Studabaker, Abraham

Posted By: Wally Garchow
Date: 2 February 2003

transcribed from Frazer Wilson's History of Darke County, v. 1, 1914, pp 331-334.

Abraham Studabaker.

As an illustrious example of the stalwart pioneer, perhaps no better example could be taken than Abraham Studabaker. Born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, about the year 1785, he came in the vanguard of civilization with his father's family to Scioto county, Ohio, and later to Clinton or Warren county, Ohio, where they settled. Here his parents remained until death, and in 1808 Abraham, then some twenty-three years of age, with his wife, settled on Congress land on the south bank of Greenville creek, opposite the present site of Gettysburg, in section 25 of Adams township. He is credited with being the first permanent settler in Adams township, and the third in the county. His nearest neighbor was Azor Scribner, the pioneer Indian trader at Greenville, about eight miles distant through the forest. He had other neighbors in Miami county on the Stillwater, some fourteen miles east. When he built his cabin he was compelled to use logs of such size as he could handle himself. The great Indian trail connecting Piqua and the Whitewater Indian settlement passed near his door and brought him occasional dusky visitors. For the first three or four years these were mostly friendly but at times became troublesome. On one occasion two Indians appeared at the cabin door and demanded some bacon which Mrs. Studabaker was cooking. Refusing to give up the precious meat which had been brought from the Stillwater settlement the day before, she held fast to one end while one of the redskins pulled at the other end and his companion cut the meat off near her hand. Her cries attracted her husband who was preparing ground for corn planting, but he arrived too late to save the bacon as the Indians had disappeared.

It is said that Tecumseh, the Prophet, Little Turtle, Black Hoof and other noted warriors frequently visited Studabaker's cabin and that he had visitors almost daily whom he treated with kindness and hospitality and thereby made his life secure in the lonely wilderness prior to the war of 1812.

When Studabaker came to this spot he brought along, a horse and a cow, and his stock was augmented before long by the birth of a calf. Shortly after he had harvested his first small crop of corn his faithful horse died of the then prevalent disease commonly called "milk-sickness." Not long after this the wolves killed the precious calf. Desiring to catch some of the wolves he baited a trap with the carcass of the calf with the sad result that the cow stuck her head in the trap, thereby causing it to spring and break her neck. On another occasion Mr. Studabaker had gone to mill at Milton in Miami county, leaving his family alone over night. Having butchered a hog the day before the scent seems to have attracted a pack of hungry wolves, who created pandemonium about the lonely cabin in the night until a sudden smothered cry of pain from a single wolf was followed by a chorus of sympathetic snarls and yells for a moment when all became quiet again. The cause of this strange procedure was discovered in the morning when a large wolf was found within a few feet of the door with his tongue frozen to the blade of the axe, from which he had attempted to lick the blood and bits of hog flesh which had adhered to it in the butchering operations. It is supposed that his companions turned upon him when he uttered the cry of pain and soon ended his misery. The wolves never returned after this occasion to molest the cabin. The American panther inhabited this region and has left his name in "Painter" creek which drains the county a short distance to the southeast. Mr. Studabaker had many thrilling and dangerous experiences with this stealthy animal and killed many of them during his residence. One specimen which he killed with his rifle after a very narrow escape, had an extreme measure of eight feet. Soon after the outbreak of the War of 1812, Studabaker built a block house on his land and made such defensive preparations as he could to resist any possible attack that might be made on the place. Six soldiers with arms and ammunition were soon sent to protect his family and this out station became an inn, a citadel and official quarters for the small garrison. It is said that upon one occasion he captured five armed Indians and turned them over to the government, but that they subsequently escaped and killed Elliot and Stoner in the summer of 1813, as before mentioned. During the latter part of the war, Mr. Studabaker furnished cattle for the government to feed the Indians, who had gathered around Greenville awaiting peace negotiations. About 1816 he settled on a tract of some eight hundred acres located about two miles south of Greenville in the Bridge creek valley, which, it is said, was ceded to him by the United States government in payment for these cattle. Although his early education was very meager his natural talents and business qualifications early won recognition, as is shown by the fact that he was placed upon the first board of county commissioners and served thirteen years in this capacity; that he was a captain in the early militia; that he did much toward securing the Greenville and Miami railroad for the county; that he advanced the money to build the first court house in the county, raised a large family and accumulated a competence. He is described as a man of excellent judgment, great sagacity, large hospitality, unquestioned integrity and decided, outspoken convictions. He was married twice, was the father of twelve children and died March 16, 1852, leaving a long record of constructive accomplishments.

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