Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana, Part 1

Author:
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago : Chicago Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 608


USA > Indiana > Washington County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Harrison County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Crawford County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Clark County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Scott County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Floyd County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Jennings County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Jefferson County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63



Go 377.2


1354570


J 7


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00827 1873


BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL SOUVENIR


FOR THE COUNTIES OF


CLARK, CRAWFORD, HARRISON, FLOYD, JEFFERSON, JENNINGS,


SCOTT AND WASHINGTON.


INDIANA.


ILLUSTRATED.


COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY


JOHN M. GRESHAM & COMPANY,


CHICAGO, CHICAGO PRINTING COMPANY, I SS9.


PREFACE.


1334570


NTIL quite recently, but little attention has been given to the preservation of biography except in so far as it pertained to the preferred classes - persons who had been prom- inent in governmental affairs, or distinguished in their profession or calling, or in some way made conspicuous before the public, requiring that more than usual should be known of the individual. Within the past decade, however, there has been a growing demand for the preservation of not only biography but for family genealogy, not altogether for its immediate worth, but for its future value and a laudable pride in its perpetuation for coming generations. The expediency of placing in book form biographical history and genealogy of the representative public is beyond question, and not many years shall have elapsed before the person who has not taken some steps to preserve his family record will be considered as not worth the effort.


That the representative public are entitled to the privileges afforded by a work of this kind needs no assertion at our hands, for one of our greatest Americans has said that the history of any country resolves itself into the biographies of its stout, earnest, progressive and representa- tive citizens. This medium then serves more than a single purpose: while it preserves biography and family genealogy it records history that would not be preserved in any other way. This will, perhaps, be illustrated most strikingly by references in these sketches to the period of the war of the rebellion.


Of the necessity of preserving family records in permanent form, one needs the experience of a collector of material for work of this character. for in a majority of cases nearly all trace of ancestry is lost back of the grandfather and grandmother - even in families where prominence aud intelligence would seem to guarantee better things.


In many other instances the material composing the sketches .in this volume has been gathered from those immediately interested, and then submitted through the mails in type written form for correction and revision.


The historical portion of the volume is all that was promised, and contains many of the most important events in the history of this, the earliest settled and most important section, in a historical sense, in the State.


The mechanical part of the book speaks for itself, the material and workmanship being all that was promised and of standard excellence.


THE PUBLISHERS.


INDEX TO SKETCHES.


PART I.


JENNINGS COUNTY.


PAGE.


PAGE.


New, J. D. .


227


Overmyer, John .. .


230


Conkling, Piersou.


229


Schultheiss, James 231


Dixon, Lincoln.


229


Smith, Green L


232


Kidd, John D


230


SCOTT COUNTY.


Everitt, Wm. B.


238


Mathes, Z. C .. 243


Everitt, Thomas H.


239


Montgomery, R. W. 244


Gladden, B. K


239


Munden, A. T 245


Green, Dr. W. E


240


Peeler, A. M.


245


Harrod, C. B.


211


Rice, Wm.


246


Hazzard, H. S.


241


Warmuth, Dr. G. H ... 246


Jones, Levi R


242


Watsou, Dr. J. M.


247


Manker, C. A.


242


WASHINGTON COUNTY.


Washington County


251


Collins, John A. B .. 277


County Officers


259


Rudder, William


278


Elliott, Asa.


269


Paynter, Dr. C. L.


279


Lawler, John C.


269


Zaring, John A. 279


Mcintosh, Andrew J 270


Douglass, Judge B. P.


280


Menaugh, Eli W.


271


Alvis, David.


282


Voyles, Samuel B


272


Jeunings, D. A


283


Polloch, Henry.


273


Prow, F. L ..


284


Burges, John S.


274


Read, John F. 285


Devore, Henry H.


275


Brown, Allen W


286


Fetzer, Joseph.


275


Sparks, Gen. Levi. 287


Miller, James.


276


May, Prof. James G.


288


Alspaugh, David M.


277


PART II.


CLARK COUNTY.


