In Concord Township in Ross County, is the town of Frankfort Ohio. According to local historian, Maggie Ackley, The township has about 1000 residents and includes five churches, a bank, a pizza parlor, a Family Dollar, a beauty parlor, a small restaurant, a hardware store, a grocery store, and a post office where everyone meets. Unfortunately, the downtown includes "several closed buildings which is not a pretty sight."
According to The History of Ross County Concord Township was organized in 1803, and was settled by Revolutionary War veterans, in what was the Virginia Military District.
It had been the "primary home of the Shawanee Indians, and was the site of a major battle between settlers and native people in 1774 - ironically called "The Battle of Point Pleasant."
It had been the "primary home of the Shawanee Indians, and was the site of a major battle between settlers and native people in 1774 - ironically called "The Battle of Point Pleasant."
While Concord Township has a rich prehistoric and Native-American heritage, the Frankfort Historical Society focuses primarily on preserving and celebrating its Civil War history. They maintain numerous Civil War monuments in Ross County.
Tom and I had a pleasant visit with Maggie and Sam Ackley, but the highlight of the visit was meeting their family at a picnic in the park. I've found it challenging to meet and interview young people, as they are usually at school or engaged in various activities. It was a pleasure to meet such welcoming young people and hear a little about their lives in Concord Township, Ross County, Ohio.
Like so many Midwestern towns, the origins of Concord in Ross County, begin with cooperation between the native people and the early European settlers that descends rapidly into a story of deceit, greed, and murder. According to the 1902 history, The County of Ross, the murder of Captain Thomas Herrod led to "the killing of Wawwil-a-way, a friendly and harmless Indian chief, who had been a firm friend of the whites and had no possible connection to the murder of Captain Herrod." The story goes that the body of Herrod was found in his field with two bullets in head, and he had been scalped. "The news of this supposed beach of the Indian peace caused great excitement in the white settlements." The Scioto Gazette reported "ALARM! Captain Herrod Killed! Latest from Indian Outbreak at Old Town." A company of volunteers set out to seek the supposed Shawnee murderers. Two days later four of Herrod's neighbors met Wawwil-a-way and after a brief confrontation, they shot him. In the next edition of The Scioto Gazette, it was announced that Herrod had probably been shot over a land dispute and was scalped to in order to put suspicion on the natives in the area.
The brothers of Wawwil-a-way later forgave his murderer, and peaceful relations resumed for a short period until the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the Shawnee out of Ohio and sent them eventually to the Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma.
The brothers of Wawwil-a-way later forgave his murderer, and peaceful relations resumed for a short period until the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the Shawnee out of Ohio and sent them eventually to the Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma.
Sam and Maggie took us to the historical sights of Concord: the Old Grange and two of the older churches in town, before we headed to the park to meet their grandchildren at the Civil War Memorial Park.
