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The following has been abstracted primarily from the source: History of Hamilton County, Indiana,
with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and
Pioneers, to Which are Appended Maps of its Several Townships. Chicago : Kingman
Brothers, 1880.
Select a topic from the list below, or scroll down to read the entire
historical sketch.
PIONEER PERIOD: Traders,
"A Negro Among the Indians",
Early Settlers.
HAMILTON COUNTY ORGANIZED: Organization of County, County Seat Selected.
HAMILTON COUNTY FIRSTS: Births, Burials, Houses and Tavern, Road, Food, Mill, Teacher,
Sermon, Shoemaker, Physician.
HAMILTON COUNTY ASYLUM (Poor Farm).
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES: Adams Township,
Clay Township, Delaware Township, Fall Creek Township, Jackson Township,
PIONEER PERIOD.
By treaty with the Delaware Indians, concluded at
St. Mary's, Ohio, on the 3d day of October, 1818, the lands embraced in the
territory occupied by Hamilton County were ceded to and became the property
and under the control of the United States. Pursuant to the terms of
that treaty, the Delaware, having been allowed the right to occupy the improvements
before made by them, during a period of three years subsequent to the date
thereof, yielded up all their possessions so guaranteed to them, except such
tracts as had been reserved by personal designation, in 1820 and 1821, and
moved to the lands appropriated to their use and occupancy west of the
Mississippi River. In the meantime, however, early 1819, after the
ratification of the treaty by Congress, occasional adventurous pioneersmen,
seeking homes and employment, made settlements within these borders.
TRADERS:
The first person to embark in the Indian trade in
this county was William CONNER. His store was four miles below
Noblesville. Prior to the incoming of white settlers, his trade was
exclusively with the Indians, who were reported to have had great confidence
in his integrity and in the accuracy of his judgment. It is related of
him "that when the Indians came in to trade, they were paid in part for
their furs in whisky. They were required by Mr. CONNER to pay for each
article as it was sold. One gallon of whisky would be measured out to
them and then paid for, and then another; and so on until the furs were all
taken up." He had long resided with the Shawanoes, and was also
very familiar with the manners, customs and usages of both tribes, and with
the White Water, White River and Wabash
tribes generally. His word was apparently respected by them. In
the case of the killing of Indians in the spring of 1824, for which HUDSON
and others died on the gallows, it was chiefly through his instrumentality
and interposition that the laws of the State were permitted to be executed in
due course without the interference of the adjacent Indians, whose custom it
was to take such matters into their own hands and mete out retribution upon the
perpetrators of the outrage upon their people.
Another Indian trader, named BENNETT, a Frenchman,
had a store stocked with trinkets and other commodities incident to traffic
with the Indians, situated on the west side of White
River, below Strawtown. His trade, though not large,
supplied the wants of such of his customers as were wont to exchange their
furs and peltries for Whisky, blankets, powder and lead. It appears
little was known of him, beyond the fact of his having, late in the days of Indian
control in this county, held a portion of their trade.
"A NEGRO AMONG THE
INDIANS":
The following incident was reported to be directly
quoted from the "Reminiscences of Mr. SHIRTS", an early settler of
the county:
"In June, 1819, on Sunday, my grandmother
had been to see some of her neighbors, and had worn the only pair of shoes
she possessed. On her return home, she had pulled off her shoes and set
them just outside the door of the cabin. Quite a number of Indians
were, at the time, around and about the cabin, and when they had all departed
for their camps, my grandmother's shoes were found to be missing. She
was very much annoyed and troubled on account of the loss of her shoes, for
two reasons: First, she did not have the money to buy another pair of
shoes, and, second, she could not procure another pair short of Connersville,
a distance of sixty miles. It so happened that soon after the loss of
the shoes, the negro, SMITH, called at the cabin, and my grandmother made
known to him her troubles. SMITH, who was reported as being a
good-looking negro and intelligent, said to her, 'Never mind, your shoes will
come back.' Sure enough, in a short time the negro brought back the
shoes. SMITH, from that time on, was a great favorite with the white
settlers. He remained in the new purchase, as this county was then
called, working for the white people, until some time in the year 1821, when
a stalwart Kentuckian came in to look at the country, found SMITH here,
immediately returned to Kentucky, prepared himself with proper authority for
the capture of SMITH, and carried him off to bondage in the cotton fields of
the South. SMITH protested that he was not the property of the persons
claiming him and the settlers believed him; but they were powerless to
protect him. And, in the opinion of those early settlers, the life of
an innocent man was sacrificed to and for the peculiar and pet institutions
of the State of Kentucky.
SMITH was a favorite among the early settlers on account of his good
qualities; was a man of good disposition, and was very kind at heart, ever
ready to assist those in distress. Why he was among the Indians at the
time I do not know, and I presume I never will."
EARLY SETTLERS:
Among the first of the early settlers, after William
CONNER, perhaps the very first, were the family of George SHIRTS, consisting
of himself, his wife and three children, who were said to have come to the
area in 1818, probably in the fall after the treaty, and settled on what
later became known as the "old William Conner prairie farm".
Soon after, Solomon FINCH and Sarah, his
wife, who with five children, crossed White River at the mouth of Stoney Creek, on the 19th of April, 1819. With
his family came also Israel FINCH, Aaron FINCH, Amasa CHAPMAN, James
WILLISON, and William, John and Jared BUSH. The following September,
1819, John FINCH, father of Hiram G. FINCH, also came to settle. Hiram
settled on "Horseshoe prairie", two miles south of Noblesville.
Hiram FINCH is said to have chopped the logs for the construction of the
second cabin in Noblesville, it being built for Dr. John FINCH, in 1824, near
the "elm trees," on the bank of White River,
just above the Medical Spring.
It was reported that of the original pioneers of
1818 and 1819, only 2 were still living in 1880. They were Sidney
SHIRTS, who later became a resident of Iowa,
and James G. FINCH, one of the five children of Solomon and Sarah
FINCH.
About the spring of 1820, Charles LACEY, of Fayette County, Indiana,
selected a homestead, and, after "cutting of a patch of ground", he
planted corn. Having done this much, he returned to his former home,
and came back with his family. His early homestead continued to be
owned and occupied by him until the time of his death.
About the year 1821, John D. STEPHENSON came for
permanent settlement.
Jonathan COLBURN, with his wife and one child,
landed here on the 11th of March, 1823, and they became permanent
settlers. Mr. COLBURN was still alive and enjoying substantial health
in 1880.
On the 14th of February, 1824, Samuel WALLS,
father of Barton WALLS, settled on what became known as the "Conrad
farm".
HAMILTON COUNTY ORGANIZED.
When settlers had become sufficiently numerous,
application was made through the proper channels to the Legislature, for a
charter authorizing them to become, under the law, a separate and independent
county jurisdiction. This preliminary step was taken in the summer and
fall of 1822, and the application was presented to the Legislature at the
1822-23 session which was then held at Corydon, in Harrison County,
at that time the temporary seat of the state government. The act was
passed and approved by the Governor on the 8th of January, 1823, and the act
took effect on the first Monday in April (7), 1823. The following are
the leading provisions of the act:
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of the State of Indiana, That from and after the first Monday in
April next (1823), all that part of the county of Marion, and north of
Marion, contained in the following bounds, shall form and constitute a
separate county, viz.: beginning on the range line dividing Ranges 2
and 3, east of the second principal meridian, at the southwest corner of
Section 7, in Township 17, and Range 3, thence running north on the said
range line, to the township line dividing Townships 20 and 21, thence east on
the said township line to the northeast corner of Section 5, in Township 20,
and Range 6, thence south on the section line to the southeast corner of
Section 8, in Township 17, and Range 6, and thence west on the section line
to the place of beginning.
SECTION 2. The said new county shall be known
and designated by the name of Hamilton, and shall enjoy all the rights,
privileges and jurisdiction, which to separate and independent counties do or
may properly appertain or belong.
SECTION 3. Benjamin J. BLYTHE, of the county
of Dearborn, Martin M. RAY, of the county of Fayette, John SAMPLE, of the
county of Randolph, William REDDICK, of the county of Bartholomew, and James
WASSON, of the county of Sullivan, are hereby appointed Commissioners,
agreeably to the act entitled "An Act for the fixing of Seats of Justice
in all new counties hereafter to be laid off." The Commissioners
above named shall convene at the house of William CONNER, in the said county of Hamilton, on the first Monday of May
next (1823), and shall immediately proceed to discharge the duties assigned
them by law. It is hereby made the duty of the Sheriff of Marion
County, to notify the said Commissioners, either in person or by written
notification, of their appointment, on or before the 15th day of April next
(1823), and the said Sheriff of Marion County shall receive from the said
county of Hamilton so much as the County Commissioners shall deem just and
reasonable, and who are hereby authorized to allow the same out of any moneys
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, in the same manner as other allowances
are made.
SECTION 4. That the Circuit Court in the
county of Hamilton shall meet and be holden at the house of William CONNER,
in said county, until suitable accommodations can be had at the seat of
justice, and, as soon as the courts of said county are satisfied that
suitable accommodations can be had at the county seat, they shall adjourn
their courts thereto; after which time, the courts of the county of Hamilton
shall be holden at the county seat of said county, established as the law directs;
provided, always, that the Circuit Court shall have authority to adjourn the
court from the house of William CONNER, as aforesaid, to any other place,
previous to the completion of the public buildings, should the said court, or
a majority of them, deem it expedient or necessary.
SECTION 5. The Board of County Commissioners
of the said county of Hamilton shall, within twelve months after the
permanent seat of the said county of Hamilton shall, within twelve months
after the permanent seat of justice shall have been selected, proceed to
erect the necessary buildings therein, pursuant to the directions of the
County Commissioners of said county.
SECTION 6. The agent who shall be appointed
for the sales of lots, at the county seat of the said county of Hamilton,
shall reserve and receive 10 per centum out of the proceeds thereof; and
also, 10 per centum out of the proceeds of all donations made to the county,
and pa the same over to such persons as may be appointed by law to receive
the same, for the use of a county library, in the said county Hamilton, which
he shall pay over at such time or times, and place, as may be provided by
law.
SECTION 7. provides for the organization,
support, conduct and management of a county library, pursuant to the terms of
an act for the incorporation of a county library in Dubois and other
counties.
By the 8th Section, Hamilton County
was made a part of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State.
COUNTY SEAT:
The appointed Commissioners met at the house of
WIlliam CONNER, in Hamilton County, and after having examined sites proposed
for the county seat, met in special session on the 4th day of March, 1824, at
that time choosing the town of Noblesville
for the permanent seat of justice for Hamilton County.
A portion of their report of that date follows:
"...We proceeded to examine the different sites
offered to our choice for fixing thereon the permanent seat of justice of
Hamilton County (with the exception of the site offered at Strawtown, which
we thought not necessary, it being at so great a distance from the center of
the county), and not having agreed to fix the same, adjourned from day to day
until Thursday, the 4th day of march, 1824, when, having met at the house of
William CONNER, aforesaid, after having carefully, deliberately and
diligently viewed and examined the several donations offered to our choice,
and having examined and duly considered as well present and future
population, and inquired what lands could be obtained by donation or
otherwise, and having, in all respects, endeavored to fix upon the most
eligible spot, taking into view all advantages of the different situations
offered to our consideration, as also from every inquiry which we could make,
have, therefore, finally fixed and established the permanent seat of justice
for the county of Hamilton, in the State of Indiana, on the east side of
White River, and on the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 31,
Township 19 north, Range 5 east; and all that part of the southeast quarter
of Section 36, Township nineteen (19) north, Range four (4) east, lying east
of White River, the whole donation being bounded as follows, to-wit:
Commencing at the southeast corner of the west half of the southwest quarter of
Section 31, Township nineteen (19) north, Range five (5) east; thence north,
with the line dividing the quarter, one hundred and twenty-two (122) poles;
thence west to White River; thence, with the meanderings of said river, to
where the line between Townships eighteen (18) and nineteen (19) crosses the
same; thence, with said township line east to beginning--a particular
description of which will more fully appear by reference to the plat of
Noblesville--laid out by Josiah F. POLK and William CONNER, and a bond given
to the Commissioners of Hamilton County, for a title to the donation to said
county by said POLK and CONNER; and the said permanent seat of justice for
said county of Hamilton is hereby permanently fixed and established at and in
the town of Noblesville, on the west half of the southwest quarter, and the
fraction aforesaid, the same having heretofore belonged to the aforesaid POLK
and CONNER, but by them donated (as will appear by bond, bearing date the 4th
day of March, 1824,) to the county of Hamilton for the permanent seat of
justice..."