Anderson, Chas. C.


1


Dailey, Reuben 8


Burke, James


2


Dougherty, Daniel


9


Burtt, Henry A.


2


Douglas, L.


9


Carr, Geo. W


5


Dow, H. D 10


Cook, David S


6


Ferguson, Judge Chas. P


11


.


Coots, Edwin M


6


Fouts, Dr. W. D. 12


Crim, Jesse.


7 Fry, Jacob S. 13


INDEX.


PAGE.


PAGE.


Gilbert, Dr. F. R. M


14


Peyton, Dr. D. C.


34


Graham, John A.


14


Pfau, George. 35


Hawes, J. J


15


Ruehl, Charles. 36


Holzbog, George. 15


Ruddell, Dr. I. N.


37


Howard, Jonas G.


16


Schuler, Alfred O 37


Ingram, Col. John N


17


Shelby, Wm. B ..


38


Jacobs, Wm. S.


18


Smitha, A. W. 38


Jenkins, John A


20


Specht, Philip


39


Lancaster, John N


20


Stealey, Eugene V.


39


Lauder, Robt. B.


21


Swartz, Allen A.


40


Lee, Wm


21


Taggart, Dr. S. C


40


Lugenbeel, Prof. W. E.


24


Taggart, James E 42


McCann, M. V. 24


28


Watkins, Dr. E. M 43


Murphy, Dennis.


30


White, John Sr. 43


Oglesby, Samuel D 33


33


Zulauf, Jno. C


45


CRAWFORD COUNTY.


Baylor, Dr. Geo. W


47


Jenkins, David. 55


Benz, John.


47


Jenner, Wm. E 56


Bird, Dr. Wm. C


48


Laswell, James U 56


Bobbett, James 48


Lyon, Daniel. 57


Bulbington, Chas. A. A. 49


Martin, Hamilton 57


58


Craig, Robt. M.


50


Patton, Stephen C. 58


Crecilius, Clark H


50


Peckinpaugh, Maj. N. R 58


Dunn, Wm.


51


Peckinpaugh, Jno. I ..


59


Everdon, William


51


Peckinpangh, Abraham N. 60


Funkhouser, Jacob


52


Richardson, Elijah E. 60


61


Funkhouser, Wm. H


Robertson, George W


61


Funkhouser, Albert W


52


Selser, Dr. Henry H.


62


Gibbs, Dr. John H.


53


Sloan, George W 62


Green, Henry C


53


Stewart, Dr. Lewis B .. 63


Hawn, Dr. E. R


54


Stewart, Arthur E 63


Holcroft, Capt. E. P. E 54


Temple, James L. 6-4


Holland, Dr. Wm


55


Weathers, John H


64


FLOYD COUNTY.


Ailer, Fred.


65


Clark, Maj. Thomas 74


Alexander, Dr. A. J.


65


Cline, Benj. F. 77


Anthony, Jacob


66


Conner, Fred D. 77


Applegate, James P


66


Crumbo, Edward. 78


Atkins, Wm. R.


66


Curl, Peter N 78


Baker, Isaac M.


67


Danz, Charles A.


79


Baker, Jno. F


67


Davis, John Steele.


79


Becht, Valentine


68


Day, John S.


80


Belviy, Frank.


68


Dinkle, John. 81


Blauchard, D. D ..


69


Duncan, Norton B 81


Borden, Prof. W. W


69


Fisher, George W. 82


Bragdon, Capt. Joshua


71


Fite, Capt. Andrew 82


Brothers, James F 72


Frisbie, Sherman 83


Brown, James 72


Fuller, Capt. R. F


83


Brown, Prof. James 73


Gebhart, J. F. 84


Burney, Dr. W. A


73


Godfrey, Geo. H 85


Funkhouser, James L


52


Riddle, Col. Geo. W


52


Querbacher, Peter M


Cole, Dr. Wm. A


49


Timmonds, John W 42


McCampbell, James H


Zimmerman, Otto F 44


Peaceley, Christopher


ยท


Gwin, Josiah


86


Newhouse, George A.


