Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical., Part 1

Author: Blanchard, Charles, 1830-1903, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : F.A. Battey & Co.
Number of Pages: 982


USA > Indiana > Clay County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Owen County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > 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 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114



G~ 977.201 C57b 1242426


M, L


GENEALOGY COLLECTION


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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY


3 1833 02299 7503


1


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center


http://www.archive.org/details/countiesofclayow00blan


.


COUNTIES


OF


CLAY AND OWEN. 9


INDIANA.


HISTORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.


ILLUSTRATED.


CHARLES BLANCHARD, EDITOR.


CHICAGO: F. A. BATTEY & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1884.


. F. A. BATTEY.


F. W. TEEPLE.


JOHN MORRIS, SUCCESSOR TO


ulver age Moyne 22 ( PRINTERS 118 & 120 MONROE S! ( CHICAGO


$32.50


Mediana


1212426


PREFACE.


THIS volume goes forth to our patrons the result of months of arduous, unremitting and conscientious labor. None so well know as those who have been associated with us the almost insurmountable difficulties to be met with in the preparation of a work of this character. Since the in- auguration of the enterprise, a large force has been employed in gathering material. During this time, most of the citizens of the two counties have been called upon to contribute from their recollections, carefully preserved letters, scraps of manuscript, printed fragments, memoranda, etc. Public records and semi-official documents have been searched, the newspaper files of the counties have been overhauled, and former citizens, now living out of the counties, have been corresponded with, for the verification of the in- formation by a conference with many. In gathering from these numerous sources, both for the historical and biographical departments, the conflict- ing statements, the discrepancies and the fallible and incomplete nature of public documents, were almost appalling to our historians and biographers, who were expected to weave therefrom with some degree of accuracy, in panoramic review, a record of events. Members of the same families disagree as to the spelling of the family name, contradict each other's statements as to dates of birth, of settlement in the counties, nativity and other matters of fact. In this entangled condition, we have given preference to the preponderance of authority, and while we acknowledge the existence of errors and our inability to furnish a perfect history, we claim to have come up to the standard of our promises, and given as accurate a work as the nature of the surroundings would permit. Whatever may be the verdict of those who 'do not and will not comprehend the difficulties to be met with, we feel assured that all just and thoughtful people will appre- ciate our efforts, and recognize the importance of the undertaking and the great public benefit that has been accomplished in preserving the valuable historical matter of the counties and biographies of many of their citizens, that perhaps would otherwise have passed into oblivion. To those who have given us their support and encouragement, we acknowledge our gratitude, and can assure them that as years go by the book will grow in value as a repository not only of pleasing reading matter, but of treasured information of the past that will become an enduring monument.


APRIL, 1884.


THE PUBLISHERS.


CONTENTS.


HISTORY OF .CLAY COUNTY.


PAGE.


PAGE.


ORGANIZATION, DESCRIPTION, ETC. 11


Boundary of County


11


City Library .. 153


Church Societies.


81


Coal, Brazil Block 143


Civil Townships


83


Educational. 151


County Seat ...


55


Iron Manufacture. 145


County Seat, Re-location of ..


56 12


Municipal Expenditures. 148


Education


76


Extent of County


11


Officers, Town, 1866 to 1873 161


Fairs, Agricultural ..


73


Origin of the City 138


154


Indian Occupation ...


26


Press, The. 154


146


Organization of County.


Settlers, First 142


Population ..


84


Taxable Property 148 142


Town Incorporation.


164


Bowling Green


174


Societies, Agricultural.


Soil.


12


Land Entries, Early


166


Location


164 166


Bounties and Oter Relief. 128


Butterunts, The. 133


Causes of the Great Rebellion 85


Cavalry, Second.


107


Cavalry, Sixth .. 95


Company A, Forty-third Regiment .. 114 Companies I and K, Eighty-fifth Regiment ... 116


Company B, Ninety-seventh Regiment. 118 Company D, One Hundred and Fifteenth Regiment .... 123


Company E, One Hundred and Twenty- fourth Regiment .. 124


Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment 127


Company B, One Hundred and Forty-ninth Regiment 126


Company D, One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Regiment


127


Drafts .. 128


98


First Company from Clay. 88


136


Public Sentiment


131


Settlers, Other.


185


182 Surface Features.


88 111 Taxes, Values, etc. 197 205


POSEY TOWNSHIP.


Churches. 217, 224


Cloverland ... 221


General Features. 205


Mills, etc. 213


Mining Interests. 206


226


Pioneer Life ..


