Firelands History Website

I had a wealth of material to draw on for the material on this site. My main source was The Firelands Pioneer, a historical journal published by the Firelands Historical Society since 1858. Platt Benedict founded the society and served as its chair until his death in 1866. The Firelands Pioneer includes many eyewitness accounts of the early pioneers. I wish to thank Mary Carabin, secretary of The Firelands Pioneer, for kindly assisting me obtain back copies of these journals.
Another important resource was Family History: Wickham, Benedict, Preston & Deaver, an unpublished genealogy compiled over a period of sixty years by my great-grandmother and grandmother, Agnes & Harriott Wickham. This carefully researched genealogy describes the history of these four families from their arrival in America in the fifteenth century. Although much of the text consists of lists of names, the women also recorded stories passed down from previous generations and their own memories of the players.
The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, written by Henry Marvin Benedict and published in 1870, was another important source of information, as was Family, by Ian Frazier, a distant cousin of mine. His engaging book blends carefully researched history of the Benedict, Wickham and other families with his personal recollections. A source of general information about the settlement of Ohio came from The Ohio Frontier, by R. Douglas Hunt. In addition, I used information gleaned from various letters and other family documents in my possession.
I have tried to be accurate while preparing materials for this site, but I am painfully aware that I have missed the mark in many instances. I will be grateful to any kind readers who correct my errors.