The bond of said William CONNER and Josiah F. POLK,
therein mentioned, including reservations of lots within the town to CONNER
and POLK, as follows:
"Know all men by these presents, that we,
William CONNER and Josiah F. POLK, of the county of Hamilton and State of
Indiana, are held and firmly bound, unto the Board of County Commissioners in
and for the county of Hamilton and State aforesaid (in their corporate
capacity as such), and their successors in office in and for said county, in
the penal sum of ten thousand dollars, good and lawful money of the State of
Indiana and the United States, and for the payment of which said sum we bind
ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, at the signing and
sealing of these presents. Dated this 4th day of March, A. D.
1824."
"The condition of the above obligation,
however, is such, that whereas a majority of the Commissioners--appointed
pursuant to an act of the Legislature of the State of Indiana, in the case
made and provided, to locate and fix the permanent seat of justice in and for
the county of Hamilton aforesaid--having met pursuant to the provisions of
the said statute, and having complied with the requisitions of the statute in
that case, also made and provided for fixing the seat of justice in all new
counties thereafter to be laid off in said State, and having, pursuant to
said statute, examined the county generally in said county, and a majority of
the said Commissioners having agreed to locate the permanent seat of justice,
of the county aforesaid, on the east side of White River, on and for the
consideration of the donations hereinafter mentioned, and other good and
valuable considerations, to-wit: On lands now owned and belonging to
the above-bound William CONNER and Josiah F. POLK, lying and being situate at
the county of Hamilton aforesaid, on the west half of the southwest quarter
of Section 31, Township 19, Range 5 east, containing about 50 acres; and also
a part of the southeast quarter of Section 36, Range 4, Township 19, east of
White River, containing, as supposed, 24 acres more or less; and the
undivided half of 16 acres of land, lying east of said town plat to an open
line, and more particularly known, designated and described by the town plat
to an open line, and more particularly known, designated and described by the
town plat of the town of Noblesville, on the east side of White River at the
county aforesaid, and situate and laid off on the two above described tracts
of land and nine in-lots--as will more fully appear by a reference to said
town plat--including the block of lots laid off in said town for a public
square, and all the fractional lots on said town plat that have numbers
assigned them, on the following conditions, to-wit:
"That the said above-bound obligors have
donated to said Commissioners appointed as aforesaid, fixing and locating the
permanent seat of justice of Hamilton County on the aforesaid, fixing and
locating the permanent seat of justice of Hamilton County on the aforesaid
lands--on the public square, as designated on said town plat--and the said
obligors hereby [by] these presents also donate, on the conditions aforesaid,
to the said county forever, the public square of said town plat number 10,
for the purpose of erecting public buildings on, for conditions aforesaid,
one-half of all the in-lots and fractional lots on said town except two
squares on said plat, known on said plat by their numbers, fifteen and nine,
in which said squares the said CONNER and POLK reserve to themselves lots
numbered one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight, commencing at
number one in square fifteen, on the northeast corner of said block, taking
in said last-mentioned block, one, two, seven and eight, and in block
numbered nine, they reserve lots numbered three, four, five and six; the
balance of the said entire last-mentioned blocks of lots are hereby donated
to the said county, containing eight lots, commencing at number one in square
nine, and taking numbers one, two; seven and eight in block nine, and in
block fifteen taking three, four, five and six; and also, one undivided half
of sixteen acres on the east side of said town plat, running north the full
length of said town lots--it being also situate on the west half of the
southwest quarter of Section 31, Township 19, Range 5 east. Now, the
above obligation to be void on the following condition, to-wit: That if
the above-bound obligors do well and faithfully, as soon as they may be
requested by the County Agent that may be appointed by the County
Commissioners for that purpose, or his successor in office, under the
direction of the County Commissioners for said county--make or cause to be
made, a good and sufficient deed in fee simple, to the said County Agent, for
the use of said county, every other or odd number of all the lots and
fractional lots; the fractional lots to be equally divided by the donors and
the county, in the town of Noblesville, that is to say: lots number
one, three, five, and so on ad infinitum, throughout the whole town
plat, on each and every block in said town, to be selected by said County
Agent under the direction of the County Commissioner for said county, or
their successors in office--except blocks numbered nine and fifteen, in which
said blocks the said obligors are to deed as aforesaid, to the said County
Agent, for the use of the county, the entire north half of said block
numbered nine, as aforesaid, and also the entire west half of block numbered
fifteen, as aforesaid, and shall, in like manner, make a good and sufficient
deed to all the undivided half of the said sixteen acres of land designated
as aforesaid, and in like manner convey to the county the public square or
square numbered ten, in said town, for the purpose of having fixed thereon
the permanent public buildings for said county, including a small fraction on
the southwest corner of said plat: Then, and in that case, this
obligation to be null and void, else to be and remain in full force and
virtue in law and equity, as witness, the day and year first above
written."
"Signed { WILLIAM CONNER, [SEAL.]
JOSIAH F. POLK. [SEAL.]"
"HAMILTON COUNTY FIRSTS".
BIRTHS:
Sidney Swift SHIRTS was claimed to have been the
first white, male child born in Hamilton County, being born before 1820,
however, the exact date of his birth is not reported; and Laura FINCH,
daughter of Solomon and Sarah, was the first female child born in the
county. The second white male child, Solomon FINCH, Jr., was reportedly
born November 20, 1820, on "Horseshoe prairie"; and the second
female, white child was Lavina CONNER, daughter of William CONNER. The
third white male child born in Hamilton
County was A. J. LACY,
born August 4, 1822. The first male white child born in Noblesville was
Milton COGSWELL, in 1825; the first female white child born in that town was
Eliza J. STEPHENSON, daughter of John D. STEPHENSON.
Additional early births in the county, reported in
Kingman's history, included: Amos P. FINCH was born March 21, 1824, to
Solomon and Sarah. William I. SHIRTS was born February 23, 1823, and
his brother, A. F. SHIRTS was born November 26, 1824.
BURIALS:
The first white person buried in this county, of
which there was record, was Mrs. George SHIRTS, who died sometime early in
1819, soon after the arrival of the family in the county. "A rude
coffin was made for her by the Indians, from puncheons, and she was buried by
them in an Indian graveyard." The first white person buried in the
old graveyard was Lawrence WILLISON, the father of James.
HOUSES and TAVERNS:
The first house built in Noblesville was built by
William BUSH for a Mr. [Josiah F.] POLK, one of the original owners of the
ground where Noblesville now stands. Mr. POLK was then a single man,
but it was reported that he was engaged to be married to a Miss Lavina NOBLE;
and, it was said that he caused vegetables to be sown in his first garden in
letters that spelled her name, and she went back on him. This house, or
rather cabin, was built not far from where a later seminary building
stood.
Hiram FINCH is said to have chopped the logs for the
construction of the second cabin in Noblesville, it being built for Dr. John
FINCH, in 1824, near the "elm trees," on the bank of White River, just above the Medical Spring. It
was said that Mr. FINCH was especially proficient in the area of
construction, and numerous specimens of his handicraft were to be seen in the
neighborhood by the 1830s.
The first brick house built in the county was by
William CONNER, in 1823, near the northwest corner of Section 15, Township 18
north, Range 5 east.
The first building erected in Noblesville for hotel
purposes--a "tavern"--was built by Milburn DAVIS, but was kept by George
SHIRTS. Mrs. SHIRTS was said to be capital on making "corn
pone", as it was called, and the travelers inquired in for the landlady
that made good "corn-pone bread."
ROAD:
The first county road laid out and improved in this
jurisdiction, is described on the record as follows: "Beginning at
the road running from Pipe Creek past Strawtown, near John BLACK's, and
running thence the nearest and best way, passing Jacob HIER's, down White
River on the west side, to intersect the aforesaid road at or near Jeremiah
LEAMING's." On the 11th of August, 1823, the Viewers before
appointed, having viewed the route indicated, made their report and were
discharged. The board, thereupon, ordered that the road be opened to a
width not exceeding thirty-three feet, and Jacob T. HIER was appointed
Supervisor.
FOOD:
Corn bread was the recognized mainstay in the area, because corn,
being the staple production, supplied bread material for home consumption,
flour from wheat being rarely, or never, in demand. Wheat was not
raised, and, as a consequence, there was no flour except as it was brought
from Connersville,
and that was infrequent, because it was an expensive luxury and not well
adapted to the habits and wants of primitive settlers. Corn, however,
for immediate consumption, in advance of its being raised here, was purchased
and brought from distant settlements. At a later date, as early as
1820, the surplus products of this grain in Hamilton County
territory were sold chiefly to "new comers" to this settlement.
Subsequently, when permanent settlements were begun at Indianapolis and the country adjacent, the
needy settlers came here, purchased corn, and transported it down the river
in canoes.
During these early days of settlement, pressing
wants for a more varied diet were often supplied from the adjacent
forests. Wild game and wild hogs were plenty and fish abundant.
An incident which illustrates the natural bounty of the area was related by
Mr. A. F. SHIRTS, in reminiscent notes of an early county paper, and
reprinted in 1880 as follows: "I remember on one occasion, when
we had company but no meat, my father asked by mother how long she could wait
for meat. She said half an hour. He then threw off his
shoemaker's apron, took his gun from the rack, walked down to what is now
called Corner street, to the elm trees on the bank of the river; stood
there--say ten minutes, when I saw him cautiously raise his gun, heard the
report and saw him run. He had shot a fine young doe in what is now called
the "medical spring,' and we had venison for supper. The young
deer had come from Plum Prairie, as we
called it, for a good cool drink, and thereby lost her life. The Plum Prairie was what is now called the Prairie Farm,
and owned by Leonard WILD (in 1880). Such plums as grew there! My
mouth waters yet, when I think of the large red and yellow plums, and so
rich; the plums of this day, although cultivated, will scarcely bear a
comparison. There were strawberries there also, with such delicious
flavor. I would much prefer going into that natural garden for plums
and strawberries than to the gardens of the present day. But I may be
prejudiced in favor of these ancient customs and times."
MILL:
The first mill in the county was built by John FINCH,
run by horse-power, and known as "Finch's horse-mill;" it stood a
few rods above his house, on the prairie. The belt by which the power
was transmitted from the treadwheel to the machinery ws made of rawhide, and
answered the purpose well. The power thus generated, however, was not
very great, nor was the machinery run at very high speed; hence, as a
consequence, the grinding process was very slow, but then there were only a
few customers to be accommodated in the immediate vicinity.
The first water-mill in the county was built by Mr.
FOSTER, on Stony Creek, just below what later became known as the "Dill
mill-dam," between that and the fording place on that creek. This
old mill was washed away by a freshet in 1824. Under the circumstances,
this mill being the only one in the vicinity to be relied upon for the
necessary supplies of "cracked corn" and meal, the neighbors, as
soon as the fact became known to them, came in from miles around and worked
two days, faithfully, to avert the calamity as far as possible, and
compensate, by their labor, for the damage sustained. Their active zeal
in the work was rewarded by a complete restoration of the dam and mill at the
end of that time, and the grinder was turning out "grists" as if
nothing had happened, on the second day after the accident. It was long
known as "Betts' mill".
TEACHER:
"Old Father Mallory", one of the early
settlers, was about the first of the pioneer schoolteachers, and he was also
the first Sunday-school Superintendent. "His efficient work in
this department is a lasting monument of his zeal and activity in
well-doing." The first Sunday school ever held in the county was
also held at the house of "Old Father Mallory", whose cabin then
stood about one mile below Noblesville.
SERMON:
The first sermon preached to white people in
Hamilton County, was said to have been at the house of John FINCH, on
Horseshoe Prairie, by what was then known and commonly called, a
"Hard-shell" Baptist preacher, in the summer of 1820. His name
was either CHILDERS or CORBLY, and the result of his labors at that time was
the addition of two members to his church, Sarah and Margaret FINCH.
SHOEMAKER:
George SHIRTS, who, while probably the first
of the permanent settlers, as also the first shoemaker in the count.
His business was chiefly confined, in those early days, to shoe, pack and
moccasin making, in which maintaining a monopoly, he was recognized as
excellent.
PHYSICIAN:
The first physician in Noblesville was Dr.
John FINCH, an account of the building of whose cabin, the second on within
the original limits of the city, is given above.
He seems to have enjoyed a monopoly, if such it might be called in that day,
in the practice of his profession; yet, however, in view of the sparseness of
the population, it is not probable that he passed many sleepless nights in
attendance upon the calls of the sick.
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COUNTY ASYLUM [POOR FARM]
To provide for and maintain the poor and indigent,
relieve distress and provide for the necessities of those unable or
incompetent to take care of themselves, are important elements in the local
economy of every community, and public policy demands that they receive
proper recognition at the hands of society's representatives. The
history of this community, in common with that of others, especially in the
"new West", shows that active, living charity is right, and was an
integral part of Hamilton
County. Provision
was made by the law-enacting power of the State for the exercise of a liberal
charity toward all who were entitled to be recipients of public
benefactions.