103


Gwin, James M


86


Newland, Dr. Elijah 10-4


Hammersmith, Louis 86


Norton, Francis 105


Hunger, Elder Martin V


87


Owens, Ollie. 106


Harrison, James G


87


Packard, Gen. Jasper


106


Hedden, David 88


Peake, James S 107


Hegewald, Charles 89


Penn, George F 107


Heimberger, Christopher.


89


Pierce, Levi L 108


Helfrich, George, Sr


90


Peters, Capt. Jonathan.


108


Henry, Edward G. 90


Peters, Francis W


109


Hessing, Jacob 91


Reising, Paul


109


Howk, Judge Geo. V


91


Richards, John J


109


Hipple, Louis C.


92


Russell, John


110


Humphreys, Capt. Thomas


93


Sackett, Charles.


110


Jenks, Reuben King


93


Schindler, Charles W


111


Jewett, Charles L 94


Scott, Levi H.


111


Johnson, Franklin C


94


Shields, Capt. James G


112


Kepley, Philip M


95


Stalcup, S. S


112


Kistner, Fred C.


96


Starr, Jacob B


113


Kraft, Frank A


96


Stoy, Peter R.


113


Kraft, George


96


Strobel, George J


114


Legg, Henry


96


Summers, Shelby


114


Lightner, Wm. G


97


Thomas, John H.


115


Loesch, Jacob


97


Vernia, Louis


115


Lyons, John J. 98


Walker, Ferd G


116


McDonald, Morris, Sr 98


Watkeys, Henry


116


Mckay, Wm. H.


100


Weathers, John R. .


117


McKenna, Charles 100


Weir, Merrill A. 117


McNeff, Samuel C. 101


Weir, Samuel M. 118


Mathews, Capt. Chas. W.


101


Wilson, James E. 119


Marsh, John S


101


Wolf, George W 119


Morris, Robert W 102


Wolf, Charles. 120


Murphy, William.


102


Wunderlich, Frederick


121


HARRISON COUNTY.


Allison, Allen .


123


Cromwell, J. F 134


Anshutz, John


123


Cromwell, Oliver 135


Arnold, John


123


Crosier, Robert 135


Baelz, John M.


124


Current, James 136


Barger, John E


124


Curts, Jacob A'


136


Bartley, Capt. Reuben


125


Daniel, Dr. Wm


137


Bence, Socrates J


126


Davis, R. F. Jr


137


Bennett, Dr. Jas. H


127


Davis, S. B.


138


Benson, Wm. M


127


Dobbins, Thad.


138


Blunk, Levi:


128


Doll, Jacob.


139


Boone, George.


128


Douglas, E. B


139


Boone, Capt. N. B


129


Dyer, Wm.


140


Borden, Philip.


129


Elbert, Noah


140


Brandenburg, Amos 130


130


Farnsley, Capt. J. P


142


Brinley, Geo, W


131


Ferree, Isaac. 145


Clarke, Dr. J. C. 132


Fife, Andrew


146


Colvin, Luke H. 132


Fleshman, A ..


146


Combs, Thos. W.


133


Fonts, Dr. H. C.


147


Cooper, John N.


133


Frakes, Harvey 147


Critchlow, J. E.


134


Fravel, J. A.


147


INDEX.


iii


PAGE.


PAGE.


Ellis, W. J


141


Brandenburg, Joseph


iv


INDEX.


PAGE


PAGK.


Frank, J. L.


148


Noble, Gov. James 177


Friedley, Col. G. W


148


Patterson, Hugh A. 177


Funk, M. W


133


Posey, Gov. Th.


178


Funk, Dr. Z. T


Reeder, Dr. Wm. H.


179


Funk, J. R.


Reader, Dr. Wm.


179


Funkhonser, W. E.


154


Rediek, John.


180


Grable, E. A 154


154


Robinson, George W.


180


Gresham, Col. B. Q. A


Rogers, Wm. S.


