Swamplands

Settlers arrived and lived around the somewhat swampy areas of Loramie and Turtle Creek. Most of these families came from Kentucky, with several from Virginia and New Jersey as well.   Although the soil was very rich in the swampy areas, (water was blocked from drainage prior to its being cleared for farming), it wasn’t a very pleasant living environment with the swarms of mosquitoes, black flies, turtles, snakes and frogs.

This area was not unique as millions of acres in Ohio were once swamplands. They were a barrier to agriculture, towns and roads. From the swamps came sickness, called "Marsh Miasma", "Ague" or the "Shakes." Illness was common, widespread and thought to be caused by the stagnant water and poison air from the swamps. At that time, the mosquito as the carrier of malaria was not known.   The city of Lima (Auglaize County) was named for Lima, Peru, from whence large quantities of quinine bark were imported to make medicine for malaria sufferers. In 1840, Ohio passed a law to permit drainage and by 1886 reported that "the laying of tile was a growing practice and had a direct benefit to human health."

'Pioneer' segment written in October, 1997 by Sherrie Casad-Lodge

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