Among the first provisions made by law for the
alleviation of the poor, was the appointment of "Overseers," whose
duty it was to hear and examine into the nature of all complaints in behalf
of the poor, in each civil township of the county, and see that their wants
were sufficiently provided for; that they should not suffer for the common
necessaries of life, nor allow them to be ill-treated. It was also the
duty of "Overseers" to keep a record, in which they should record
the names of all persons in their respective townships who were unable to
take care of themselves, and who, in their opinion, were entitled to the
benefits prescribed by law for the maintenance of those unfortunates. A
further provision made it their duty to put out, as apprentices, all poor
children whose parents were dead, or were found to be unable to maintain
them--males until the age of twenty-one, and females until the age of
eighteen years. The general provision governing the duties of such
Overseers is as follows:
"It shall be the duty of the Overseers of the
Poor, every year, to cause all poor persons who have or shall become a public
charge, to be farmed out on contracts to be made on the first Monday in May
annually, in such manner as the said Overseers of the Poor shall deem best
calculated to promote the general good; provided, nothing herein contained
shall prohibit any Overseers of the Poor from receiving and accepting
propositions at any time for the keeping of such poor, and others who may at
any time thereafter become a county charge; provided, however, that the
Boards of County Commissioners of the several counties in this State may, in
their discretion, allow and pay to poor persons who may become chargeable as
paupers, who are of mature years and sound mind, and who, from their general
character, will probably be benefited thereby, such annual allowance as will
be equal to the charge of their maintenance, by employing the lowest bidder
to keep them; the said Commissioners taking the usual amount of charges, in
like cases, as the rule in making such allowances; provided, however, that
the Overseer of the Poor in no case shall farm out any pauper under the age
of twenty-one years, if a male, or, if a female, under the age of eighteen
years, if such Overseers of the Poor can possibly bind out, as apprentices,
any such paupers." For the purposes contemplated in the foregoing
act, such Overseers of the Poor for the several townships were made, in name
and in fact, bodies politic and corporate in law, to all intents and
purposes, with perpetual succession, liable, by the name of "The
Overseers of the Poor" of their respective townships, to "sue and
be sued, plead and be impleaded, in all courts of judicature, and, by that
name, purchase, take or receive any lands, tenements or hereditaments, goods,
chattels, sum or sums of money, to or for the use of the poor of their
respective townships, of the gift, alienation or desire of any person or
persons whomsoever; to hold to them, the said Overseers and their successors
in trust, for the use of the poor forever." The Legislature, in
the enactment of this law, had in contemplation, in the near future, the
erection of proper buildings, such as the County Commissioners
might prescribe, to be used as asylums for the poor who might become a
permanent charge, as paupers, on the county.
during the early years of the county's history, but
little advance was made in the methods whereby the poor were provided with
the means of subsistence and the necessaries of life. Until 1846, no
movement appears to have inaugurated looking to the erection of buildings for
the accommodation of paupers. At the March session of the County Board of that year, in contemplation
of the establishment of an asylum, Jesse Fisher was appointed Superintendent
of such an institution, the appointment extending over a period from the
first Monday in May, 1846, until the second Monday in March, 1847. This
was in consideration of the location and use, as provided, of the farm,
buildings and appurtenances recently occupied by H. DALE, described as the
one-half quarter of Section __, in Township 19 north, Range 5 east, containing
eighty (80) acres; the premises to be furnished said Superintendent free of
rent, the board providing accommodations for paupers on the said grounds,
construct log-cabins, etc., supplied with beds, bedsteads and bedding, and in
addition, allow him $300 per annum, for an average of seven paupers, and, in
proportion, for a greater or less number, and the proceeds of the pauper
labor, the Superintendent providing them the necessary food, drink and
clothing. Under this arrangement, all the Overseers of the Poor, in the
several townships of the county, were notified to remove all the paupers
under their charge, in May of that year, to the farm lately occupied by
Samuel MONROE, near NOblesville. At the same session, the board
employed Abner JONES to build, on the poor farm, a round-log cabin,
containing two rooms, each ten-feet square, one eight-feet story in height,
with a door and window in each room, for the use of paupers, and have the
same completed by the first of May following, at a cost of $24. After completion,
however, he was allowed, at the June session, $35 for the work done.
Superintendent FISHER, at the session in June, 1846,
submitted a detailed report of his management, and of the condition of the
asylum so established:
"The undersigned Superintendent of the asylum
for the poor of said county, submits, respectfully, to your body, the
following report, showing the number of paupers that he has taken under his
charge since his appointment to the superintendency of said asylum by your
said board, together with the time and manner of the reception of each, their
health, fitness to labor, etc., to-wit: He has, in all, eight paupers,
five of whom he received from the Overseers of the Poor of Clay Township,
to-wit: On the 21st day of April, 1846, they consisted of an old lady,
to-wit, Mary WALL, with four young children. The mother is not capable
of performing any labor, she being old and not of sound mind. The two
oldest children, aged about nine and seven years, are capable of performing
some service, and might be bound out with advantage; the two youngest are
probably too young to put out with any advantage. The sixth pauper he
received from the Overseers of White River Township, on the 4th of May, 1846,
is Leonard DICK, and is supposed to be about seventy-four years old, and
incapable of performing any labor, he being confined to his bed
continually. Thomas GEERING, the seventh pauper, was received on the
day last mentioned, from the Overseer of the Poor of Wayne Township.
This pauper is also incapable of doing any work, he being a
complete-idiot. Mrs. BARCLAY, the last, was received from the Overseers
of Noblesville Township, on the same day. She is also entirely unfit to
do any labor, being very old and infirm.
The following are the articles which the undersigned
has received from the county for the use of the said paupers, to-wit: 4
straw beds, 4 bedsteads, 4 cords, 2 feather beds, 4 blankets, 8 pillows, 10
pillow-cases, 12 sheets, 4 comforts, 12 chairs, 1 chamber. He needs, in
addition to these articles, for the better accommodation of the said paupers,
one more room to the building, and two chambers."
JESSE FISHER, Sup't.
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ADAMS
TOWNSHIP
Adams, the northwest corner township of Hamilton
County, was set apart by the Board of Commissioners in November, 1833, and,
due to the limited population of this and the adjoining township of Jackson,
the two were temporarily united for jurisdiction. At a subsequent
session of the same board, however, this union was dissolved, and they were
declared separate townships.
The First Settler: a Fugitive from
Persecution - Other Early Settlers
of Adams Township -
Early Roads - Early
Schools - Early Churches - Local Industries -
Town of Boxley - Millwood
/ Sheridan -
THE FIRST SETTLER: A FUGITIVE FROM PERSECUTION
At Spottsylvania,
Va., prior to the war of 1812,
lived a wealthy and influential citizen, George BOXLEY. He was a man of
strong character, and, when he believed himself to be right, he was
immovable. By honest toil, he had acquired his wealth, and, at the time
of which we write, was the proprietor of a saw-mill, grist-mill and "carding-gin"
or woolen-mill, all three being operated under one roof, in a building
situated on the bank of one of the streams of Spottsylvania County.
Like many persons of means in those days, he possessed a number of slaves,
but became impressed with the injustice of the institution and liberated
them.
During the war of 1812, he was tendered an honorable
and responsible position by the Government of the United States, which he filled
with credit, receiving as a token a handsome silver-hilted sword from the Government.
He was held in the highest esteem by his neighbors. His conviction of
right, however, prompted him to commit a deed that turned him into a felon in
the eyes of his countrymen. It was an act in the interest of humanity,
yet one which was a flagrant violation of one of the most rigidly enforced
laws of that day, and the penalty was death.
His crime was this: One night in the winter of
1814, two negroes stole up to his house, knowing his sympathy for the
fugitive slave. They were endeavoring to make their escape from a cruel
master, and Mr. BOXLEY's sympathies were at once enlisted in their
behalf. He concealed them at his mill, and, as soon as circumstances
permitted, he conveyed them to Greenbrier
County, and started
them on their road to liberty. By this act, he compromised his own
liberty; some one had heard of his deed, and he was arrested and cast into
the county jail, where he was bound down with chains. A court convicted
him of the felony with which he was charged, and the sentence of death was
passed upon him. Shortly before the day set for his execution, his wife
and children were admitted to the jail to take an eternal farewell of the
loved husband and father, but the watchful guards little thought that the
gentle, tearful woman who came as a mourner, was to be the power through whom
their condemned fellow-citizen should be restored to life and liberty; yet
such was the case. In the agony of her soul, she had determined to
brave the terrors of the law, in one last desperate effort to release her
husband. On this last occasion, she came with a fine spring-saw
concealed in the hem of her skirt, and delivered it to her husband during the
visit. That night he sawed his shackles apart, and escaped from the
jail through an aperture previously made in the wall during his confinement,
and which had been carefully concealed during the day time. He reached
the prison yard safely, and looking up saw the guards pacing the walls.
At this, he felt a chill of fear, but pushed bravely on, knowing that death
awaited him in either event, and his discovery by the guards would only
hasten the inevitable. He reached the wall, and scaled it safely,
dropping quietly on the outside of the prison bounds and breathed the air
again, a free man. Traveling by night and by obscure routes, he reached
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he changed his name to
BURKE, and engaged in the vocation of school-teaching. During his
sojourn here he wrote two pamphlets which were largely circulated--one in
opposition to the banking system of that day, and one in opposition to the
institution of slavery. During this time, he contrived to inform his
wife that he was still living, but, believing that locality to be too near
his former home for her to join him with safety, he determined to go to Missouri, where he was
shortly afterward joined by his family. Subsequently, he removed to Fayette County, Ohio,
where he hoped that he was safe from his persecutors; but his hope was
suddenly dispelled.
Two men, named respectively Jury and Walls, passed
through the vicinity of his Ohio home with a
drove of horses for Virginia,
and recognized him. Upon their arrival in that State, they saw an
advertisement offering a large reward for the capture and return of the
fugitive, and, arming themselves with a copy of this paper, they started for Ohio, thinking to
enrich themselves by returning him to the authorities. As they neared
his house, they saw him in the field, and approaching him one of them took
him roughly by the shoulder, exclaiming, "You are my prisoner," and
presenting the advertisement in lieu of a warrant. They overpowered
him, and dragged him from the field and into the woods; but his sons, Thomas
and Addison, knew where to go for assistance, and lost no time in giving the
alarm.
Two friends, John HOWE and Jona MARCHANT, armed with
guns, started in pursuit of the kidnappers, and, after a chase of about two
miles, overtook them. An exciting scene ensued, and, in view of the
danger that menaced them, the drovers concluded to surrender their
prisoner. Mr. BOXLEY remained at home that night, but, knowing that his
whereabouts could not long be kept secret, he fled the next day, again going
to Missouri. After a few months, he received a message from his friends
in Ohio,
persuading him to return, and pledging themselves to stand by him and protect
him. He did as they suggested, and lived quietly in Fayette County
for several years. He lived in dread, however, and determined to seek
greater security in one of the new settlements of Indiana.
He started West, reaching Strawtown, and then
decided to go farther, to the settlement on the Wabash, in Tippecanoe County.
His route led him past the land upon which he subsequently settled, and which
he marked at the time, intending to return to it, if not satisfied with the
location on the Wabash. The latter
proved to be the case, and in the fall of 1828, he came to reside on the land
where he passed the remainder of his life.
When George BOXLEY's family joined him in Indiana, and he took
up the life of a pioneer, feeling secure from any further pursuit. He
was never again molested, and passed to a peaceful old age and death.
On a portion of his farm he erected a little log cabin, in which he conducted
a daily school for the instruction of his own children, and as new settlers
came to his neighborhood at a later date, he offered to their children the
benefit of his fine attainments, free of charge. Under his training,
his children grew to honorable and useful maturity. One, however, met a
violent death while in the midst of happy, innocent boyhood. After
school hours, the children used the building for a play-house. On this
occasion, a violent storm passed over this section, destroying corps and
tearing away trees, and the absence of the son was marked by the family, who,
however, supposed him to be safe in the school-house; but after the storm the
parents learned his fate; he had started to the house, and the wind had
uprooted a tree, which fell upon him as he ran, imprisoning him among its
branches, where they found him, mangled and dead. This was the first
death of a white person in the township. He was interred on his
father's farm.
Kingman's History of Hamilton County relates that
George BOXLEY's son Caswell was still in residence on his father's land in
1880. A platt map of 1880 identifies a C. BOXLEY as land owner, of 80
acres, in the northeast half of the northeast quarter of section 31, and also
of the neighboring 55 acres in the west
half of the northwest quarter of section 32, both within Township 19 North,
Range 3 East, of Adams Township, near the settlement of Sheridan (located in
section 32). C. BOXLEY is also shown as land owner of another, smaller
parcel of 45 acres, in the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter, of
section 6, in the same township and range. It is likely that the
smaller parcel was taken up, as additional farm land, at a later date.