Schools 215 206


Settlement, Early


Societies 223


Staunton 222 Villages 218 Williamstown. 218


VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. 227 Benwood Village. 251


Calcutta Village. 251


168 166


Surface


MILITARY RECORD ... 85


Artillery, First Heavy 111


Merchants, Early.


Mexican War, the Township in the. 172 Pioneers and their Experiences .... 164 178


167


Schoolhonses and School Teachers


168


Surface Features ..


164


HARRISON TOWNSHIP.


181


Births, Early


192


Boundaries ..


182 194 198


Clay City. Coal.


182


Cooprider Family, The ..


183 191 191


Industries, Early


182


Location ..


Marriages, Early 192 203


204


Schools ...


192


Settlement


183


Settlers, Character and Customs of Early 187


Regiment, Tenth ....


Regiment, Twenty-first.


92


Regiment, Forty-first .. 107


Regiment, Forty-third. 114


Regiment, Seventy-first. 95 Regiment, Eighty-fifth. 116


Regiment, Ninety-seventh .. 118


Regiment, One Hundred and Fifteenth .. 123


Regiment, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth, 124


Regiment, One Hundred and Thirty-third .. 127


Regiment, One Hundred and Forty-ninth ... 126 Regiment, One Hundred and Fifty-sixth ... 127


Regiments, Other 128 War Meetings. 132


BRAZIL CITY AND TOWNSHIP 138


Bonded Debt ... 147


Brazil Township. 163 Churches, The .. 154


City Incorporations .. 145


Mercantile and Professional. 148


Drainage.


Officers, City, 1873 to 1883 162


Geology


18


Location of County


Prosperity of the City


Railroad Facilities. 154


Political.


12 11 66


Press, The ....


61 34 26 73 12


Public Improvements.


WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP


Settlements, Early


Churches


Industries, Early ..


Press, The ...


Remarkable Game of Leap Frog ..


Church History


Deaths, Early


Middlebury .


New Brunswick


Execution of a Deserter.


Regiment, Thirty-first


Newberg Village .. 212


Mexican War, The ..


Postmasters


vi


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Carbon Village


246


Cardonia Village ..


248


Churches 236


Industries, Early 321


Early Experiences 233


Origin of Name ..


316


Productions, Early


321


Railroad, Indianapolis & St. Louis ..


325


Schools ..


324


Knightsville.


244


Lodges. 243, 247


Mechanicsburg. 251


Mining Interests. 252


Boundaries.


Characteristics


326


Pontiac Village.


251


Industries.


331


Schools.


235


Miscellaneous Matters. 332


Past and Present .. 325


Settlement. 327


331


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


Bowling Green. 395


Brazil City and Township. 333


Cass Township .. 514


Clay City 415


Dick Johnson Township. 522


415


Jackson Township.


502


Statistics


264 254


PERRY TOWNSHIP.


272


Clear Creek Lodge, I. O. O. F.


284


Cory, Town of.


283


Events, Early 276


General Description


272


Homicide .. 284


Pioneer Life.


276


Railroad 282


Religious. 278


Schools.


278 273


Carrithers, James T. Between pages 278 and 281


Carter, Allen W .. . Between pages 188 and 191


Carter, Joseph D. .Between pages 218 and 221


298 Carter, W. W.


Between pages


28 and 31


Churches,


296 Coffey, Silas D.


Between pages


38 and 41


Early Events.


293


Between pages


58 and 61


General Improvements.


291


Cornwell, B. F .. Between pages 348 and 351


Location 285


Ehrlich, Christian .Between pages 198 and 201


Ferguson, James Between pages 298 and 301


Foulke, Silas .. .Between pages 168 and 171


Frump, John .. Between pages 128 and 131


Schools.


294


Hale, Levi A Between pages 138 and 141


Harris, William M .Between pages 158 and .161


Hill, David A. Between pages 338 and 341


Kennedy, M. H Between pages 308 and 311


Lybyer, Salem 11.


Between pages 98 and 101


Area


302 308


Nicoson, William S. .Between pages 238 and 241


Robertson, Thomas M ...... Between pages 48 and 51


Early History


Robinson, F. J. S. Between pages 208 and 211


Seybold, Dempsey ... Between pages 228 and 231


Smith, John T. Between pages 118 and 121


Smith, Robert .. Between pages 248 and 251


Thompson, Clinton M ..... Between pages 108 and 111 Travis, William .Between pages 18 and 21


Origin of Name


Wheeler, A. B .. Between pages 88 and 91


Religious. 312 Wheeler, H. Between pages


78 and 81


Roads. 311


White, John W Between pages 148 and 151


School Notes 312


Wilkinson, C. J. Between pages 268 and 271


302 Wilkinson, Urias. .Between pages 258 and 261 Streams


HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.