181


Gwartney, Geo. K


156


Sample, John


181


Hays, Henry


Sands, Isaac


182


Hiekman, Dennis.


Shaffer, David


183


Hickman, Philip.


157


Sherman, George K.


183


Hickman, Warford


157


Shigley, James W.


184


Hickman, Levi.


158


Sibert, James I.


184


Hildebrand, C. L.


158


Simler, John.


185


Hisey, Waldo


Simler, James S.


185


Homer, Dr. J. S.


158


Jenkins, James


. 160


Smith, Charles W.


186


Kelley, Geo. R


160


Sonner Capt. Wm. 186


187


Kerker, Barnett


161


Stallings, James W.


187


Kron, J. M


162


Stephens, Wilford


188


LaRne, Ganes


162


Lawson, Samuel


163


Leffler, Isaac E.


163


Tabler, James' R. 190


190


Lemay, J. D


164


Thompson, George W.


191


Lemmon. D. F


164


Tracewell, Wm. Neal


191


Littell, Capt. J. W. H.


165


Trotter, James


192


Lowe, J. J.


166


Viers, John W


192


Long, James


166


Walters, John Sr


192


Loweth, John


167


Watkins, Wilford N


193


McRae, Capt. John


168


Williar, Charles H


193


McRae, Samuel


171


Wolford, John L.


194


McRae, J. A


172


Woodward, James 194


195


Marshall, Capt. J. W


173


Wright, Alonzo,


195


Mason, W. G ..


174


Wright, Mrs. Rosanah H


196


Martin, Sanford


174


Wright, Sammel J 196


Manek, John J.


175


Youtster, David W 196


Melton, Rev. John


175


Zenor, Hon. William T


197


Miles, Wm. J. Jr.


176


Zenor, Hon. Peter M.


201


Morgan, John W.


176


Zimmerman, Elhanan W


202


JEFFERSON COUNTY.


Abbott, Capt. Jos. C ..


203


Bear, Perry E


210


Allfrey, Charles W.


203


Benefiel, Wm. H. H


210


Amsden, William M


. 204


Bolen, George R


2211


Armstrong, Capt. John


. 205


Brashear, Joseph T 212


Austin, Holly 206


Brown, William P


212


Bader, Matthias 207


Buchanan, E. 213


Baker, Samuel.


207


Chambers, Ira 214


Barber, George.


208


Chambers, James.


214


Baxter, William


208


Chapman, Richard


215


Bayless, James W


209


Cochran, James A 216


186


159


Smith, Dr. Alvin E.


Kerns, C. C. H.


161


Sonner, John P.


Lang, James


Stepp, William H.


188


Stockslager, S. M.


189


163


Thomas, Charles W.


Lemmel, D. F.


172


Wright, George R


MeDaniel, Robt


150


Poor, Washington 178


153


155


156


157


V


INDEX.


PAGE.


Cochran, William


216


Patton, Col. Jno. N 251


Commisky, Cyrus. 216


Penn, Dr. Benj. A. 253


Conway, J. Randolph. 217


Phillips, Squire. 254


Cordrey, William. 218


Piles, John J. 255


Conway, J. Rodolphus


218


Pommerehn, John F


255


Coyle, E. S


219


Rawlings, James V


256


Craig, James. 220


Crawford, John


220


Demaree, Wm. W


221


Dow, Thomas ... 221


Earhart, Isaac C. 222


Gordon, John W


223


Robbins, Hiram F 260


Robbins, William 249


Francisco, Hiram Jr.


224


Francisco, Thomas J


224


Gale, Capt. Rufus 225


Robinson, Leander M 262


Robinson, James


262


Gavitt, Marcus A


227


George, Charles H


227


Gillespie, Bruce. 228


Giltner, Green B 229


Gorgas, Joseph R 229


Scott, John W. 270


Schoolcraft, F. M. 271


Schwartz, George .. 272


Seepe, Rev. J. B. H


272


Hammell, John F


232


Hinds, Wm. W


232


Smith, James H. 274


Smitha, Granville T 274


Smart, Christopher. 275


Spann, Leonard D 276


Johnson, William 236


Kampe, Edward. 237


Landon, Francis M


237


Linck, John W


238


Swan, Robert H. 279


Thomas, Jesse B


280


Tilton, Mark


280


Turner, Rev. James W.