OTHER EARLY SETTLERS of ADAMS TOWNSHIP
In the fall of 1829, Thomas B. SPENCER located on
a tract of land about a half-mile south of the present town of Boxley, where he
remained during the winter of that year. In the following spring, he
removed to a tract of Government land at the present site of Boxley, and, in
1833, entered the land about 4 miles northwest of that town, upon which he still
remained in 1880.
In 1830, John BLANCHE located on Section 32, and
James L. MASTERS settled upon an adjacent tract of land about the same
time. Each entered his respective tract in the following year. Z.
ACORDS settled near the present site of Boxley in 1830. He cleared a
farm, and subsequently removed to Delaware
County, Indiana,
where he died.
Mr. SPENCER was accompanied, in 1829, by his father
and Washington McKENZIE, the latter a brother-in-law. Both subsequently
returned to Ohio, and within a year or two
Mr. McKENZIE came back and settled near the town of Boxley, where he improved a farm. At
a later date, he purchased a farm near his brother-in-law, Thomas B. SPENCER,
where he resided until his death. In 1832, James MANN settled upon a
tract of land in Section 27, and entered it in the following year, and Thomas
J. HARBAUGH settled on an adjoining tract at the same time. Thomas
JONES settled, in 1832, on the farm later owned by W. P. HARBAUGH (in
1880). West of the present town of Boxley, Payton HARRIS settled in
1833, and Reuben TANSEY in the following year. James HARBAUGH settled
on Section 27, in December, 1834, and Eber TETER settled on an adjoining
tract in 1835.
In 1834, land was entered and settlements made in
various portions of the township by the following persons: Christopher
WILLIAMS, on Section 1; Uri HODSON, on Section 1; Joseph McMURTRY, on section
14; Stephen MASTERS, on Section 22; James A. LACKEY, on Section 23; and
George RUSHTON, on Section 25.
The settlers of 1835 included: Wilburn DAVIS,
on Section 6; Daniel SMITH, on Section 10; Leroy FITZPATRICK, on Section 20;
George RAMSEY, on Section 26; James HIGBEE, on Section 28; Jeremiah DUNN, on
Section 29, and Joseph McLAUGHLIN, on Section 30. In the same year,
Heman PEARSON entered land in Section 33, and came to reside upon it in
1836.
Other settlers who came in 1836 were: James HAWKINS,
who settled on Section 4; John B. HAMMACK, on Section 9; Nathan BLANTON, on
Section 11; Thomas MOORE, on Section 11; John BALDWIN, on Section 17; Elias
and Wesley BOWEN, on Section 17; Joseph HORN, on Section 29; John PEARCE, on
Section 31, and Joseph P. PEARSON, on Section 33.
In 1837, James K. WIGGS settled on Section 2, Thomas
HARROLD settled on Section 15, Daniel ANDERSON, on Section 29, and Eleazer
WASHBURNE on Section 4.
EARLY ROADS in Adams Township
About the year 1830, the Strawtown and La Fayette
State road was surveyed and cut out across the township, from east to
west. It was then a route that had long been traveled by emigrants
going West, but, until 1830, no measures had been adopted for its
improvement. It became one of the principal highways of the time, and
merchants and tradesmen derived a lucrative patronage from the travelers over
this route. The various county roads were surveyed at different times,
in response to petitions from the residents of the neighborhood in which it
was desired to have them located.
SCHOOLS in Adams Township
The private school taught by George BOXLEY was
the first educational institution in the township, and the only one, until
1838. In that year, a subscription was secured for the purpose of
conducting a school during the winter, and Mrs. PIERCE was employed as
teacher. The schoolhouse was a log cabin which stood on land then owned
by Mr. JESSUP, of Hendricks County,
Indiana. After this date,
schools were taught at various places in the township every winter, the money
for their maintenance being secured by a tuition fee charged for each
scholar. This method was in vogue until after the passage of the school
law of 1851-52, under the provisions of which the township schools were then
conducted. The first building under the new regime, was erected at
Boxley in 1854, and during the following year, similar buildings were erected
in other school districts of the township, the trustees erecting buildings
according to the enumeration of children, until each district was
supplied. In 1874, the members of Spicewood Meeting, feeling an interest
in the cause of public education, erected a high school, at an expense of
$1,400, to which they gave the name of "Spicewood School."
S. W. COOK, Jesse MILLS and Paris COX were the Trustees. It was
conducted as a private institution until 1878, when it was purchased by the
Township Trustee, J. B. BRADFIELD. By 1880, the school was sustained by
the public money of the township, with the addition of a guarantee fund, made
up by those interested in educational matters. Prof. John PENNINGTON
was the Principal about that time.
EARLY CHURCHES in Adams Township
Methodist
Episcopal, Carmel Church, Sheridan Church,
Spicewood
Society of Friends, Wesleyan
Methodist Boxley Church, Liberty Church
Methodist Episcopal.--
In the year 1837, the Methodists first began to hold
meetings in the township, and one of the first places of meeting was the
house of Eber TETER. Ministers of the church came to this locality at
irregular intervals, and there was no organization. In 1838, however, a
meeting was held at the house of Samuel BAKER, and the first class in the
township was organized on this occasion, with about a dozen constituent
members. The class was attached to Noblesville Circuit, and the
ministers in charge of that circuit conducted services at the homes of
various members, about once a month. After a few years, they
transferred the meeting-place to a schoolhouse in the town of Boxley, and from this
organization emanated the Boxley Methodist Episcopal Church. This,
however, was not erected until the year 1852, by which time the original
class had almost lost its identity by the death of some of its older members
and the removal of others.
The church at Boxley was built in 1852, and
dedicated by Rev. William H. GOOD in the summer of 1853. Mr. GOOD was
then Presiding Elder, and Rev. Thomas STABLER was Pastor in charge of the
circuit. During the succeeding years, the congregation increased, and
the organization was successfully maintained. By 1880, the church was
under the pastoral care of Rev. A. M. PATTERSON.
Carmel
Church.--
This class was organized in the winter of 1838, by
Rev. L. P. BERRY, then in charge of the Noblesville Circuit. He visited
the class at regular intervals, and preached at the house of Robert
CUTTS. Several years later the class was divided--a part meeting at the
house of Mr. CUTTS, and the balance at the house of Daniel SMITH. This
arrangement was made for the convenience of members who lived at a distance
from the former place of meeting.
In 1845, Willis ATKINS, donated a lot upon which
they erected a hewed-log house of worship, which they occupied for a number
of years. Finally, however, it became too old for use, and was
abandoned. Meetings were continued at a neighboring schoolhouse, and occasionally
at private houses, until about 1871, when they erected a new church, under
the ministrations of Rev. T. H. C. BEALL. The church continued
prosperously from its organization, and was under the pastoral care of Rev.
A. M. PATTERSON in 1880.
Sheridan
Church.--
In the winter of 1867-68, Rev. R. A. NEWTON
organized the class at Sheridan.
They held meetings in the schoolhouse until 1870, and after that date at
private houses. In the spring of 1873, they purchased two lots from
Caswell BOXLEY, in Sheridan,
and in August of the same year began the building of a house of
worship. The financial crisis of 1873 caused the Trustees to suspend
work until the following summer. The new building was 36x50 feet, 18
feet between floor and ceiling, and the spire 77 1/2 feet from ground to
top. The house was at $2,400, and the lot at $150. The dedicatory
sermon was delivered by Elder J. V. R. MILLER, after which a subscription of
$1,200 was secured, to free the church from debt. The church was built in
a very liberal spirit, and remained open to the religious denominations of
the town and vicinity. In 1880, it was under the pastor care of Rev. A.
M. PATTERSON.
Society of Friends--Spicewood.--
This congregation held its first meeting at a house
on the land later owned by Elijah JAY (in 1880), one-half mile west of
Spicewood, in November, 1865. The preparative meeting for business was
held July 26, 1866, in a log cabin on the land of Amos COOK,
one-half mile south of Spicewood. Jesse MILLS, Elijah JAY, Patty FURNAS
and Lydia Ann COOK constituted the committee then appointed.
Christopher SPRAY and Eunice FURNAS were the first permanent Clerks, and
Samuel W. COOK the first Treasurer.
The first persons who joined the meeting were Amos
HARRY and family, Carey LINTON and family, and William EMRY and daughter
Ollie. In the fall of 1869, the society erected their house of worship,
at a cost of $910. (This house was still in use in 1880.) The
Spicewood Monthly Meeting was first convened for business October 26,
1871. It then had no minister, but by 1880 had four, viz.: John COOK,
Eunice FURNAS, Marian SIMONS and Charity REAGAN. John B. and Mary
FOULKE were the clerks in 1880.
Wesleyan
Methodist--Boxley Church.--
About 1844, the first class of this denomination was
organized in the schoolhouse at Boxleytown, under the leadership of Eber
TETER, who was afterward recognized as one of the leading spirits in the
church. During protracted meetings, they were granted the use of the
log church owned by the Christian denomination at Boxley, but on ordinary
occasions they held their meetings at the schoolhouse for about 2 years after
organization. Mr. TETER then donated a lot in the town of Boxley, upon which they
erected a small frame church. This building was still in use as their
house of worship, in 1880, and was at that time under the pastoral care of
Rev. William TALBERT.
Liberty Church.--
In 1869, a class of the Wesleyan denomination was
organized at a log cabin on the farm of John JESSUP, under the ministrations
of Rev. Jesse W. HIATT. In 1871, they erected a church, at a cost of
$1,200. Rev. H. C. WEST succeeded Mr. HIATT as Pastor, and remained
about 2 years. Rev. John FALL was his successor, and he was followed by
Rev. Eber TETER. Mr. TETER was, in turn, succeeded by Rev. William
TALBERT, who was the pastor in 1880.
LOCAL INDUSTRIES in Adams Township
Flouring Mills.--
About the year 1867, Robert DRAKE erected a saw-mill
at Boxley, and subsequently added a grist-mill. The latter was a
two-story frame building, and had two runs of buhrs (in 1880).
Mr. DRAKE operated the mill for several years, then
sold it to Riley WILSON, by whom it was sold to HINKLE & HARPER, several
years later. In 1878, Henry KERNS purchased the interest of Mr. HINKLE,
and the firm became HARPER & KERNS. On the 14th day of February,
1879, Mr. KERNS met a violent death. While endeavoring to adjust a belt
in the mill, he was caught in the machinery, and so badly mangled that he
died on the evening of that day.
The mill was still owned by Mr. HARPER and the heirs
of Mr. KERNS, in 1880, and rented by SMITH and RYKER, by whom it was then
operated. During the ownership of HARPER & HINKLE, the saw-mill
machinery was removed, and replaced by a set of heading machinery. The
latter was operated until the winter of 1879, when it was also removed.
Sheridan
Mills.--
In 1866, Egbert HIGBEE erected the flouring-mill at Sheridan, and the building
remained unoccupied for two years. In 1868, Mr. HIGBEE associated with
him as partners, Cyrus JESSUP, Eliel JESSUP and J. O. PEARSON. The
machinery was then put in, and the mill was operated by the firm of HIGBEE,
JESSIP & Co. About eight months later, Cyrus and Eliel JESSUP sold
to J. P. PEARSON, and the firm became HIGBEE, PEARSON & Son. About
a year later, Anthony BAKER purchased the interest of Mr. HIGBEE, and the
mill was operated for a time by PEARSON & BAKER. Mr. BAKER subsequently
sold his interest to J. O. PEARSON, and the mill was then operated by PEARSON
& Son.
When HIGBEE, JESSUP & Co. adjusted the machinery
for the grist-mill, they erected a shed, back of the main building, in which
they placed a large circular-saw, and combined the flouring and saw mill
industries. In 1872, another frame building was attached, and supplied
with the machinery for a planing-mill. W. E. DUNCAN was a member of the
firm at that time, but only interested in the planing-mill. He sold his
interest to J. O. PEARSON in 1877.
The flouiring-mill, in 1880, was a two-story, frame
building, 28x36 feet, and had two runs of buhrs. It was conducted as a
custom-mill, and the flour sold in sacks in the home market.
The planing-mill was 40x80 feet (in 1880), and
contained one planer, one edging-saw, one resawing machine and
attachments. In the saw-mill the average amount of timber sawed per day
was 3,000 feet, and the average number of men employed was 6, in the year
1880.
Saw-Mill (Sheridan).--
In 1879, the firm of OWEN & Brother erected the
present building at the west end of Sheridan.
It was a frame building, 20x80 feet, containing one double circular saw,
boiler and engine, one edging-saw, one cut-off saw and one heading-saw.
They sawed an average of 3,000 feet of timber per day, and from 5,000 to
8,000 pieces of heading, in 1880.