OPENING CHAPTER ... 551


Commissioners from 1820 to 1826 573


Agricultural Statistics.


608


Coroners, County. 590


Antiquities


551


County Board, Acts of the. 565


Attorneys


607


Crime. 606


Auditors, County


589


Criminal Statistics. 609


Detective Society. 605


Bridges.


600


Early Events 562, 571


Church Statistics 610


Economic Statistics. 610


Educational Statistics 609


Expenditures for 1819. 572


395


PORTRAITS.


Bailey, Charles W. Between pages 178 and 181


Bolin, John .. Between pages 288 and 291


Brighton, Alexander ..... Between pages 68 and 71


Briley, Absalom. Between pages 328 and 331


Settlement, Early


JACKSON TOWNSIIIP


285


Area


285


Mines. 298 282


Origin of Name.


Roads


294


Settlement by the Whites.


286


Statistical 30[ 298


CASS TOWNSHIP.


302


Muir, William. Between pages 318 and 321


Births, Early


Deaths, Early.


311


303 Elections 311 Improvements 307 Marriages, Early 311 Material Prosperity 302


Sugar Ridge Township 476


Van Buren Township. 459


Washington Township.


316


Settlers, Early Village of Perth


325


LEWIS TOWNSHIP


325


Pioneer Settlement. 228


254


Ashboro ..


266


Center Point


264


Coal


254


Creation of Township.


254 261


Early Events.


262


Origin of Name ....


254


Pioneers


255


Religious.


268


Saline City


267


Schools


262


Lewis Township 532


Surface Features


Perry Township. 485


Posey Township.


445


Villages


PAGE.


DICK JOHNSON TOWNSHIP 316


Churches. 323


General Description ..


227


Harmony Village. 242


Industries and Improvements 234


Circuit Court Record, Early .. 587


Clerk, County


590


597


Board of Health


302 Poland Village ... 313


Whittington


Compton, Isaac M.


Asherville


Improvements, Early


Harrison Township


326


SUGAR RIDGE TOWNSHIP


vii


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Expenditures from 1820 to 1826. 573


Organization.


687


Pioneer Life ...


689


Roads


Schools 692


692


Settlement, Early Surface ..


696


Taxes


695


Timber.


696


Water


696


WAYNE TOWNSHIP


698


Churches of Gosport ..


716


Development of Country


706


Early Events ..


708


Educational


709


Gosport


712


Incorporation of Gosport.


715


Miscellaneous Statistics.


611


Mortality Statistics.


598


Lodges


Pioneers, Coming of.


698


Railroads.


716


Patrons of Husbandry


Press, County.


591


Price List for Taverns in 1819 571


Production.


553


Public Buildings


600 590


Recorders, County.


Roads ..


600


Seat of Justice


561


Settlers, Early ..


557 589


Social Statistics


610


State Representatives.


597


State Senators


594 589


Surveyors, County


Taxation ... 610


Taxation Assessment for 1833


576


Tax Levy for 1838. 585


726


Tax Levy for 1839.


Settlement


725


Stockton Village


729


MARION TOWNSHIP


737


Cemeteries


742


Churches


743


Denmark Village


750


Improvements.


742


Lancaster Village.


745 750


Pioneer Settlement.


738


627 Roads


743


School Items.


745


Infantry, Twenty-first. 642


Infantry, Thirty-first 644


Infantry, Fifty-ninth.


646 Infantry, Seventy-first.


648


Infantry, Ninety-seventh ... 652


Infantry, One Hundred and Fifteenth. 656


Infantry, One Hundred and Fifty-ninth 657


Grand Army of the Republic.


662


Indian War of 1811 618


Mexican War.


620


Owen's First Company.


626


Pensions,


662 624


Revolutionary War, The ..


618


Table of Enlistments and Deaths 660


Veteran Soldiers' Association.


662 War of 1812. 619


War with Mexico


620


TOWN OF SPENCER


663


Deaths, Early


770


Improvements, Early. 769


769


Marriages, Early


771


Pioneers, The .. 765


774


Schools ..


773


CLAY TOWNSHIP!


774


Braysville ..