282


Wade, Patrick


282


Walch, William.


284


Watlington, William 284


Whitham, Dillard C.


285


Whitham, George


286


Mayfield, George T. 245


Mayfield, Burditt 246


McGee, James A 246


McGee, James


246


Mckay, John F 247


Woods, James C .. 289


Wood, Robert H.


290


Wright, Dr. C. H 292


Vawter, Milton S 297


Morton, Robert 251


Vanosdol, Capt. Argus D 298


Zuck, John A.


299


Muth, Louis. 251


241


Loring, Charles V 243


Mathis, John 243


Mathews, Robert 244


Matthews, William 244


Matthews, William H 244


Mayfield, Francis F 245


Widerin, Rev. G. L. T


286


Williams, Benj. B. 287


Williams, Remembrance J 288


Willoughby, Mrs. Matilda 289


McLeland, William E 248 Miles, Mrs. Martha 250


Moore, John G. .250


Morton, John W 251


Reynolds, Joseph T. 257


Richert, John .258


Ritchie, John R. 259


Francisco, Hiram Sr 223


Roberts, Edward ... .261


Roberts, Dan. A. 261


Royce, John T. 263


Ryker, Jared D .264


Salisbury, John G .269


Sappington, Otis B. 269


Graston, George W 230


Guergen, Rev. Louis


231


Hall, Alonzo J. 231


Sheets, Michael. 273


Jackson, Henry 234


Jines, Henry . 234


Jones, Henry Clay 235


Stevenson, Eld. Robt 277


Stevenson, Robert Jr 278


Sulzer, Marcus B. 278


Lloyd, Zephaniah 240


Lochard, Joseph H


Rector, Earl T


256


Reynolds, Dr. John H 257


Gasaway, Nicholas 226


PAGE.


INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.


PAGE.


PAGE


De Panw, Wash. C .....


. PART I.


Farnsley, Capt. Joshua P


PART II. 143


The Corydon State Capitol.


128


Funk, Major Wetherford


44


151


Gresham, Hon. Walter Q.


143


McRae, John.


169


Burtt, Henry A


PART II.


3


Zenor, Hon. William T.


= 199


McCann, Michael V.


=


25


Ryker, Jared D


265


Murphy, Dennis


=


31


Wright, Dr. C. H.


293


.


Clark, Maj Thomas


75


vi


CLARK COUNTY.


(BY WILLIAM LEE, EsQ.)


TTTHE history of Clark county covers, to a large extent, the history of the early settlement of the southeast- ern part of the present State of Indiana. Clark county can claim the proud em- inence of occupying the second gene- ration of Indiana counties. . Knox county, created by gubernatorial proc- lamation, before even Indiana terri- tory had been carved out of the great North West Territory, covered nearly the whole of what now constitutes the States of Indiana and Illinois.


Clark county was the first to be cre- ated out of the territory included within the original boundaries of Knox, so that, at the time of its formation no county intervened between the original Clark and Knox counties. Knox county was organized June 20, 1790 and was made to include all of the country between Hamilton and St. Clair counties from the Ohio river to the Lakes.


Emigrants from some of the south- ern States had begun to settle along the Ohio river, and it was found nec- essary to form other divisions for the convenience of the people, and so on the 3rd day of February, 1801, a new


county was formed, like that of its predecessor by gubernatorial proclam- ation, including within its boundaries as follows: Beginning on the Ohio at the mouth of Blue river, now the bound- ary line between Harrison and Craw- ford counties, up the said river to where the trail leading from Vincennes to the Ohio Falls crosses said river; thence by a direct line to the nearest point on White river; thence up said river to the branch thereof which runs towards Fort Recovery, and from the head springs of said branch to Fort Recovery; thence along the boundary line between Indiana Territory and the North West Territory, south to the Ohio river; thence down said river to the place of beginning.