Cheese Factory.--
The Adams Township Cheese Manufacturing Company
erected their establishment, one and a half miles south of Boxley, in the
spring of 1879. It was a two-story frame building, thirty-one feet
square, and contained one boiler and engine, one 600-gallon Barclay patent
vat and six presses, with a manufacturing capacity of 500 pounds of cheese
per day. They made a full-cream cheese, by the Cheddar process; the
mild was not skimmed, the whey was removed, and the curd thoroughly cooked at
a temperature of 98° Fahrenheit. In 1880, this was the only enterprise
of its kind in the county, and the proprietors had a good demand for thier products
in the home market.
THE TOWN of BOXLEY
In 1836, Addison BOXLEY founded this town, by
dividing a portion of his property into town lots and selling the same.
It was originally known as Boxleytown, but in later years the name was
abbreviated, and it became known more familiarly as Boxley. Here the
first store in the township was kept, by Addison and Thomas P. Boxley.
Here, too, the first post office was established, and Dr. Thomas P. Boxley
served as Postmaster for a number of years. Here, in 1837, the first
township election was held, resulting in the choice of Reuben TANSEY as
Justice of the Peace. Within a few miles of this town, Vinton SPENCER,
the first white native of the township, was born in 1830, and, in 1833, the
first marriage was said to have been celebrated, the contracting parties
being Stephen BLEVENS and Miss Elsie McKINZIE. It was a prominent point
in the days of overland emigration, being on the direct route from Strawtown
to the Wabash. Addison BOXLEY kept the
first tavern here, and received a liberal patronage from the emigrants and
drovers over this route. The following-named firms constituted the
representative business houses of the town in 1880: General
merchandise: T. P. BOXLEY, Smith & Rodeman, J. M. RICHARDSON; physicians:
Dr. T. J. McMURTRY and Dr. J. C. NEWBY; wagon-maker: George PALMER;
blacksmiths: J. R. OGLE and Steffey Bros.
MILLWOOD / SHERIDAN
In 1860, Egbert HIGBEE laid off a town on the
south side of the pike running east and west, to which he gave the name of
Millwood. Upon application for a post office at this point, several
years later, it was found that there would necessarily be a difference
between the name of the former and that of the latter, as there was already a
Millwood post office in the State. On the north side of the pike,
Caswell BOXLEY laid out an addition to the town, and, to harmonize the
respective names of the town and post office, both were united under the name
of Sheridan.
The first business house in Sheridan was the harness-shop of P. G.
PEARSON, opened in 1866; and the first stock of merchandise was sold by Dr.
H. MOORE, in the building later occupied by H. J. Thistlethwaite.
Business Directory of 1880.--
General
merchandise: Thistlewaite & Bros., H. J. Thistlethwaite, Hamilton
EMMONS;
Drugs: P. B. STOUT,
David FOIGHT;
Clocks: P. G.
PEARSON;
Physicians: Dr.
H. E. DAVENPORT, Dr. J. W. FANCER, Dr. H. MOORE;
Shoemaker: J. Y.
GREEN;
Milliners: Mrs.
W. CLEMANS, Mrs. M. EMMONS;
Undertakers:
Mace & Sackman;
Saddle and harness
maker: Julius PEARSON;
Wagon-makers,
blacksmiths and painters, Wainscott, Mann & Cropper.
|
|
CLAY TOWNSHIP
The following has been abstracted primarily from the source: History of
Hamilton County, Indiana, with Illustrations and
Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, to Which are
Appended Maps of its Several Townships. Chicago : Kingman Brothers, 1880.
Select a topic from the list below, or scroll down to read the entire
historical sketch.
Clay Township is located in the southwest corner of Hamilton County. It is bounded to the
north by Washington Township; to the east by Delaware
Township (both in Hamilton County);
while Marion County
is to the south, and Boone
County to the
west.
Clay Township was established by the Board of
Commissioners in November, 1833, with the following boundaries:
"Beginning at the west line of Hamilton County, on the northwest corner
of Section 19, Township 18 north, Range 3 east; eat on the section line to
the line dividing Ranges 3 and 4, thence south with said line to the south
line of hte county; thence west to the southwest corner of the county; thence
north to the place of beginning; said township to be known by the name of
Clay Township."
The First Non-native Settler - Other Early Settlers of Clay Township
-
Early Births - First Death and Cemetery - Early Mills - Other Early Events -
An early Incident: Lost in the Woods
- Early Schools - Early Churches -
THE FIRST NON-NATIVE
SETTLER
In the year 1824, Francis McSHANE, then a farmer
in Harrison County, Ky., started on horseback, in company with
a friend, Mr. ANDERSON, both of whom were determined upon a removal to the
West. After their arrival at Brookville, we hear nothing more of Mr.
ANDERSON. Here was located the land office, and on the occasion of this
visit, Mr. McSHANE entered two tracts of land--the east half of the northeast
quarter, of Section 12, in Township 17 north, Range 3 east, and the west half
of the northwest quarter of Section 7, Township 17 north, Range 4 east.
Having made this purchase, he returned to Kentucky, where he remained a year.
In December, 1825, he started with his family to locate with them on the
newly purchased land. He left them in the adjoining county of Marion,
while he came to the land and constructed a cabin from the timber by which he
was surrounded.
This completed, the family were soon settled with as
much of comfort as the circumstances permitted. His family at that time
consisted of himself, wife, and two sons, Edward and James G. Early Hamilton County marriages report that Edward
McSHANE married to Anna WAY,
on 30 December 1849; and James G. McSHANE married to Martha Jane SILVEY, on 28
November 1840. Edward had reportedly died by 1880, while James G.
McSHANE remained the owner of the old homestead. In June, 1826, a
daughter, Sarah L., was born to Mr. McSHANE and his wife. She was the
first white child born in Clay
Township. She was
said to be residing at Indianapolis
in 1880.
The struggle with the wilderness was inaugurated by
the father, and all through the winter of that year his time was occupied in
the labor of felling timber and preparing the ground for cultivation.
He was almost alone in his undertaking, there being at that time no other
white settlers within the limits of the township. An Indian by the name
of Ketchum had adopted the white man's mod of living, and had cleared a
portion of the farm subsequently entered for him by Benjamin
MENDENHALL. The date of his settlement is not known, but it is thought
that he began clearing his land not later than the year 1824. There
were then several white families living in Delaware Township,
but Mr. McSHANE was the Indian's first white neighbor in Clay. The
latter spent seventeen years in the improvement of his farm, and at the end
of that time, his life-work closed in death. He was taken to the Farley Cemetery,
in Delaware Township, where his remains
rest.
OTHER EARLY SETTLERS of Clay Township
Franklin HALL came toward the close of the year
1825, and settled on a tract of land from which he subsequently developed a
fine farm. James GRAY came early in 1826, and entered a tract of land
situated partially in this county and partially in Marion County.
His first cabin was located on the Hamilton
County side, but within a few years
he erected a brick house in Marion
County, where he
afterward made his home. Robert BARNHILL and Benjamin C. McDUFFEE came
in 1827, and each entered land in the autumn of the following year: Mr.
BARNHILL the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 10, and Mr.
McDUFFEE the entire southwest quarter of the same section. Darius POWER
and DAniel WARREN came in 1829, and both entered land, which they improved
and cultivated for years afterward. In 1830, Samuel MORROW, Robert
MORROW, John CRUSE, Barnaby NEWBY, John HARDEN, Isaac RICH, Stephen HIATT and
William DAVIS, settled in various locations within Clay township. Henry
CRUSE and Samuel P. SEELY came about the close of the same year, and entered
land the following year. By this time there was what was known as a
"good settlement," or men enough to make a full party at
house-raisings, log-rollings, or other gatherings in which the leading
feature was the labor of the residents who contributed to assist one of their
neighbors in the improvement of his home. New settlers continued to
arrive each year, until all the land int he township had been entered.
The settlers between this date and 1836 were as follows:
In 1832: John PIERCE, Elias HARVEY, Abraham, Jacob and
William JESSUP, William HAWKINS, Jacob COOK, Stephen HINSHAW, Jonas HOOVER,
Eli JOHNSON, David SMITH, Micajah ELSTON, Robert ELLIS, James SANDERS, John
ESSEX, Clayton COOK, Joshua WRIGHT, Owen WILLIAMS, Nathaniel WEBBER, Henry
DAVIS, Daniel SMITH and Absalom HAROLD.
In 1833: Wyatt DALTON, Samuel REESE, Stephen
MACEY, James TANNER, James DAVIS, James NUTT, Robert LEEPER, Thomas HARVEY,
John SMITH, Rezin DEBRULER, Richard POWER, Thomas TODD, James HAMER and
William WALDON.
In 1834: James BECK, Jacob PHILLIPS, Richard
NORRIS, George S. LYON and Peter RUARK.
In 1835: Isaac SHARPE, George WEST, Reason D.
LYON, Abraham RANDLES, David METSKER, Henderson BRAGG and Jesse ESSEX.
In 1836: Thomas HOAGLAND, Josiah SENIOR, John
SENIOR and John DAUBENSPECK.
EARLY BIRTHS in Clay Township
Among the children born in this township at an
early day, Sarah L. McSHANE was the first. A child was born to the family
of Daniel WARREN in 1830, and Samuel, son of John HARDEN, was born in
1831. The latter was reportedly a resident of Madison County, Indiana
in 1880.
THE FIRST REPORTED DEATH in Clay Township
In 1830, the first reported death in the township
occurred. The victim was a daughter of James GRAY, who was taken to the
Whitinger Cemetery,
in Marion County, for interment. There
were then no cemeteries in Clay
Township, and many of
her pioneer citizens sleep in graves more or less remote from the scene of
their labors. The Farley Cemetery, in western Delaware
Township (see
map), and the Whitinger Cemetery, in the northern part of Marion County,
were the usual burial places until 1838. Evidence suggests that the
name Whitinger Cemetery
referred to a cemetery located on land purchased by Jacob WHITINGER, in
section 15, Township 17 N, Range 3 E (Washington
Township), Marion County.
In that year, a cemetery was laid out on the farm of Isaac SHARPE, near the
site of Pleasant
Grove Church
(see
map). The first interment in this cemetery was the daughter of
James HAMER.
EARLY MILLS in Clay Township
The first mill in the township was a saw-mill,
erected some time during the year 1836. It was the property of John
HARDEN, and was located on the bank of Williams Creek,
from which stream it received its motive power. It was operated by an
old-fashioned water-wheel, and furnished the lumber for some of the first
frame houses in this and adjoining settlements. Near the same time,
certainly not later than the year 1837, John Smith erected a saw-mill on
Section 10. It also received its propelling power from Williams Creek, and contained a sash saw of
primitive style. It was a custom mill, and was only operated when some
of the neighbors had lumber to saw. Its trade extended into Boone County. Both of the above mills
were run for a number of years, until they outlived their usefulness and were
abandoned. Grist-mills were not among the early institutions of the
township. There were mills in the north of Marion
County, and in the adjoining township of Delaware, prior to the year 1836, all
easily accessible from this settlement. The first flouring mill was
that of the Carey Brothers, erected in 1865, on the land of J. G. McSHANE.
OTHER EARLY EVENTS in Clay Township
The first frame house was erected about the year
1833, by Jacob COOK. The lumber for this house was sawed by Benjamin
MENDENHALL, at his mill in Delaware
Township. About a
year later, Zimri COOK erected a frame house on his farm.
The first brick-kiln was burned by James GRAY in
1835. He did not, however, make this a speculative enterprise; the
brick were manufactured for the purpose of erecting a house on his farm, and
the kiln was probably destroyed as soon as its purpose had been
consummated.
The first road was surveyed through the township
about the year 1829 or 1830. It was known as the Indianapolis and Peru State Road. Like many roads
at that period, its name was the chief end of its identity, for no effort was
made by the authorities to improve it after it was surveyed; and for years
afterward all that distinguished the "Indianapolis and Peru State
Road" from the wilderness through which it passed, was the three notches
cut in the trees along its course. It was a bad road at all times, and
during the wet seasons of the year, was absolutely impassable in certain
localities. Shortly after the organization of the township, it was
divided into districts, and a thorough system of roads opened, until finally
there was a public highway on nearly every section.
The first store was opened in 1834 or 1835.
The proprietor was Joseph BOGGS, formerly of Shelbyville, Indiana,
and the store was kept in one room of the residence of Richard POWER.
Mr. BOGGS subsequently removed his store to the town of Carmel, Indiana, where he was identified
with the early mercantile interests of the town.
AN INCIDENT of the EARLY DAYS
in Clay Township
There is nothing terrible in the words "lost in
the woods," as applied to this locality at this time; but, half in the
1820s, such an accident was fraught with dangers which could scarcely be
escaped by an unprotected person, as the woods were infested with bears and
wolves, as well as venomous reptiles. So, when, one morning in the fall
of 1827, the news west out through the settlemtn that Mrs. Margaret GRAY had
wandered into the woods and had failed to find her way home, every one who
heard it was struck with consternation, and, abandoning work, joined in the
search which soon became general. She had already passed one night in
the forest, before the news of her absence was spread through the
settlement. On the preceding evening, she started out in search of a
missing pig, her only guide thorugh the forest being a narrow cow-path.