782


Early Events


779


Educational


783


Schools .. 674 Improvements, Early .... 779


Secret Orders 680 Industries, Early 780


665 Survey of the Town.


WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP Bridges. 692


Churches


694


Ferries. 692 Religious .. 783


Industries. Early 691


Officers 693


PAGE.


Expense of Laying out the Town of Lan- caster.


573


Expense of Laying out the Town of Spencer. 574 Fair Associations .. 603 Finances of County (1819 to 1825). 574


Freshets 608


Geology .. 553


Hurricanes and Cyclones. 611


Indian History 552


612


Live Stock 603


Macadam Roads. 604


Manufacturing Statistics


609


Medical Society, County.


597


Mineral Statistics.


610


Officers, Early


Origin of Name.


564 562 605


Religious


710


Schools of Gosport ..


716 711


JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP ..


723


Agriculture


725


Births, Early


729


Churches


731


Cemeteries


728 730


Daggett Village.


731


Improvements.


728


Marriages, Early


729


Middletown


729


Miscellaneous Matters


736


New Jeffersonville


729


587 Tax Lists for 1843, 1852 and 1882 588 Telegraphic Feat, A Great.


593


Treasurers, County 590 Vital Statistics. 610


611


MILITARY HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY


617


Artillery, First Heavy.


642 618


Infantry, Fourteenth


Infantry, Nineteenth. 639


Steubenville 749


751


Births, Early. 760


Burying Grounds. 759


Churches. 762


Educational


760


Freedom Village.


761


Improvements, Early 754


Marriages, Early 759


Miscellaneous


763 763 756


Secret Societies.


762


Settlement®


752


MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP.


764 768


Amusements


771


Churches


771


Business Interests 682 669


Court House, The


County Seat, Selection of the. 663


Hotels 672


Incorporation 681


Mails


673


Manufactories and Industries.


683


Origin of Name 665


Religious 676


Residents. Early


669


Officers, Early Township .. 781


687 Piney Town ... 782


Pioneers, Arrival of the. 777


Pleasant Valley Village. 782


Roads .. 780


White Hall Village. 781


711


Taxation Statement


Value of Lands.


Sheriffs, County.


Coal City


Pioneer Life


Topography. 553


Voting Statistics.


Cavalry, Sixth ...


FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.


Pottersville


Roads.


Rebellion, The Great.


Births, Early


Industries, Early


Santa Fé Village


Marion Mills


Industries of Gosport 720 715


687


Library, County.


viii


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


MORGAN TOWNSHIP


784


Improvements


814


Middletown


816


Births, Early.


791


Roads 815


Cemeteries 791


Deaths,


791


Settlement, Early


813


Early Condition of the Settlements ..


787


General Description.


784


Improvements, etc


789


Marriages, Early.


790


Mills, etc ...


789


Religious ..


792


Roads


790


Schools


791


Settlement.


785


TAYLOR TOWNSHIP


793


Churches


799


Deaths, Early


796


Educational


796


Improvements, Early


795


Masonic Lodge at Quincy.


798


Mill Grove Village.


797


Pioneer Settlement ..


794


Quincy Village


797


Villages


797


JACKSON TOWNSHIP


800


Marion Township 909


Montgomery Township 926


Morgan Township. 944


Spencer, Town of. 823


Taylor Township .. 950


Washington Township. 871


886


PORTRAITS.


Archer, J. W. Between pages 558 and 561


Beem, David E .. .Between pages 630 and 633


Coffey, Abraham Between pages 594 and 597


Fowler, Inman H. .Between pages 612 and 615


Franklin, William M. .Between pages 576 and 579


Goss, James M .. .Between pages 756 and 759


Lautenschlager, John F .... Between pages 702 and 705


McNaught, Thomas A ...... Between pages 648 and 651 Medaris, Stephen D .. .Between pages 774 and 777 Montgomery, John S ... Between pages 666 and 669


Pierson, Allen ... Between pages 684 and 687


Villages ..


811


Wampler, Hezekiah .Between pages 720 and 723


HARRISON TOWNSHIP 812


815


Williams, John A .. .Between pages 738 and 741


ERRATA. .


On page 56, eighth and ninth lines from the top, instead of "Dempsey Seybold, Sr., of Putnam County," read "Dempsey Seybold, Sr., of Parke County."


Page 562, nineteenth line from top, instead of "deeded for the proposed county seat by John Dunn," read "not deeded," etc.


Page 564, eleventh line from bottom, instead of "Peter Zeal," read "Peter Teal." Page 573, in table, instead of "Chairman," read "chainman."


