Ohio History Journal

REVIEWS, NOTES AND COMMENTS

 

BY THE EDITOR

OLENTANGY RIVER

The name "Olentangy," applied to an important trib-

utary of the Scioto River, has been a puzzler to the ety-

mologists. It is said to be of Indian origin, but its root

significance has never been determined.

The statement is made in the Ohio Archaeological

and Historical Society Publications, (Vol. 6, page 93)

that this name was legalized through the interest of

Colonel Kilbourne. We are told that "in the year 1833,

Colonel James Kilbourne, then being a member of the

Legislature of Ohio, had an act passed giving Indian

names to a number of streams in central Ohio and by

that act substituted the 'Olentangy' for the then common

name of 'Whetstone'."

Colonel Kilbourne was not a member of the Legisla-

ture in 1833 but such an act was passed in that year.

Who introduced it we are not able to say. This could

probably be learned by a page to page investigation of

the Journals of the House and Senate, which in the year

1833 were very poorly indexed.

Following is the full text of the act that gave to the

river, which now bears it, the name "Olentangy."

 

AN ACT TO RESTORE THE INDIAN NAMES TO CERTAIN RIVERS AND

CREEKS WITHIN THIS STATE, AND TO CHANGE THE

NAMES OF OTHERS.

Whereas, a number of the rivers and other streams of this

state, watering extensive districts of fertile and handsome coun-

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try, from trifling occurrences, and the want of knowing the

names used by the Aborigines, have been called by unappropriate,

and in some instances, by indecent names; and Whereas, many

citizens of this state, have, by memorial, requested the passage

of a legislative act to aid in restoring, in common use, to such

streams, the Indian names, so far as they are known; and where

unknown, to substitute others, which shall be appropriate and

agreeable, in speaking and writing: therefore,

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the

State of Ohio:

That in all deeds, leases, or articles of conveyance of real

estate, and all other instruments of writing hereafter to be made,

in which either of the following rivers or creeks shall be referred

to, quoted or described, it shall be lawful to distinguish them

severally, by the means herein declared, viz: The main west

branch of the Muskingum, commonly called White Woman, by

the Indian name, Walhonding; a western branch of the last

named river commonly called Owl Creek, by the name Vernon;

a stream found in Huron County and discharging its waters into

Lake Erie, east of Huron River, now called Old Woman's Creek,

by the name, Antoni; another creek of said Huron County, dis-

charging into Sandusky, east of Sandusky City, now called Pipe

Creek, by the Indian name, Ogonse; a stream which puts into the

west end of Sandusky Bay, in the county of Sandusky, commonly

called Mud Creek, by the name Tanway; the east branch of the

Scioto, which unites with the main stream near Columbus, now

called Whetstone River, by the Indian name Olentangy; an east-

ern branch of said Scioto, in the southeastern part of Franklin

County, commonly called Big Belly, by the Indian name, Ga-

hanna; a northern branch of the Big Miami, which discharges

into that river near Sidney, in the county of Shelby, commonly

called Musquito Creek, by the name of Tawawa; an eastern

branch of Auglaise, now called Hog River, by the Indian name

Ottawa; and it is hereby recommended to the several courts, the

county and township officers, and all other persons acting under

the authority of this state, and to all persons revising or publish-

ing any maps, charts, or other geographical description of this

state, to distinguish the said streams by the names set forth and

declared in this act, whenever, and so often as there shall be

occasion to make reference to them.

Passed February 25, 1833., 0. L. v. 31, p. 228. (Acts of a

Local Nature).

"Olentangy" was not the original Indian name of the

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Reviews, Note's and Comments       405

river that now bears it. The name with a slightly dif-

ferent spelling was applied to the stream that is now

known as the Big Darby, which rises in Logan County

and empties into the Scioto from the west in Pickaway

County, opposite Circleville. In early maps the name

"Ollentangy" is applied to this stream. This name thus

spelled occurs in Colonel James Smith's account of his

captivity with the Indians 1755-1759. References to it

occur on pages 86, 87, 99, and 175 of the reprint of

Colonel Smith's account of his captivity published by

Robert Clark and Company, in 1870.

The original meaning of the word "Ollentangy" or

"Olentangy" is still a subject for research as is also the

name of the member of the Legislature who introduced

the bill which became the act quoted. The latter can

doubtless be found by a little industrious investigation

of the Journals of the Legislature.

HIGH PRAISE FOR MRS. KNITTLE'S

EARLY AMERICAN GLASS

Mrs. Rhea Mansfield Knittle of Mansfield, Ohio, a

life member of the Ohio State Archaeological and His-

torical Society, is acquiring fame as the author of Early

American Glass, a book of 496 pages, published by the

Century Company, New York, and sold at $4.00. It is

generously noted by the press in different sections of

the United States. From reviews at hand we make the

following excerpts:

 

EARLY AMERICAN GLASS

It is a real story which begins with the erection of the first

glass furnace at Jamestown, Va., which continued through a

period of 256 years to 1864, when the Leighton process was in-

troduced. Mrs. Knittle not only tells the story of the beginning

but tells the location of the different glass furnaces in America,

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406       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

their style and sizes. She most interestingly describes our early

glassware, the different patterns and the popularity of the differ-

ent designs.-Atlanta Constitution.