Failing to find the pig, she endeavored to retrace her steps, but only to be
convinced of the utter futility of such effort.
Nigh was coming on rapidly, and the alarmed husband,
accompanied by a few of his nearest neighbors, began scouring the woods in
all directions. During the progress of the search, bear tracks were
discovered by one of the party. This added to the horror of the
situation, and they were constantly in dread of coming suddenly upon her
mangled remains; but, about sundown of the second day, she was discovered by
Col. Daniel HEATON--a pioneer of Delaware
Township, and a
thorough woodsman--and was placed upon his horse and taken to his house,
where she remained until the following morning. A great load of
suspense and anguish was lifted from the hearts at home when the Colonel rode
up to the door with the old lady by his side, alive and well, and the signal
was immediately given to the party in the woods, who hastened to join the
scene of general rejoicing and hearty congratulations. Mrs. GRAY was
the grandmother of James G. McSHANE, of this township, and Joseph GRAY, Esq.,
of Noblesville, and was eighty years of age at the time of this
occurence. She died at the age of eighty-four years.
EARLY SCHOOLS in Clay Township
There were few children of school age in the
township prior to 1835, and, in the labor which occupied the time of all
alike in those early days, there was little time to devote to
education. The first school was taught in the winter of 1834-35, in a
cabin which stood on the farm of Isaac SHARPE, opposite the site of Pleasant Grove Church.
In 1837 or 1838, a building was erected on the farm of
James HAMER, in which a school was taught during the winter of that
year. This was the first building erected especially for school
purposes. It was the usual style of log architecture, and both schools
were supported by subscription, as were all the schools of the township, for
a number of years later. The provisions of the school law of 1851-52
were adopted as soon as practicable after the passage of that law, and an
excellent system of free schools was established. By 1880, there were
seven school districts in the township, each supplied with a comfortable
house, for the education of all who would accept the proffered boon.
EARLY CHURCHES in Clay Township
Methodist Episcopal.--
During the early days fo the settlement, the
Methodists held regular meetings at private houses, but without
organization. The earliest preaching was at the houses of Darius POWER,
Samuel P. SEELEY and Isaac SHARPE, and the ministers were Rev. Hezekiah
SMITH, Rev. WELSH and Rev. Asa BECK. At that time the congregation
comprised all the religious people of the settlement, irrespective of
denominational preferences. About the year 1833, a class was organied
at the house of Isaac SHARPE, and, within a year after organization, a
hewed-log church was erected on land donated by Mr. SHARPE for that
purpose. It was known by the title of "Sharpe's Meeting-House,"
and was occupied until 1854 or 1855. In that year, the congregation had
so increased that the log building was scarcely large enough to accommodate
them comfortable, and a new frame edifice, "Pleasanat Grove
Church," was
erected in its place. Rev. Michael JOHNSON was Pastor, and Rev.
Franklin HARDEN, assistant, at the time the building was erected. Among
other pastors who served at various times after its organization were the
following: Rev. Hezekiah SMITH, Rev. Asa BECK, Rev.WELSH, Rev. Miles HUFFAKER,
Rev. Aaron WOOD, Rev. Jonas BELOTE, Rev. STRITE, Rev. MYERS, Rev. Thomas
BARTLETT, Rev. H. H. BADLEY, Rev. CALVERT, Rev. W. S. ANDERSON, Rev. John M.
MANNY, Rev. HOPKINS, Rev. Thomas COLCLAZER, Rev. N. GILLAM, Rev. KITCHEN,
Rev. E. RAMMEL, Rev. John McCARTY, Rev. George BOWERS, Rev.Silas PIPER, Rev.
F. A. FISH, Rev. John SNAY, Rev. LAMB, Rev. BROWN, Rev. HARRISON, Rev. BLACK,
Rev. George HAVENS, Rev. ODEN, Rev. PECK, Rev. BLAKE, Re. D. D. POWELL, Rev.
T. H. C. BEALL and Rev. I. N. RHODES. Rev. R. B. POWELL was the pastor
in 1880.
Poplar Grove Church.--
About the year 1836, a class was organized in the
southwestern part of the township, and met at the houses of Nathan WILSON and
other members, for a year or more. A lot was donated to the society by
Elijah PATTERSON, and upon this a hewed-log church was soon afterward
built. Early in 1856, Nathan WILSON donated a lot half a mile east of
the log church, upon which a new house of worship was erected in the summer
of that year. This church was under the pastoral care of Rev. R. B.
POWELL in 1880.
Mount
Zion Baptist Church.--
The Baptists formed an organization at an early day,
but had no established house of worship. The homes of members of the
congregation and the district schoolhouse were the places in which the
services of their church were conducted until 1867. In that year, John
WILLIAMS donated to the society a lot off the southwest corner of his farm,
upon which they erected a frame house of worship in the same year.
Meetings were continued regularly until the summer of 1877, after which time,
the society was without a regular pastor. By 1880, the building was
occupied at intervals by the Methodists and Friends.
DELAWARE
TOWNSHIP
The following has been abstracted primarily from the source: History of
Hamilton County, Indiana, with Illustrations and
Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, to Which are
Appended Maps of its Several Townships. Chicago : Kingman Brothers, 1880.
Select a topic from the list below, or scroll down to read the entire
historical sketch.
The Original Township - First Settlers - Other Early Settlers of Delaware
Township -
Early Roads - Early Schools - Early Churches - Local Industries -
Town of Boxley - Millwood
/ Sheridan -
THE ORIGINAL TOWNSHIP of DELAWARE
In the year 1822, Hamilton
County was formed, and owing to the
lack of facilities at the present county seat (Noblesville), the first session
of the Board of Commissioners (or Justices) was held at the house of William
CONNER, in Delaware
Township. This
was the place designated by an act of the General Assembly of Indiana,
approved January 8, 1823, for holding the Circuit and all other courts of Hamilton County, until a court house more
suitable could be procured. The first session of the board was held on
Monday, May 12, 1823, and one of the first acts of this body was the
subdivision of the county into two townships--Delaware
and White River. The boundary lines of
Delaware Township were fixed as follows: "Ordered by the board,
that all that part of the county lying south of a line drawn from the most
eastwardly boundary of said county, running with the line dividing Sections
17 and 20, Township 19 north, until it strikes the most westwardly boundary,
shall be laid off, established and known by the name of Delaware
Township." At this session, it was ordered that George KIRKENDALL
and James WILLISON be appointed Overseers of the Poor for one year. In
the following August, the board appointed Edward M. DRYER and George WISE to
serve as Constables in this township. The first township officers were
elected in February, 1824, in pursuance of an order of the board to the
effect that an election he held at the house of William BUSH.
From the territory originally assigned to Delaware, the townships of Fall Creek and Clay were
organized in 1833, from the eastern and western portions of Delaware township, respectively.
When first established, the eastern boundary of Clay
Township only extended to the line
dividing Ranges 3 and 4, which bisects Carmel
running north and south. This left a portion of the town of Carmel, and the area east of the town, within Delaware Township. This was still the
case in 1880. Eventually, the portion of Delaware
Township which was located west of
the White River was assigned to Clay
Township, enlarging
that township's area to it's present dimensions. In other words,
without relocating, early Delaware Township residents whose land was situated west of
the White River, became Clay Township residents many years after the first
formation of Clay
Township.
ARRIVAL of the FIRST SETTLERS in Delaware Township,
From an historical sketch by Mr. A. F. Shirts.
The first family of non-native persons who made
permanent settlement in Hamilton
County was believed to
be the family of George SHIRTS, who settled, in 1818, on what became known as
the old William CONNER prairie farm. He moved here on pack-horses, from
Connersville, Indiana, accompanied by his wife and
children. His wife died a short time subsequent to their arrival, and
was buried by the Indians, in a burying-ground belonging to the tribe.
Her coffin was made of puncheons, fashioned by the Indians. She was the
first known white person buried in the county.
Mr. SHIRTS pre-empted the land on which he located,
feeling secure in his possession; but, shortly after the date of his
settlement, John CONNER, of Connersville, Indiana, went to Brookville and
entered 1,300 acres, including the land which Mr. SHIRTS had selected for his
home. The latter then moved to the area that later became Noblesville
Townshp.
OTHER EARLY SETTLERS in Delaware Township,
William CONNER came to the township at a very
early date, and formed matrimonial relations with a squaw of the Delaware tribe.
He opened a store about four miles south of Noblesville--his stock consisting
of the articles most in demand by his Indian neighbors. It was stated
that when the Indians came in to trade, they were paid in part for their furs
in whisky. They were required by him to pay for each article as it was
sold to them; a gallon of whisky would be measured out, and its equivalent in
fur immediately taken; then another, and so on, until the furs were all taken
up. Mr. CONNER was an enterprising citizen and a man of marked
peculiarities. He was a successful farmer as well as a successful
trader, and always had an abundance of produce in his barns. For years
afterward, his farm was the Egypt
of new settlers, who came to him to buy corn while they were waiting for
their won recently cleared fields to produce a crop. Those who came
without money were the favored ones, and received the corn, to be returned
without interest from their first crop. Those who came with the money
to pay for the corn were told to go elsewhere for it, with the remark that
"they could get corn any place for cash."
In later years, when the Indians were removed from
this locality to the West, Mr. CONNER remained in the township, but his wife
followed her tribe to their reservation. Mr. CONNER subsequently
married a white lady.
A Frenchman by the name of Bruitt was a member of
the tribe, and went with them at the time of their removal.
The Delaware
Village was located on the west side
of White River, and on the south bank of Dry
Run. There were three prairies in the vicinity where they cultivated
corn. They were well advanced in civilization, and constructed their
dwellings of logs. Their village was burned during the War of 1812, and
the charred remains of some of their houses were all that marked its site
when the first white settlers came, in 1818. It was never rebuilt, but
for many years the Indians hovered around the spot in prtable lodges. A
large spring in the neighborhood was a favorite resort, and they indulged in
frequent drunken revels at this point, after consigning their weapons to the
keeping of the squaws. After their removal, immigration was encouraged
by placing the land in market. William BUSH settled in 1819, and
cleared a farm, upon which he resided for a number of years, but finally
removed to another locality.
In the latter part of 1821, or early in 1822, Joab
BROOKS came to the township with his family, and in November, 1822, entered
the north half of the northwest quarter of Section 3, Township 17 north,
Range 4 east. George, Peter and Michael WISE settled on the southwest
quarter of the same section, in September, 1822. Silas MOFFITT came in
November, 1823, and resided for fifty years on the farm which he then
entered. Charles LACY, William WILKINSON, Benjamin MENDENHALL, John S.
HEATON, Aquilla CROSS and John DEER, all entered land in the township in
1822, and all resided on the land which they entered. A settlement
having then been fairly begun, there were others who followed soon; and by
the year 1836, there was not a section of land in the township upon which no
one had come to reside and made improvements.
Thomas BARRON came in July, 1823, and was followed,
in 1824, by Col. Daniel HEATON and Thomas MORRIS. Abraham WILLIAMS came
in October, 1825, and entered land, in section 10, upon which he still
remained in 1880, at 89 years of age. By that year, he was perhaps the
oldest living member of the pioneer community of Delaware Township.
Mr. WILLIAMS was a soldier in Capt. Throckmorton's company, Kentucky Militia,
during the War of 1812.