Page 574, in table, at the end of the line reading, "To Joshua Matheny, for ferrying on the day of sale of lots," place $1.25, and omit the line following: "To George Ham, from Spencer to Southport, $1.25."


Page 580, nineteenth line from top, instead of "twelve-feet wide court house door," read "twelve-feet wide yard at the court house door."


Page 587, second line from bottom, instead of "resolutions of respects," read "resolutions of respect," etc.


Page 605, eighteenth line from bottom, instead of " granges attempting to prevent the objects," read "granges attempting to pervert the objects," etc.


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


Clay Township. 929


Franklin Township. 917


Jackson Township. 955


Jefferson Township. 905


Jennings Township. 958


Gosport, Town of ... 886


Harrison Township 959


La Fayette Township. 962


Births, Early ...


804


Burying Grounds


804


Churches 805


Elections .. 8)4


Improvements ..


803


Marriages, Early


804


Needmore Village. 805


Schools 804


Settlers, First


801


JENNINGS TOWNSHIP. 806


Births, Early


809


Cataract Village


811


Churches 810


Fallsboro' Village


811


Graveyards ..


809


Improvements. 808


Marriages, Early 809 Roads 810


Schools. 810


Settlement, Early. 808


Wampler, Mrs. Jane ... .Between pages 720 and 723


Cemetery


LA FAYETTE TOWNSHIP.


817


Cemeteries.


820


Church History


820


Mills, Distilleries, etc.


819


Settlers, Early


817


Schools 822


Vandalia Village ...


820


Voting Places


819


PAGE.


Atkinson Village ..


793


Schools. 816


Wayne Township.


HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.


BY WILLIAM TRAVIS.


ORGANIZATION, BOUNDARY, EXTENT.


C YLAY COUNTY was organized in 1825, nine years after the admis- sion of the State, and immediately after the removal of the seat of government from Corydon to Indianapolis. In 1818, the counties of Vigo and Owen were organized with range line number six west of the Second Principal Meridian dividing them, including the territory now comprised within the county of Clay. This line lies immediately west of Middlebury, crossing Eel River near the railroad bridge, and passing the woolen factory at Brazil. At that time Daniel Harris, who lived near Spencer, was the member of the General Assembly from Owen County, and is credited with having introduced the proposition to or- ganize the new county. Mr. Harris was a Whig, an ardent admirer of Henry Clay, the distinguished Kentucky statesman, and named the county in honor of him. In the early history, he was known familiarly as Old Clay and the father of Clay County. The following is a copy of the act organizing the county, approved February 12, 1825:


SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That from and after the first day of April next, all the tract of country included within the following boundaries, shall form and constitute a new county to be known and designated by the name of the county of Clay, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of Township 9 north, Range 7 west, thence east ten miles, thence north twelve miles, thence east six miles, thence north nine miles, thence west four miles, thence north nine miles, thence west ten miles, thence south six miles, thence west two miles, thence south twenty-four miles to the place of begin- ning.


SEC. 2. The said new county of Clay shall, from and after the first day of April next, enjoy all the rights, privileges and jurisdictions which to separate and independent counties do or may properly belong or appertain.


SEC. 3. That John Denny, of Putnam County, John Bigger, of Owen County, Rezin Stulby, of Vigo County, Jacob Bell, of Parke County, and James Smith, of Greene County, are hereby appointed Commissioners agreeably to the act entitled "An act fixing the seat of Justice of all new counties hereafter to be laid off." The said Commissioners shall meet at the house of David Thomas, in the said county of Clay, on the second Monday in May next, and shall immediately proceed to dis- charge the duties assigned them by law. It is hereby made the duty of the Sheriff of Owen County to notify said Commissioners, either in person or by writing, of their appointment, on or before the first Monday in May next, and for such services he


12


HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.


shall receive such compensation out of the county treasury of the said county of Clay as the Board of Justices thereof may deem just and reasonable, to be ordered and paid as other county claims are paid.


SEC. 4. The County Board of Justices of the said new county shall, within twelve months after the permanent seat of justice shall have been selected, proceed to erect the necessary public buildings therein.


SEC. 5. That all suits, pleas, plaints, actions, prosecutions or proceedings here- tofore commenced and pending within the limits of the said county of Clay, shall be prosecuted to final issue in the same manner, and the State and County taxes which may be due on the 1st day of April next, within the bounds of the said county of Clay, shall be collected and paid in the same manner and by the same officers, as if this act had not been passed.


