In the year 1834 my father, E.W. Bryant, better known as Wayne Bryant, left Knox County, Ohio, to seek a home in what was then called the far west, and as to people and the bare conveniences of life, I hardly think one could find in any part of the United States a more destitute place as was Lake County at that time.
Our first winter was spent on Morgan Prairie. When in the spring of '35 my father with David Agnew came on to Lake County to secure a more desirable lay of land, which they found in the part which they called Pleasant Grove. Having done some work, such as cutting some house logs and making only a beginning of a house that they might hold their claim, my father and Mr. Agnew came back to Morgan Prairie for their families and their goods. In a few days all was ready and we started for what was to be our new home without a road to lead us on our way, only an Indian trail or path.
As the frost was just at that time coming out of the ground traveling was very hard and slow. Every slough was filled with water to the depth of a foot or more. We went plunging through mud and mire. Our way took us mostly through prairie, though we passed some groves, Hickory Point being one. We also spent a night in Southeast Grove. I think our presence at that place must have created great delight, for we were serenaded by a large concourse of wolves, whose music was not altogether to our liking, so when the morning came we went on our way, leaving out serenaders to themselves without any demonstration of our appreciation of their kindness. The distance to our new home from Southeast Grove was five miles, which place we arrived the same day about 2 p.m. Father soon prepared to make a fire by splitting some kindling and producing a bunch of tow (matches and daily papers were not then in use), but he for matches used a gun with a flint lock with powder, by snapping the lock the powder flashed and the tow took fire, and in this way the fire kindled. Perhaps there are some old settlers here who can describe a flint gun lock and the way of starting a fire by the use of a flint gun lock better than I have or can, though the memory of the first fire we had is very clear to my mind.
A kind of tent projected and we were prepared for the night. The traveling being so hard it was determined to drive but one wagon through and to double teams, and Mr. Agnew went back for the other wagon. It was Saturday when we reached our new home, and Sunday we had some callers, an Indian woman and two Indian men.
Monday father went in search of some one to help him to put up his cabin. He went to where Crown Point now is, where he found Solon Robinson, who told him of a man living some three miles south of us. In the time father was absent in quest of some one to help to build our cabin, mother, myself, two brothers -- one being older and the other younger -- Berkley was seven, I five and Anson was three. I think it must have taken some courage for mother to stay with only us small children so far from anyone, and not knowing how soon we might again have the return of our Indian visitors, but fortunately none came while we were alone.
Father went to see this man who lived south of us, whose name was Lyman Wells. Father found a young man staying with Mr. Wells whose name was John Driscol. This young man came to strengthen the force in the erecting of a place of shelter for us. They must have worked very hard to get so much done, for in one day the cabin was raised, one side covered with clapboards and one corner floored with puncheon and we slet in our new house that same night. We soon had the house in good running order. Not many days after this David and Samuel Bryant came to visit us from Morgan Prairie. David Agnew had started to return to Pleasant Grove with the wagon which was left behind there. Coming up a very cold rain he lost his way and father and David and Samuel Bryant went the morning after the rain to look over the country; going north a mile or more they came to the body of a man whom they found to be Mr. Agnew, who had perished. Mr. Agnew was a brother-in-law to Mr. David and Samuel Bryant, also Elias Bryant, who that same spring became residents of our neighborhood, and in three or four short years our wilderness was blooming as the rose. We had schools and places of religious worship, and a great deal of vegetation was produced and every one living in good
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