn’t produce enough to support two families and there was no available land that they could buy or lease. The population in and around Killingworth was growing at such a rate that Josiah feared that soon his own acreage would be swallowed up by the townspeople. Elias, Josiah and Mary’s twenty-four-year-old son, had recently joined his brother and sister-in-law in Vermont. Together, Ithamar and Elias worked a small farm along the Alder Brook on land that they leased from David Morgan. If the family decided to move to the Ohio Country, Josiah hoped that his two sons in Vermont would agree to join the rest of the family on the Western Reserve.

Lydia was a year younger than Ithamar. She was twenty-six years old and had been married to John Lane for the past two years. John’s father, Jedediah Lane, had been born in Killingworth and had lived there for many years before moving with his wife, Phebe, and their three children to Salisbury. Their son John and his two brothers had been born there. During the Revolutionary War, Jedediah had done his part for the cause and supported the war effort by providing cloth to be made into soldiers’ uniforms. After the war, the family had again moved—this time to Jericho, Vermont, and it was here that John’s youngest brother, Stevens Lane, was born. When John was twenty two years old, he returned to Killingworth to oversee the farming of his father’s land. An arrangement between John’s father and Lydia’s father had resulted in the couple becoming betrothed. After the marriage, John and Lydia had moved back to Vermont. Since then, Mary had missed her daughter sorely. If the outcome of this family meeting was as Josiah hoped, he would write to John and Lydia and ask them to join the family in the Ohio Country. He would also write to Ithamar and Elias.

Josiah moved his gaze from Mary to his daughter Zilpah. She was twenty-two years old and not yet married. She was a hardworking girl who never complained about her workload. Her mornings were spent helping her mother with the daily tasks around the home, while her afternoons were spent keeping a watchful eye on her two youngest brothers, Julius and Harvey. She loved to be outdoors with them, roaming the fields and pathways and exploring the streams and woods that surrounded their home. Her cheerfulness and adventurous spirit endeared her to everyone, especially the two youngest Pelton children. Josiah had no doubt that Zilpah would love the wild open spaces of the Western Reserve.

Although Josiah loved all his children and they in turn loved and respected him, he shared a special bond with his third son, Jesse. Jesse was twenty years old but seemed to possess a wisdom that far outstretched those years. He was a quiet, thoughtful person who only spoke when necessary. But when he did speak, his words were carefully chosen and to the point. He was an observer of human nature and possessed the intelligence to grasp the meaning behind people’s actions. But if Jesse had a weakness, it was that he was always eager to please, and Josiah knew that he would let the other family members decide and then go along with them in that decision. As Josiah’s gaze rested on Jesse’s face, his son looked up from the pamphlet he had been reading and nodded to his father.

Zenas, Josiah’s fourth son, sat next to Jesse at the table. He had turned eighteen a few months ago. He was strong for his age and didn’t mind the heavy work that needed to be done around the home and the farm. He was always busy. Even now, seated at the table, Zenas was cleaning a leather bridle. Josiah knew that if the family moved west, then Zenas would be a valuable worker when it came to breaking in the virgin land.

Julius was soon to be twelve years old. He was an active and restless child who hated the confines of the schoolroom. He preferred to be outside where he would spend hours observing the world around him. His knowledge of animal behavior was vast, as too his ability to predict the changes in the weather simply by observing the light and the natural phenomena around him. Josiah felt that he, of all his children, would flourish in the new land. His observations and keen intelligence would be of benefit to them all. But Julius was also a popular lad. He had a large group of friends to draw from whenever he had spare time. If Julius was going to vote for the move, it would be at the cost of those friends. It would take time to build those kinds of relationships in a new community.

Josiah’s gaze turned to his youngest child, eight-year-old Harvey. At this moment, he was doing his best to follow what was happening around the table. He was a bright lad and was doing well with his schoolwork, yet he had not learned to concentrate on one thing for too long. His mind flitted from one thing to another as quickly as his eyes darted around the room. Harvey, even at the age of eight, exhibited a natural talent for animal husbandry. Day after day, he tended his chickens and brushed the horses and mules when they weren’t being used about the farm. Harvey was happy when he was in the company of his animals. Julius constantly teased his younger brother, saying he thought Harvey preferred animals to people. Feeling his father’s eyes on him, Harvey turned and smiled. In that moment of quiet reflection, Josiah realized anew how much he loved his family and how strong his desire was to help them prepare for the future. Looking directly at his wife, Josiah asked, Well, what do you think?

It’s a wonderful opportunity, Josiah, but I have reservations as to whether it is an opportunity for us, said Mary.

Why do you think that, Mary? asked Josiah, disappointment flitting across his face.

Well, we have a good life here in Connecticut. Your father worked hard to turn this land into a productive farm, and it has been to your benefit. Now you want to leave it and begin again in a country you know nothing about.

Recently, I’ve thought a lot about selling the farm and starting somewhere new. You’re right, of course, Mary. Our sons and I, and my father before me, have worked tirelessly to create this life we now live. But there is not enough land here to provide farms for all our sons. We have already lost Ithamar and Elias to Vermont. Will Jesse be next to go? If we go to the Ohio Country, there will be land aplenty for all our children to have a farm of their own. Elias, Lydia, and Ithamar too. Once again, all our children would be close to us and part of our lives. Don’t you want that, Mary?

You know I do, Josiah, but I also fear the loss of what we have and know here. Mary glanced around the table at her children, who were listening intently to their parents’ discussion. Leaning closer to Josiah, Mary spoke in a quiet voice filled with worry. What about the Indians? You can’t possibly be happy to take our children into that kind of danger.

There is less danger of Indian attacks since the Treaty of Greenville was signed. Most of the Indians have left the area, and those that remain only want to hunt and live their lives in peace. The surveyors report that there is a village near where we would settle, but those people are peaceful and just want to be left alone.

That’s as may be, but we won’t have the protection of living in an already established village or town. There isn’t even a fort nearby. How would we manage? asked Mary, her face tight with anxiety.

"The same as we did when we first married and moved on to this farm. I’m not saying there won’t be hard times