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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY INDIANA
BY
ELIA W. PEATTIE
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 1897 AMERICAN PUBLISHING AND ENGRAVING CO. CHICAGO
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The reproduction of this book is with the cooperation of The General John Gibson Chapter, D. A.R., Oakland, City, Indiana
A reproduction by Cook & McDowell Publications 700 Griffin Hartford, Ky. 42347
printed by
McDowell Publications, 700 Griffin, Hartford, Kentucky 42347
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This edition is dedicated to
Miss Anna Hudelson
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INTRODUCTION
The HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA was originally published in 1897 as a part of a volume entitled HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, INDIANA, AND GIBSON COUNTY.
This reprint is of the section pertaining to Gibson County.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF GIBSON COUNTY.
Prior to the incoming of the white man, the red man inhabited the territory now marked by the limits of Gibson county. The In- dians who roamed and hunted over the wooded hills and vales of this region were made up from remnants of several tribes, among which were the following: Shawnee, Sacs. Fox. Kickapoo, Miami and Pottawatomics. Of the Shawnee tribe, old "Trackwell" was a noted chief. He had a village of several wigwams, located on Indian Creek, about two miles northeast of where Princeton is located. The Miami's had a fort on the Patoka River. and claimed ownership to a portion of the territory. As civilization approach- ed from the South and East, the Indians gradually disappeared, moving westward. The forest wilds yielded to the ax of sturdy pioneers, and were transformed into fields of waving grain. Long since have rested on the ruins of the wigwam, the foundations of industry, and has been heard the noisy din of the trades, where once the stillness of the dense forest was unbroken save by the warhoop of the redman.
The first white man to become a settler within the borders of what is now Gibson County, was John Severns, Sr .. who was a native of Wales. He came to this country with his parents prior to the revolutionary war, in which struggle he served a short time, and while on a visit to his parental home, then in the wilds of Western Virginia, he and all of his family were captured by a band of Indians, who killed his father, mother. sister and younger brother. He and an elder brother were held as prisoners. ITis brother remained with the Indians, married a squaw and reared a family. John remained a prisoner for seven years; made his escape at the first favorable opportunity: went to Pennsylvania. and there married. Subsequently he assisted in making govern - ment surveys in Kentucky, and from that State came to the Northwest Territory about 1780, and settled with his family, then consisting of himself, his wife and five children, on the South bank of Patoka River, at a point where he ran a ferry boat.and which point was long known as Severns' Ferry -- and later Severns' Bridge.
John Severns. Sr .. was a good man, and his influence with the Indians enabled him to preserve peace between them and early settlers. His death occurred about 1820. and his remains were
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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
buried near where he settled, as he requested they should be. With the settlement of this hardy pioneer came the dawn of civili- zation in Gibson County. The next settlers to follow him were Gervas and Daniel Hazleton. The former established a ferry on White River, was a prominent citizen and the head of a large family. In the year 1800, David Robb settled in the county. He was the pioneer of the Robb family in Gibson County. He was originally from Virginia, but directly from Kentucky. He was a noble man and of much prominence. John Johnson, the pioneer of this family in Gibson County, settled here in 1802. He came from Kentucky, but was a native of Virginia. William Hargrove settled in the county in 1803. He was a Virginian by birth, but came from Kentucky to this State. Joseph Milburn, from Ken- tucky (originally from Virginia) settled here in 1803. John Hinemann, a native of Pennsylvania, removed from Kentucky to Indiana, and became a settler of Gibson County in 1803. James McClure and his widowed mother came to the county in 1805. In the same year the following settled in the county: Thomas Montgomery. Gen. Robert M. Evans, Joseph Neely. Jesse Kimball and others. In 1807 the following named persons and their families made settlements in the county: Joseph Woods, William Harrington, Thomas and William Archer (brothers). John Benson, Jesse and Asa Music, John and Provi- dence Mounts.
Rev. Stephen Strickland, regular Baptist minister, settled here in 1808, and in the same year William Clark, Rev. Alex. Devin and Carrie Wilkinson settled in the county. Major James Smith. who came also in 1808, was an influential man in the early days in this county. Another old settler was John Braselton, who also came in 1808. The years 1809 and 1810 marked a strong influx, of settlers, among whom were: Robert McGary. John Armstrong. William Forbes, Charles Cross, Fielding and Zach- ariah and Oliver Lucas, Capt. Henry Hopkins, William Latham, Absalom Linn, Morgan Leathers, Robert Slaven, Daniel Mc- Fetridge. Col. Smith Miller, James Stewart, John Roberts. William Leach. The Overton and Vaughn families were also pioneers. Jesse Emerson, a prominent pioncer, came in 1811. In the same year Joshua Embree and Andrew Gudgel became the pioneers of two families that have been prominent in the his- tory of the county.
The carly settlers of Gibson County were principally from the Carolinas. Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. They were a hardy and sturdy people, who possessed more intelligence and piety, than usual for new settlers, and the moral tone of their in- fluence and example has left impress on their descendents.,
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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
ORGANIZATION OF GIBSON COUNTY.
Prior to the organization of Gibson County, its territory was a part of the county of Knox. The civil history of the county of Gibson properly dates from the 9th of March, 1813, the day upon which the act for the organization of the county was approved by the territorial legislature of Indiana. Since the date of the organ- ization of the county, portions of its territory, at different times, have been taken off, and have assisted in 'forming the counties of l'osey, Vanderburgh, Pike and Warrick. The present area of the county consists of 490 square miles. The-population of the county in 1890 numbered 24,920 souls. There are now (1896) probably 30,000 people in the county. The county was given the name of Gibson in honor of Gen. John Gibson, a brave and gallant soldier of the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars. He was also Secretary of the Territory of Indiana from 1800 until the admission of Indiana into the Union as a State, in 1816.