The next settler after Mr. WILLIAMS was James HEADY,
who came later in 1825. The following is reportedly a full list of
settlers who purchased land from 1826 until 1836:
|
George METSKER, Feb. 25, 1826;
|
Thomas WEST, May 27, 1826;
|
|
Dav[e] DAWSON,
Nov. 18, 1826;
|
Dorothy HEADY, Sept. 26, 1827;
|
|
John KINZER, Jan. 1, 1828;
|
Jacob KINZER, Jan. 1, 1828;
|
|
William SLATER, Dec. 16, 1830;
|
Alexander MILLS, Jan. 18, 1831;
|
|
Isaac BALLINGER, Aug. 30, 1831;
|
William WEST, Aug. 30, 1831;
|
|
Samuel CAREY, Nov. 26, 1831;
|
John FELPS, Nov. 26, 1831
|
|
Eli FELPS, Nov. 26, 1831;
|
James WILLIAMSON, March 12, 1832;
|
|
John GREEN, May 26, 1832;
|
Isaac JESSUP, Sept. 27, 1832;
|
|
Peter WEST, Oct. 11, 1832;
|
Joseph GREEN, Nov. 1, 1832;
|
|
Samuel HOCKETT, Feb. 2, 1833;
|
William MURPHY, March 27, 1833;
|
|
John A. SHAFER, Aug. 17, 1833;
|
Sylvanus CAREY, Oct. 3, 1833;
|
|
William FULTZ, Nov. 2, 1833;
|
Humphrey IRWIN, Dec. 6, 1833;
|
|
Ancil
BEACH, Dec. 20, 1833;
|
Conrad GRINDLE, Dec. 23, 1833;
|
|
John SCOTT, Dec., 1833;
|
David REDWINE, Dec., 1833;
|
|
Mark HEADY, July 18, 1833;
|
James HOOPER, Feb. 9, 1834;
|
|
Joseph ELLER, Aug. 12, 1834;
|
Ebenezer OSBORN, Sept. 15, 1834;
|
|
Aaron OSBORN, Sept. 15, 1834;
|
Leonard ELLER, Sept. 24, 1834;
|
|
Vincent HEADY, Nov. 22, 1834;
|
William IRWIN, Nov. 26, 1834;
|
|
Elijah BROCK, Dec. 22, 1834;
|
William ROBERTS, Dec. 23, 1834;
|
|
James FARLEY, April 29, 1835;
|
Reuben STINSON, May 21, 1835;
|
|
George KIRKENDALL, July 11, 1835;
|
Moses MILLS, Oct. 21, 1835;
|
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Alexander IRWIN, Oct. 24, 1835;
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Zebulon HARTMAN, Nov. 17, 1835;
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Matthew KIRKENDALL, Dec. 22, 1835;
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John DORRAH, Dec. 24, 1835;
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Jacob FAUSETT, Jan. 13, 1836;
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Robert HANNA, Jan. 13, 1836;
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John DEMORET, Feb. 8, 1836;
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David NEGLEY, Feb. 9, 1836;
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Charles STEPHENS, April 26, 1836;
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Ezekiel MILLS, June 30, 1836;
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Samuel FAUSETT, July 13, 1836.
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EARLY EVENTS in Delaware Township
Sidney Swift SHIRTS was reportedly the first,
white male child born in the township. The precise date of his birth is
not known, but it was thought to be in 1818 or 1819. Laura FINCH,
believed to be the first, female, white child, was born in the part of Delaware Township
which later became a portion of Noblesville
Township.
The first brick house was erected by William CONNER,
in 1923, the brick used in its construction being manufactured from clay on
his farm. The second brick house was erected by Silas MOFFITT, in 1827,
and the third by William WILKINSON, Sr., in the same year. These houses
were still well-preserved and substantial buildings in 1880. The Conner
house was by that time owned by the heirs of John D. EVANS; the Moffitt house
was then owned and occupied by S. H. MOFFITT, and the Wilkinson house was
owned and occupied by Hon. W. W. ROOKER.
THE FIRST GRIST-MILL in Delaware
Township
The nearest grist-mill was the mill of Jacob
WHITINGER, in Marion
County, and to this
point all the wheat was hauled for grinding. William CONNR was at that
time operating a rude mill on his farm, but it was only a corn-mill, and used
as an auxiliary to a small distillery which he conducted. Occasionally,
he ground corn for his neighbors; but this was done as a special
accommodation, and the extension of the favor depended altogether upon the
humor in which he happened to be when his patrons arrived.
In 1831 or 1832, William D. ROOKER erected a
grist-mill within a mile of his reidence, on Cool Creek. It received
its motive power from that stream, and all its machinery was of the ancient
type. Its capacity was limited, yet fully equal to the wants of the
settlement in which it was located. It obviated the necessity of
traveling as far as the WHITINGER Mill which had been the only one
accessible from this settlement until that time. Several years later,
Mr. ROOKER added a saw to the quota of machinery, and began to use the timber
in the area. The building of frame houses became popular about that
time, and he conducted a good lumber trade. He sold the mill to Amasa
BOND in 1839. Mr. BOND subsequently sold it to Peter WISE & Sons,
who operated it until it outlived its usefulness, and was abandoned.
The frame of the old mill was still standing in 1880.
William WILKINSON erected a saw-mill in 1839-40, on
the bank of Cool Creek. He later added two runs of buhrs, one for wheat
and one for corn. The flour ran from the stones into a box, in which it
was carried up stairs to the bolter, which was operated by hand. This
mill was only operated for a few years, as Mr. WILKINSON afterward built a
better one on the same site. The latter was a frame building, three
stories high, and was supplied with the best milling machinery. It was
purchased by James MENDENHALL in 1848, and in 1850, W. W. ROOKER purchased it
from MENDENHALL. He operated it about two years, and then sold it to
Joseph HARBAUGH. From him, it passed into the possession of Jesse JOHN,
Samuel JOHN, James EVANS, George HOUSER, Robert COX, and from Robert COX to
Mr. FRITZ who owned the mill in 1880.
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Fall Creek
Township
FALL CREEK is the southeast corner township of Hamilton
County, It was a part of the
original township
of Delaware until
1833. In November of that year, it was ordered by the Board of County
Commissioners "that there be a new township formed, with the following
boundaries to wit: "Beginning on the south line of Hamilton
County, at the southwest corner of Section 8, Township 17 north, Range 5
east; thence north to the northwest corner of Section 20, Township 18, north,
Range 5 east, thence east to the east line of Hamilton County, thence south
to the southeast corner of said county; thence west to the place of
beginning." The foregoing is the description as originally
given. It was subsequently discovered to be erroneous, and at the next
session the error was corrected, and the description altered to read as
follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of the county and running
north on the county line to the line dividing Sections 17 and 20, Township 17
north, Range 6 east; thence west to the line dividing Sections 19 and 20,
Township 18 north, Range 5 east; thence south with siad section line to the
south line of the county; thence east to the place of beginning."
The territory thus decribed embraces an area of thirth0five miles. The
township is bounded on the north by Wayne and Noblesville Townships,
o the east by Madison County, on the south by portions of Warren and Hancock
Counties, and on the west by Delaware Township.
Early Non-native
Settlers of Fall
Creek Township
The laps of time, and the absence of reliable data from which to establish
the period of non-native settlements in this township, have rendered it
impossible to state with certainty who was the first to penetrate its
wilds. As early as 1821, Francis KINCAID settled in the township and began
improvements on the land which he subsequently entered. It was
maintained by some that Mr. KINCAID was the first non-native settler of the
township. By others the honor of priority was extended to Hiram COFFEE,
who located on the bank of Fall Creek, from all accounts not later than
1821. The claim of the latter gentleman was supported by the tradition
of William McKINSTRY, who, although he did not settle until 1832, yet visited
the township in 1824, in company with two or three other gentlemen, in quest
of a Western home. He said: "We stopped at Hiram COFFEE's
house in 1824, to feed our horses and refresh ourselves. He then had
quite a large 'clearing' on his farm, and I do not think that his improvement
could have been, at that time, less than two or three years old. Mr.
COFFEE told me then how long he had been living on his land, but so many
years have passed since that time, that I have forgotten."
Toward the latter part of the year 1821, Messrs. KINCAID and COFFEE were
joined by two neighbors Samuel HALLIDAY and James McNUTT. Richard
CURRY, Abraham HELMS and Francis WHELCHEL settled in the following year, and
in 1825, each entered the several tracts of land which they cultivated for
years afterward.
Other Early Settlers of Fall Creek
Township
The families before mentioned had lived in the locality long enough to
prove by experiment that their claims were tenable, and the land was placed
at the disposal of purchasers in 1820-21. Visitors came from the East
and South, seeking homes on the fertile soil of Indiana, some of them friends
of the families already located here. Ties of friendship and kindred
settled their choice for this locality, and they joined hands with their
predecessors in settling and cultivating this township.
In the year 1826, James BROWN, Josiah HUMBLES, Thomas LACKEY and John
HEATH entered land in different parts of the township, and began improvements
at once. In 1827, John and Isaac HELMS, James MURRER, James BROWN and
Absalom SETTERS came to Fall
Creek Township,
with Lewis OGLE, Isom GARRETT and Isom CLOUD arriving in the latter part of
the same year. Jacob FAUSET entered a tract of land in the winter of
1828, and in April, 1829, came with his family to the new home. William
AMMERMAN entered land in September, 1829, and settled with his family in the
fall of 1830. Henry BEAVER, Justus SCOTT and William BROWN came in the
same year, each having entered land in 1829. Thomas ARNETT entered a
tract of land in 1823 or 1824, and leased it. The tenant occupied it
until 1829, and cleared about twelve acres. The lease was sold at
Constable's sale, and was purchased by Jacob FAUSET. Mr. ARNETT came to
live on the land in 1830, and re-imbursed Mr. FAUSET for his outlay. He
resided on this farm until a short time before the Civil War, when he removed
to Fortville, where he passed the remainder of his life. Solomon
BOWERS, Jacob LINGEL and John T. KINNAMAN entered land in 1830, and settled
on their respective tracts in 1831. William McKINSTRY came in July,
1832, and entered land, but was unable to complete his cabin until
1833. He settled on his land in that year, and became a long-time
resident of the township. John E. HELMS, Elias MORGAN< Gabriel
WRIGHT, Samuel MOON, Samuel PATTERSON, John WHELCHEL, John RAGAN, William and
Hugh DUKE, Francis ELLINGWOOD and Nathaniel BARNES settled in the year
1832. Nathaniel BARNES entered land in 1830 or 1831, and Enoch McKAY,
his son-in-law, settled on a portion of this land in the fall of 1833.
Mr. McKAY entered a tract of land in 1834, where he was still in residence in
1880. The settlers of subsequent years were as follows:
1833: Davis WHELCHELL, James LEWIS, John H.
BUTTERFIELD, Thomas ESSARY, John HUMBLES, Abraham WATERMAN, MOses WRIGHT,
Jacob ALEXANDER, David ALEXANDER, Martin WRIGHT, John VANZANT, Jeremiah
WILSON and Edmond S. WYATT.
1834: Thomas and James HILL, Thomas CLARK,
Nelson BROWN, Isaac PRATHER, Jonathan McCARTY, John MILLER, Thomas LEDNUM,
Samuel P. SETTERS, Pleasant R. HUMBLES, Michael SOUDERS, Levi SELLERS,
Baldwin PARSONS, Gardiner and Joseph GOLDSMITH.
1835: John CLOUD, Absalom HACKER, James
WEBB, Samuel PURDUM, Right WRIGHT, Charles B. WELCHEL, John OLVEY, Peter
FLANAGAN, Frederick LOWE, Christopher SETTERS, David JONES, David PRUITT,
Samuel SILVESTER, William KINNAMAN, Simon LUND, Matthew E. CLIFTON, Jonathan
PARSONS, John BROWN, Samuel BROOKS, Henry CLARK, Thomas CRICKMORE, Martin
WELDON, Jonathan LUNSFORD, William PILKENTON.
1836: Henry L. BURCHAM, George W. BARNES, James
WEESE, William BRANDON, Newell WRIGHT, NOah CARDWELL, Enos MORGAN, Richard
KINNAMAN, Thomas DUNCAN, James FELTS, Alonzo D. SHERMAN, William MARTIN.
By 1836, settlements had been made on every section of land within Fall Creek
Township, excepting the
sixteenth section, which was set apart as school property.
Early Events in Fall Creek
Township
FIRST ROAD:
The first road was surveyed along Fall Creek, from Indianapolis to Pendleton, before this
township became settled. Robert FAUSET said it was a well-defined road
when his father arrived, in 1829, and had evidently been traveled for several
years. This road followed the course of the creek, and fell into disuse
within a few years, from the fact that a more direct route was laid out
between the two points. The new road was surveyed through the extreme
southeast part of the township. The course of the old road was
materially changed in the late 1800s.
FIRST STORE: The first store was opened by James DAVIS, in
1835. It wa situated on the farm of Thomas ARNETT. There was but
little cash in circulation, and the merchant exchanged his goods for farm
produce, which he converted into more goods with which to replenish his
stock. Samuel ARNETT opened a store in the east part of the township
about the year 1837-38, and, a short time later, Wesley HELMS opened a store
near the village
of Olio.
FIRST BLACKSMITH SHOP: The first blacksmith shop was established by
Samuel HARRISON, in 1834. He carried on the trade in connection with
farming, and manufactured hoes, and sharpened plows.
FIRST HOUSES: It was stated, by Davis WHELCHEL, prior to his demise,
that the first cabins were erected, one on the south bank of Fall Creek, near
the mouth of Thorpe's Creek, on the Isaac HELMS farm; the other on what
became known as the John Z. PATTERSON farm, where the Greenfield and Noblesville Pike crossed
Fall Creek.
The first frame house was erected by Thomas ARNETT in 1833. In the
preceding year, he erected a frame barn. His house was a superior
structure in comparison with the homes of his neighbors, but soon they began
to follow his example, and similar buildings were erected in various portions
of the township.