It may be a little difficult at this day to trace the boundary lines as then given, but it can be, with tolerable ac- curacy, with a map of the State before one, traced and its lines approximately determined.


The exact place where the road leading from Vincennes to Clarksville, crossed Blue river, may not be now known, but it was not far from the point where the New Albany & Vin-


2


HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.


cenes Turnpike road now crosses it at or near the old town of Fredericks- burg in Washington county. This grand scope of territory, containing near one-fifth of the present State of Indiana, the whole of the southeast- ern portion of it, was named after that grand and heroic man, Gen. George Rogers Clark, to whom this country is mainly indebted for the possession of the great Northwest Territory.


No other name could have been so fitly applied as that of Clark to a county which included, not only the town of Clarksville, the then home of General Clark, but included the grant of land made to his soldiers by the State of Virginia by act of January 2nd, 1781.


This grant of land, not to exceed one Inmdred and forty-nine thousand acres, to be apportioned to General George Roger- Clark and the officers and soldiers of his regiment who were at the reduction of the "Kaskaskias and St. Vincent," ( Kaskaskia and Vin- eemnes ) in 1778. The grant was to be located on the northwest side of the Ohio River at such place as a ma- jority of the officers entitled to the land bounty should choose.


They selected their lands adjacent to the Ohio Falls, upon which ahnost the whole of Clark county within its present boundary is now situated. A -mall portion of this grant lies in the ad- joining counties of Floyd and Scott.


It is difficult to trace the history of the early settlement in detail of Clark county. Apart from its military oe-


cupaney very little settlement was made prior to the year 1800, when the Indiana Territory was converted into a separate organization from that of the Northwest Territory and given a ter- ritorial government with Gen. W. II. Harrison its Governor. Reference has already been made to the fact that the Legislature of the State of Vir- ginia, in consideration of the impor- tant military services which Gen. George Rogers Clark had rendered that State, had donated to him and his brave soldiers a traet of land which was located on the northwest bank of the Ohio river.


In addition to the land bounty granted to Clark and his soldiers a thousand acres, lying along the Ohio Falls nearly opposite Louisville, was granted for the location of a town to be called Clarksville. The exact time of the settlement of Clarksville is a little uncertain, but from the best data that can be had it must have been about the year 1783. Notwithstand. . ing General Clark made it his home, and Fort Clark was located here, around which many a sensational scene was enacted, its growth was but slow, for it is alluded to in 1797 as a strag- gling village of only some twenty houses.


The settlement of Clarksville ex- tended up the river to the head of the Falls, where the city of Jeffersonville now stands, where Fort Finney was built which was afterwards known as Fort Steuben. It was located on Lower Front street at the intersection


3


HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.


of Fort street, as designated on the map of the city of Jeffersonville, on the site where stood the "governor's house," many years after, within the recollection of our older citizens of the present generation.


In those days emigration followed and hovered around the forts for mil- itary protection.


Col. John Armstrong, 1797, while commandant at Fort Finney, in order , to more effectually protect the settle- ments in Kentucky, by preventing the Indians from crossing the Ohio river at Grassy Flats and Twenty-One Mile Island bar, where, at low stages of the water, the river can be forded, built a block house at the mouth of Bull Creek, now in Owen Township, in Clark county, which in honor of its founder was named "Armstrong's Sta- tion."


Around it a small settlement of em- igrants was located. But when the station was abandoned, which it was in a short time, the settlement was also abandoned for the time. Col. Arm- strong returned to his old location in 1814 at the station and continued to reside there until he died in 1816. In 1800, at the time the new goverment of the Indiana Territory went into effect, its entire civilized population was 5,641; of this population, 929 resided around the Ohio Falls, upon Clark's grant, but perhaps the larger portion in and around the old town of Clarksville.


While much of the population of the territory was composed of French


emigrants and their descendants, the only settlements made by pure Amer- icans, were those made upon Clark's grant around and adjacent to the Ohio Falls, now included in Clark county.