The Christian Science Monitor says:

It is to be hoped that it will be widely read and, more than

that, carefully studied by all those who are interested enough

in this ware to either collect it or deal in it. If it becomes as

popular as its merit deserves, some of the fog of prevailing false

tradition and misinformation which veils the subject for most

people should be dispelled.

From an extended review in the Boston Tran-

script of December 17, 1927, we quote the following:

Among all the books on antiques published this fall and

winter, the one that fills the biggest need and the one that is

of the most importance to collectors is Early American Glass,

by Rhea Mansfield Knittle. * * *

Whereby she has done a great service to the cause of glass

collecting, for she has disposed of various legends and notions

that were cumbering the pastime; she has wiped the slate clean

and she has made a start toward writing on that slate facts that

will be true and useful and permanent. * * *

The chief value of the book lies in the fact that Mrs. Knittle

has not been content to take the researches of others for granted.

She has done her own delving, gathered her own facts, and

best of all, she has not been alarmed when her conclusions dif-

fered from those which had hitherto been held. As a conse-

quence she has laid a foundation for what might be called the

new aspect of glass collecting. Others later will build on this

foundation, and if one judges the tenor of this book correctly,

its author will be the first to rejoice that after her cometh a

builder-she also has known.

As far as has been humanly possible Mrs. Knittle has related

the history of all the early glass factories. In addition a glossary,

bibliography and excellent index make the book a reference work

which a collector cannot afford not to have.

In the International Studio of February, 1928, Edith

H. Walton concludes her review of this book as follows:

Unlike the usual exponent of startling theories, Mrs. Knittle

appears to have very solid foundation for her opinions. Ob-

viously she is a first rate connoisseur of glass, and she has pains-

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Reviews, Notes and Comments              407

takingly collected a vast quantity of documentary material con-

cerning the history and output of American factories. As she

unobtrusively points out, much new data has come to light since

the publication of such books as those by Dr. Barber and Fred-

erick William Hunter, which have previously been considered

authoritative. Mrs. Knittle has made full and intelligent use of

this data and her book is probably the most important work on

American glass now available.

BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE AMERICAN

CONGRESS

A United States Government publication of unusual

interest to Librarians has just been issued from the press

under the title Biographical Directory of the American

Congress -    1774-1927. This quarto covers 1740 pages.

Copies may be had from the Superintendent of Docu-

ments, United States Government Printing Office,

Washington, D. C., at $4.50 per copy.

This volume has been compiled by Ansel Wold, under

the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing in the

Congress of the United States. Previous volumes have

appeared as stated in the preface to the work since 1859.

The largest and most important of these was compiled

also by Mr. Wold and published in 1911.

In his "Foreword" to his second edition, Mr. Wold

says:

Biographical sketches of Senators and Representatives ap-

peared in 1867 in the first edition of the Congressional Directory

for the second session of the Fortieth Congress. In the com-

piler's note it is called a "proof edition," and has approximately

235 biographies of Senators, Representatives, and Territorial

Delegates. It is referred to as being incomplete, and in 1868 was

replaced by a second edition which contained a few more sketches.

The directory for the third session, printed in 1869, contains ap-

proximately 280 biographies.

The work of preparing and publishing a biographical di-

rectory to include all the preceding Congresses was first under-

taken by Charles Lanman in 1859. It bears the imposing title

"Dictionary of the United States Congress." There have been

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408       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

at least six subsequent editions, which were intended to give up-

to-date and authentic biographical data. Since Mr. Lanman's

last volume, however, the succeeding compilers appear to have

done little more than to add such information as could be ob-

tained from the Congressional Directories published during each

session of Congress. It seems that no effort to correct, revise, or

perfect the work of former compilers was ever attempted, and

thus original errors were perpetuated.

In this edition, which contains about 9,000 biographical

sketches, the compiler, under the direction of the Joint Committee

on Printing, has conscientiously endeavored to verify the per-

sonnel and biographical data published in preceding editions.

With the aid of a trained corps of investigators, the journals and

records of debates have been searched, biographical publications

consulted, and special appeals made to Government depositories,

public libraries, historical associations, postmasters, State, county,

and municipal officers, as well as to private individuals, for spe-

cific and general information.

This volume bears, in comparison with all previous

directories of Congress, evidence of indefatigable re-

search and conscientious editorial work. Errors that

appeared in previous editions appear to have been wholly

eliminated and sketches that in previous directories con-

tained only three or four lines, have been expanded to

include all the items requested in the questionnaire

which was sent to almost all congressional districts in

the country.

The place of burial of deceased members of Congress

has been sought and in a vast majority of places found

and recorded. This volume is monumental in character

as well as extent. Librarians, historians, and citizens

interested in the lives of congressmen are under lasting

obligations to the Joint Committee on Printing, its effi-

cient chairman, Senator George H. Moses and especially

to the compiler, Mr. Ansel Wold.

No library, in which reference work is done, can af-

ford to be without this publication.

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