SEC. 6. The county Board of Justices shall meet at the house of David Thomas in said county, on the 1st Monday in November next, and then and there proceed to do and transact all such necessary county business as may be required by law.


SEC. 7. The said county of Clay shall be attached to the First Judicial Circuit and shall continue to be attached to the several counties from which it has been taken for the purpose of electing Senators and Representatives to the State Legisla- ture and the other State officers, and in all elections for any of said officers the citi- zens thereof shall vote in the same places and in the same manner they would have done if the erection of said new county had not taken place.


The border lines of the county as defined in this act have never un- dergone any change. The length of the county is thirty miles, the width from ten to sixteen miles, the average width twelve miles, making an area of 360 square miles, or 230,400 acres. The aggregate extent of border line, which describes ten right angles, is ninety-two miles. All the counties bordering on Clay, six in number, antedate it in organiza- tion. On the north lies Parke, organized in 1821; on the east, Putnam and Owen, 1822 and 1818; on the south, Greene, 1821; and on the west, Sullivan and Vigo, 1817 and 1818 respectively.


LOCATION, SURFACE, DRAINAGE, SOIL.


Clay County is a part of the elevated lands of the Wabash Valley, lying in Western Indiana, within less than twenty miles of the Illinois line, and about 100 miles north of the Ohio River. The general surface is neither level nor hilly, but undulated. It is, therefore, not marked by any great topographical diversities and contrasts. With respect to the level of the ocean, the most elevated point within the limits of the coun- ty is estimated at 800 feet, the lowest at 533 feet, and.the approximate average elevation at 667 feet, which is within a few feet of the general average surface level of the State. With respect to the level of Lake Erie, the extremes are estimated at 227 feet above and forty feet below, making an approximate average elevation of 133 feet. The mean surface of the county lies 234 feet above low water mark in the Wabash at Terre Haute. The approximate elevation of the Feeder Dam above the Wa- bash at Terre Haute is 122 feet; hence, the average elevation of the


13


HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.


surface of the county above Eel River, at the dam, is 112 feet. The bluff on the east side of the river, on which the court house stands at Bowling Green, is 160 feet above the site on which the Terre Haute court house stands. The site of the new court house at Brazil is 165 feet above the site of the court house at Terre Haute. The highest point is in the northeast part of the county, near the line of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, and the lowest in the southeast part, where Eel River crosses the county line. The most elevated point along the line of the Vandalia Railroad is the Wools Hill, near Newburg. In the central part of the county, the Grimes Hill, on Sugar Ridge, rises above all the surrounding contiguous country, and is thought by many to be the maximum elevation in the county. In the southern part, the high- est point is the Sand Hill, on the old Cooprider place at Middlebury, which is ninety feet above the grade of the Terre Haute & South Eastern Railroad, at Clay City ..


The surface of the county is drained by Eel River and its tributaries, and tributaries of the Wabash, hence, there are several water-sheds, or summit divides of drainage, within its borders. There are two Eel Riv- ers in Indiana. The one in the north part of the State was named by the Indians "Shoa maque, " meaning slippery fish, and by the explorers and early settlers, Anguilla, meaning the river of eels. The eels or slippery fish in the stream suggested its name both to the native and the explorer. Our Eel River, about the same length and volume, derived its name from the same circumstance. This stream has three distinct


sources. Walnut Fork, or Eel River proper, rises near Jamestown, Boone County, and flows southwest through Hendricks and Putnam Counties. Mill Creek, often called Eel River, rises near Danville, Hen- dricks County, and flows southwest through Morgan, Putnam and Owen Counties. These are the principal branches. Deer Creek rises on the eastern border of Putnam County, flows southwest and empties into Mill Creek about one mile from the confluence of Walnut and Mill, in Wash- ington Township, Putnam County, two miles north of the Cass Town- ship, Clay County line. Though Walnut is larger than Mill Creek, the latter is the more noted, because of its rapids and falls, known as Catar- act, in Jennings Township, Owen County, a romantic site frequently visited by pleasure parties from all parts of the surrounding country. From the point at which the river crosses into the county, it flows in a direction a little west of south until it strikes the rocky bluff at Bellaire. a distance of ten miles on the straight line, where it is deflected, then flows in a direction a little south of west until it strikes the foot of thé old hill, another course of ten miles, when it is again deflected, and then flows continuously in a southeastern direction a distance of thirteen miles, to the extreme southeast corner of the county. The entire length of the stream from the source of Walnut to the mouth, at Point Cour-




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