A Brief History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio

9 Christianity, he returned again to the Tuscarawas in 1762, accompanied by John Heckewelder, then a young man nineteen years of age, who afterwards became famous in the mission fields of our county. Post found his cabin as he had left it, and he and young Heckewelder proceeded to make it a tenable home. Three acres of land were granted him by the Indians, which he at once began to clear. When the savages saw how rapidly the forest trees were felled by his ax. they called a council and summoned him to appear. They told him they feared the results of his cutting away the forest, for soon others would come and settle there and make many and larger clearings, just as the white men had farther east. He explained to them that he only desired a small field that he might plant and raise vegetables for his subsistance. so as not to become a burden upon his friends, the Indians. They replied that if he was sent to them by the Great Father, as he said, that he should also secure his support from the same source. That the French missionaries at Detroit desired only a very small garden spot in which to cultivate Mowers which the white men love so well.

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