A European trader named Elliott pops up twice in Licking County history. Is he the same man?

In 1774, the Rev. David Jones stopped at an Indian village at Montours Point, west of current-day Marne. He wrote in his book, “ A Journal of Two Visits Made to Some Nations of Indians on the West Side of the River Ohio, in the Years 1772 and 1773 ,” that the village was named Dan. The chief was a Shawnee woman, and there was a white trader named Elliott in the village , who had, as the Reverend wrote, a “squaw as a pretend wife.” Though Jones doesn’t record a first name, his is not the only record of a man named Elliott in the area.

In N.N. Hill’s 1881 “ History of Licking County ,” he wrote of Judge Elliott, who was a trader at the same spot that the reverend mentioned. Hill wrote, “One day a friendly squaw, in whose veracity Elliott had the utmost confidence, informed him of a plot concocted by the Indians to take his scalp and appropriate to themselves his effects. Realizing the situation at a glance, he hastily gathered up his most valuable goods, and secretly mounted his horse, made all possible speed on the most direct trail to the settlements beyond the Ohio River.”

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According to the story, he was pursued to the Ohio River, where the Indians found him on the other side under the protection of other settlers. While Elliott returned to Pennsylvania, the Indians returned to the village. The question is are these two accounts the same man?

The preacher wrote that Elliott’s wife was an Indian, so this could be the friendly squaw of Hill’s account that warned him his life was in danger. Hill recorded that Elliott never again lived in Licking County but that in 1805 he purchased a large amount of land in what would become Newton Township and visited often. His sons by his third wife, Benjamin and John, moved to the area.

In researching Judge Elliott, it was written in a book on the history of the Juniata Valley in Pennsylvania that his name was Benjamin; the title of Judge he received in 1791. It also stated that he came to the area of Newark in 1812 and purchased 2,000 acres. The book has the following account: “While there, he was pursued by Indians but escaped by getting into a boat and crossing a river.”

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This date of Judge Elliott being chased by Indians in 1812 doesn’t seem realistic. Newark and Granville had been established for a few years, and while there are some records of Indians trading in Newark, any hostile events like this were long forgotten as most of the Indian population had moved out of the county. His biography continues that because “of lack harmony with his stepmother, he left home early in life and entered at once upon what was then a successful business career.” In 1769, at the age of 17, he owned 100 acres of land, three acres of which were cleared. In 1771 he had 25 acres cleared and had added a little livestock. The book then states it is probable that he moved to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania in about 1775.

We cannot state positively that Benjamin Elliott, who would have been 21 in 1773 when Jones spoke of a man named Elliott, is the same person, but the timing does coincide with the gap in Benjamin’s history in Pennsylvania. When the young man returned home, he may not have wanted everyone to know he had taken an Indian wife, so another story needed to be told. This might also explain why Judge Elliott later bought land here, since he was familiar with the area.

We will never know for certain; some history mysteries cannot be solved entirely. What we do know is that the history at Montour’s Point will account for more Licking County history.

Doug Stout is the Licking County Library local history coordinator. You may contact him at 740.349.5571 or dstout@lickingcountylibrary.org .

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A European trader named Elliott pops up twice in Licking County history. Is he the same man?