It has already been stated that the location of the one hundred and forty- nine thousand acres of land granted to Gen. George Rogers Clark and his men covers a large portion of what now constitutes Clark county.


As the location and settlement of this grant of land have much to do with the early settlement of the coun- ty, the manner of its location and set- tlement may not be uninteresting to the reader.


These one hundred and forty-nine thousand acres of land were laid off in five hundred acre tracts, and appor- tioned to the officers and soldiers according to the terms of the grant, which were to be in this manner: to the Major General, 15,000 acres; to Brigadier Generals, 10,000 acres; to Colonels, 6,6663 acres; to Lieut. Cols., 6,000 acres; Majors, 5,6663 acres; to Captains, 4,000; to Lieutenants, 2,6663 acres ; to non-commissioned officers, 400 acres; and to privates, 2,000; and were assigned to the officers and men by lottery.


It is a curious fact, or at least it seems so at the present time, that those whose lot fell them in the rich bottom lands in Utica township quite envied those by good fortune as they then considered it, fell in the knobs of Wood and Monroe townships.


4


HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.


Now these lands in Utica township are worth over $100 per acre and those lying among the Knobs of Wood and Monroe township are rating at but $3.00 or 84.00 per acre. But a new industry is springing up to which these lands on the Knobs are peculiarly adapted; that of the peach culture which is in a few years destined to work a revolution in the comparative value of these bottom and uphilly lands.


It was intended that this grant should be surveyed and laid off in five hun- dred aere tracts, but such, from some cause, perhaps the greatest one of the canses, was the ignorance and ineffi- ciency of the surveyors selected to make the survey and plat the ground.


But whatever the cause, quite a dif- ference in the number of acres was found in the different numbers of the survey. They were found to vary from three hundred and seventy to seven hundred acres.


This made it necessary, in making the original deeds to the grantees to make them for five hundred acres, more or less.


It will be seen by reference to a map of Clark county that, unlike the regu- lar United States survey of the public lands, the divisions are based upon lines ruming at right angles to the cardinal points of the compass, but the lines of the grant run northwest and southeast, and these lines are out at right angles. Why these square five hundred acre tracts were made in this position is impossible to tell at this


time, unless it resulted from the fact that they aimed to make them in squares running perpendicular to the line of the Ohio river where the survey commenced.


How many of these old soklier grantees settled upon their lands and converted the wild wilderness into cultivated homes it is impossible now to tell, as the original settlers upon these lands have long since passed away, leaving behind them nothing by which to know their names. The probability is, however, as these old Indian fighters under Gen. Clark were men in middle life in 1777-8, that but few of them had held on to their land until Clark county was open for settle- ment and availed themselves of the opportunity, but had sold their lands long before that time.


After the allotment of these lands, Louisville was the seat of justice and the records of the sale and transfer of these lands was kept there.


Afterward, by an act of the Legisla- ture of the State of Virginia the records were transferred to old Clarks- ville, and continued there until Clark county was organized, when these records were transferred to its county seat. These old records and the trans- fers made in the way of inheritance and sale were badly kept and much trouble and litigation grew out of that fact.


The first important question to be determined after the construction of the new county was the location of its county seat.


5


HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.


It is impossible at this late date to understand and appreciate all the mo- tives and influences that operated, at that day, in the determination of this important question.


It would seem natural to us that, in consideration of the fact that Clarks- ville was the home of the conqueror of the Northwest, General George Rogers Clark, and at that time the largest and most important town in the county, that the county seat would have been located there.


But such was not the fact. From some canse, geographical considera- tions perhaps, convenience of access by a majority of its straggling popula- tion mostly on or near the Ohio river, determined the site of local govern- ment for the new county.


At any rate it was located at a small village, but then supposed to be a ris- ing and prosperous place called Spring- ville, situated about four miles back from the Ohio river and some mile and a half south-west of Charlestown, which subsequently became the county seat where it remained for over a half century.




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