Mr. ARNETT also introduced an improved breed of swine when he settled in
the township. The swine most common in those days were known as
"long-nozed grazers" or "elm peelers" Those
introduced by Mr. ARNETT were similar ot the Poland-China stock.
FIRST MILL: The first mill was built on Fall Creek, by David
JONES< in 1834. It was a frame building, and was supplied with the best
mill machinery in use at that day. It was operated for a number of
years, and, after passing through the hands of various owners, finally went
to decay and was abandoned. It was located about fifty years from the
site of the mill owned by I. B. LUTES in 1880. Several years later, Mr.
JONES erected a mill farther up the creek, superior, in some respects, to the
JONES mill. In later years, Sherwin JONES built an addition, larger
than the original mill. The property passed through the hands of
various parties to a Mrs. SPERRY who owned it in 1880. At that time, it
was operated by I. B. LUTES, by whom it was rented in 1879. It was a
first-class, custom-mill, with a Leffel turbine wheel, and two runs of buhrs;
known as the "Pleasant Valley Mill."
FIRST DISTILLERY: The first distillery was erected by HARTMAN &
RICE, about 1840. It was sold by them to Thomas JENKINS, who operated
it successfully for several years. His son fell into the still and was
so badly scalded that he died, and the father sold the distillery a short
time after.
FIRST BRIDGE: The first bridge over
Fall Creek was constructed, in 1836, by Jacob LINGEL, John BROWN, Samuel
BROOKS and Robert FAUSET. It spanned the creek a few rods north of the
line dividing Hamilton and Marion Counties,
and was in use until 1847, when it was washed away by a freshet.
FIRST CARDING-MILL: The first carding-mill was established by John
DORAN, in 1841, near the site of the JONES mill. He carded wool, but
manufactured no goods.
FIRST THRESHING MACHINE: The first threshing machine was owned and
operated by Benjamin MURRER, in 1841. It was one of that class known as
"chaff-pilers," and merely threshed the wheat from the straw, after
which it was necessary to run it through a fanning-machine. Though it
was inferior to the fine machinery of later date, it was a great improvement
on the methods previously in vogue, of threshing by hand.
Crops, in those days, were raised as a means of sustaining life, and not
as an article of sale. There were no markets for several years after
the settlement of the township began. For the first year or two the
pioneer raised his subsistence from a small piece of cleared ground,
generally about ten or twelve acres, while engaged in clearing the remainder
of the farm. Often the farmer was not able to raise more than enough
for the immediate requirements of the family; but the bottom lands of Fall
Creek were very rich, and yielded large crops; and thus the earlier settlers
of this township frequently had corn and wheat to sell to their new
neighbors. Often, too, it was the custom for those who came with a
scanty supply of money, to borrow corn from their older neighbors, returning
bushel for bushel from their first crop. Few thought of asking for
interest on what they had loaned, and, if the borrower raised but a light
crop, the return of the even number of bushels was not expected, and the debt
was permitted to stand until the next season. Mutual assistance was the
rul, and mutual good-will the result.
FIRST ELECTION: The first election was held at a cabin on the farm
of Francis WHELCHEL, in 1833 or 1834. Francis KINCAID was chosen
Justice of the Peace. The voters--about twenty-five in number--remained
to learn the result of the election, and employed the day in leaping and
other athletic sports.
FIRST KNOWN NON-NATIVE CHILD: The first known, non-native child born
in Fall Creek Township
was said to be Matilda, Daughter of Hiram COFFEE. Matilda removed to
the State of Wisconsin
in later years, where she was reported to be still living in 1880.
FIRST DEATH: At an early day, two brothers, James and Collins
THORPE, settled in Fall
Creek Township,
and in a short time the wife of one of the brothers fell ill and died.
They placed the body in a canoe, and, rowing to the opposite bank of FAll
Creek, made a grave in the gravel-bank, just east of the mouth of Thorpe's
Creek. Cutting a slab from some of the timber around them, they covered
the top of the canoe with it, and in this rude coffin they consigned her remains
to the grave. Within a short time after her death, both brothers took
their families and removed from the township, probably returning to their
former home.
The first corpse interred in the KINNAMAN Cemetery
was that of Mary MOON, a girl then four or five years of age. She died
in 1836 or 1837. This cemetery contained one acre, and was set apart by
John T. KINNAMAN as a place of burial at an early date. It later became
one of the largest cemeteries in the township. The second interment was
that of the donor, J. T. KINNAMAN, in 1843.
The BUTTERFIELD Cemetery, the RAGER
Cemetery, and the ARNETT Cemetery,
were each set apart in early days, by the gentlemen whose names they
bore. The first interment in the HELMS Cemetery
was that of John F. HELMS, who died in 1857.
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JACKSON TOWNSHIP
The following has been primarily abstracted from the source: History of
Hamilton County, Indiana, with Illustrations and
Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, to Which are
Appended Maps of its Several Townships. Chicago : Kingman Brothers, 1880.
Select a topic from the list below, or scroll down to read the entire
historical sketch.
Jackson Township was set apart as a separate
township in November, 1833, at which time the county was divided into nine
townships, by order of the Board of County Commissioners. It is the
central township of the northern tier of Hamilton County.
Tipton County
bounds it on the north, White River Township on the east, Noblesville and Washington Townships
on the south, and Adams
Township on the
west. The surface is generally flat, but is well drained by Big and
Little Cicero, Hinkle's and Taylor's
Creeks. The soil is a rich, black loam, with a substratum of clay, and
produces abundantly of the crops common to this climate.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Who was the first non-native settler of Jackson Township?
This has always been a mooted question. The oldest living settlers say
that the honor is due to one of three men, viz., Henry JONES, William TAYLOR,
or Mr. BLANCHE, father of Col. BLANCHE, of Kokomo, Indiana,
who came to the area as early as the year 1828. Henry JONES settled
three miles west of Cicero,
on the La Fayette road, and erected a large log cabin, which he soon after
converted into a tavern. As early as the year 1830-31, the La Fayette
road was extensively traveled by cattle-drovers en route for Cincinnati with live-stock. It was
also the popular route for emigrant trains, being the most direct line from
Strawtown to La Fayette and the Wild Cat Prairie; and from both classes Mr.
JONES derived a liberal patronage. Even at an earlier date than this,
the Strawtown and La Fayette road (or "trace") was extensively
traveled by emigrants, who found the nearest tavern, west of Strawtown, at
the farm of George BOXLEY. Mr. JONES kept tavern at his farm for a
number of years, but subsequently sold out and removed to California.
William TAYLOR settled four and a half miles west of Cicero, and cleared a farm on the La
Fayette road, where he passed the remainder of his life.
Mr. BLANCHE settled on the bank of Cicero Creek, immediately west of the
present town of Cicero,
but subsequently removed to Howard County, Indiana.
In 1831, Elijah REDMAN, Dennis PICKERILL and James B. FREEL settled
within the present limits of Cicero,
and Abel GIBSON settled on Section 6. Isaac and Henry JONES came in 1832
or 1833, and Jesse EVANS and Jefferson N. REDMAN came early in 1832 or
late in 1831. Each entered land in 1832, on Section 35.
David M. ANTHONY, Joseph HADLEY, William PICKETT and Jesse BEALS settled
near Deming, in 1833. Later that year, the following-named
gentlemen settled in the township, and enterd lands in various
localities: Hancil BARTHOLOMEW, Peter LAWRENCE, Jacob HADLEY, William
RAMSEY, Levi COOK, Elihu PICKETT, James FISHER, Jacob CRULL, Joseph MOON,
John COUNTRYMAN, Daniel LANE,
Samuel I. PICKERILL, Squire TUCKER and John HATFIELD. After this date,
new arrivals were of frequent occurrence, and we are enabled, from the record
of the tract book of the county, to give a presumed complete list of names.
In the year 1834, land was entered in various portions of the
township by the following persons:
Sandford SPARKS, Zeno HADLEY, John B. HADLEY, Eli HADLEY, Adoniah PICKETT, John
MULLIN, Robert BEVERLIN, Jehu BEESON, Henry E. SOWERS, William GARRETT,
Isaiah PICKETT, Absalom SUMNER, Wilson Barber, John MOORE, Henry CRULL, John
MILLER, Jesse GOUGH, MOses MARTZ, William HANGER, Hiram STEEL, John SLACK,
Thomas J. HARBAUGH, Isaac TAYLOR, James GRISSOM and James HARSHMAN.
In 1835, the following persons entered land: Asa S. SHAUL, Jesse
KELLUM, John BAILEY, Jonathan ARNOLD, Levi WHEATLEY, Michael SHIEL, Enoch
WARMAN, Philip RHODES, Thomas PARKER, John DOAN, Furrey MOSS, Aaron COOK,
James M. THOMPSON, William CARSON, George KLAEPFER, Samuel KLAEPFER, Peter
MILLER, Jacob BREWER, Jacob REAM, Isaac MARTZ, Reuben KINDER, Peter KINDER,
Garrett CRUZAN, Mead FITZPATRICK, John FITZPATRICK, John HARRINGTON, Isaac
NEWBY and Josiah CONKLIN.
In 1835, Micajah WALDON, a colored freeman of North Carolina, came
to the township and purchased a tract of land. Soon he was followed by
others of his own race, viz.: Dolphin and Stephen ROBERTS, Henry
WILSON, Elias, Jonathan and Hansel ROBERTS, who came in the same year;
Guilford BROOKS and Bryant WALDON, who came in 1836, and Harry WINBURN, and
Jameson WHITE, who came in 1838 and 1839, respectively. In 1841, they
erected a church of the Methodist Episcopal denomination, on land donated for
the purpose by Elias ROBERTS. It was used as a church and schoolhouse,
and services were conducted by ministers of the Westfield Circuit.
About 1861, a new church was erected on the same lot, and at a later date the
congregation united with the Wesleyans, by which denomination the church was
controlled in 1880; Rev. TALBERT being the pastor at that time. They
assisted in the maintenance of the subscription school of those days, and
their children enjoyed the benefits. They proved themselves sturdy
pioneers and skillful farmers, and kept pace with their white neighbors in
the march of improvement.
In 1836, land was entered by the following persons: Ellis EVANS,
Alfred REDMAN, Joseph SANDERS, George HAWORTH, Roland BURRIS, Noah B. VICK,
Nicholas ZELT, Thomas MOORE, William HUNTER, Herman JONES, John STINSON,
Alexander JONES, Zale RODERICK, John LITTLE, Revel KINGSBURY, Benjamin
CLIFFORD and Isaac CLIFFORD.
Isaac and Moses MARTZ first came to occupy their respective farms in
September, 1838. The land which they entered is situated in what is now
the suburbs of Aracadia, where both still resided in 1880.
Henry WILLITS came in the spring of 1837, and purchased a portion
of the land entered by Elihu PICKETT. He had, however, lived two years
in the town of Deming
before he purchased this land. In 1837, he erected a tannery at
Deming--the first in the township--and operated it about fifteen years.
In 1880, he still resided on the farm which he purchased in 1839,
south of Deming.
In 1839, William NEAL settled at Cicero, where he still resided in
1880. About the same time (or perhaps in the year 1838), settlements
were made by Michael WINDERS, Henry GASCHO, John BUSCHER, Christian KAUFFMAN,
Joseph WALTZ, George S. JACOBS and Jacob O. BARTHOLOMEW.
EARLY ROADS
In the early days of emigration the most direct line between two stations
was the object sought by the emigrant, and Strawtown was, perhaps, the most
noted point on the line usually traveled by emigrant trains. Here they
could find the provisions to replenish their supply and last until they could
reach the settlements on Wild Cat Prairie, in Tippecanoe County.
The most direct route between Strawtown and the latter point was indicated by
an Indian "trace," which in time became a well-defined road, from
the frequency with which it was traveled, but its course was rambling and
irregular, as the driver would often be compelled to make a circuit in order
to avoid a mudhole. About the year 1830, this road was surveyed by
order of the State, and was afterward known as the Newcastle and La Fayette State road.
About the same time, a road was surveyed at the expense of the State, on the
line dividing Townships 19 and 20 north, and running west to Thorntown.
It was known as the Cicero and Thorntown State road. The Indianapolis
and Peru State road was surveyed about a year
later. It traverses the eastern portion of the township from north to
south. In the course of time, these all became good roads, or at least
good enough to admit of travel without danger to the occupants of vehicles
who traversed the routes. They placed Cicero in communication with the outside
world and played no inconsiderable part in establishing the early prosperity
of the town, for a location on the great public highways of that period was
scarcely less beneficial to a town than a location on one of the railroads of
later times.
Between the several neighborhoods of the township, roads were cut out
through the woods to serve in facilitating communication between the
neighbors. Subsequent surveys changed the course of some of these
roads; some, however, remained nearly as at first located.
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P.O. 103 - Westfield, IN 46074
Phone: (317) 896-1943
E-mail: saet68a@prodigy.com
Web: www.wwhs.us