During the progress of events that led to the full and perfect organization of the county, in the civil and legislative functions, a judicial power was necessary to the protection of the rights and general welfare of the people. The organization of the court of common pleas was an important, as well as one of the first steps toward the completion of the organic system of the county.
BENCH AND BAR.
Pursuant to the provisions of the enabling act for the organiza- tion of the county, the Gibson Court of Common Pleas was begun and held at the house of William Harrington on Monday, May 10,, 1813. Hon. William Harrington was president judge, and Isaac Montgomery and Daniel Putnam were his associate judges. The reader must remember that this occurred three years before Indiana became a State. The first courts of the county were known as that of common pleas courts, which were continued un- til the organization of the State in 1816. The constitution of 1816 provided that the judicial powers of the State should be vested in one Supreme Court and Circuit Courts. The latter courts were formed by a president judge and two associate judges, who were elected by the qualified electors in the counties forming the circuits. Hon. Isaac Blackford succeeded Hon. William Harrington as president judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and he in turn was succeeded by Hon. David Raymond, who was succeeded by Hon. William Prince, and those who succeeded to this office were the following, and they came into the office in the order in which their names are given: Hon. David Hart; Hon. Richard Daniel, Hon. James R. E. Goodlett, Hon. Samuel Hall, Hon. Chas. I. Battell, Hon. Elisha Embree, Hon. James
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ITISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
Lockhart. As the Court of Common Pleas was discontinued in 1816, the Circuit Court took its place, but as the Circuit Courts were formed by a president and two associate judges as were formed the Courts of Common Pleas, the above named president judges are named without reference to whether they presided over the Courts of Common Pleas or the Circuit Courts. How- ever, Judge Isaac Blackford organized and held the first Circuit Court in Gibson County. The Circuit Courts continued to be presided over by a president and two associate judges until 1851, when the new State constitution of Indiana abolished the office of associate judge. Hon. Alvin P. Hovey became judge of the Circuit Courts in September, 1851, and served till April, 1854. He was succeeded by Hon. William E. Niblack, who served till March, 1858, when he resigned to enter Congress. His unex- pired term was filled by Hon. Ballard Smith. He was succeeded by Hon. Michael J. Burke, whose successor was Hon. James C. Denny, who in turn was succeeded by Hon. John Baker, whose successor was Hon. Newton F. Malott. The latter served from 1870 to 1873. In March of that year Hon. Oscar M. Welborn was appointed to succeed him, and. Judge Welborn has since re- mained on the bench. Elsewhere in this volume is given a bio- graphical sketch of him ..
The Probate Courts, for the settlement of decedent estates, first met in Gibson County in 1830. The Judges of Probate Courts in' this County were: Isaac Montgomery, from 1830 to 1832: James Devin, from 1832 to 1837; John Hargrove, from 1837 to 1838; William French, from August, 1838 to December, same year; Samuel A. Stewart, from December, 1838, to 1845; Frederick Bruner, from 1845 to 1849; Amasa D). Foster, from 1849 to 1851. In 1851 the Probate Court was abolished, and its business trans- ferred to the Common Pleas Courts. Those who served as Judges of the Common Pleas Courts were: John Pitcher, Andrew L. Robinson, Morris S. Johnson, William P. Edson, William M. Land, J. B. Handy. In 1873 the Common Pleas Court was abol- ished by act of the Legislature, and the business of the Court transferred to the Circuit Court.
Judge William Prince was the first resident attorney in Gibson County. He was a resident of the County at the time of its organ- zation and was appointed the first Prosecuting Attorney. Shortly after the organization of the County, David Hart and Richard Daniel located in Princeton. They afterward became Judges of the Circuit Court. In the carly history of the County the most noted resident lawyers, perhaps, were Judge Samuel Hall and Judge Elisha Embrec. Judge John Pitcher was an able lawyer but he resided at Princeton for only a brief period. Among other early resident lawyers of the County the following names appear: Judge . Bowman, Judge Elias Terry, William P. Hall, Alex. C.
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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
Donald, Jacob F. Bird, James T. Embree, Judge William M. Land, H. T. Kaiger, Burr IL. Polk, William H. Brownlee, William Reavis, John E. Phillips, Charles G. Bennett, William Aydelotte, David F. Embree.
Among the present members of the Gibson County bar the following are among the most prominent: William M. Land (the Nestor of the bar), Clarence A. Buskirk, Thomas R. Paxton. John H. Miller, Arthur P. Twincham, John W. Ewing, Henry A. Yeager. M. W. Fields, Lucius C. Embree, James B. Gamble, John R. McCoy, W. D. Robinson, L. W. Gudgel, Thomas Dun- can, John W. Brady, and others.
Hon. J. E. McCollough, now of Indianapolis, resided and prac- ticed law in Princeton several years, and rose to prominence. The present bar of Gibson County is particularly strong and its members are among the ablest attorneys of the state. This has always been true of this bar.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND FINANCES.
The seat of justice for Gibson County was located in February 1814, and it was ordered by the court that it should be known as l'rinceton. The location of the seat of justice having been defi- nitely agreed upon, the next step was the erection of a suitable building for the accommodation of the public officers. In 1814 this step was taken, and in the following year the first court house (a brick) was completed and at once occupied. This first building was used by the county for over a quarter of a century, until 1841, when it appeared advisable to crect a new court house. The nec- essary steps were taken. and in the year 1843 a new structure of brick was completed, at a cost of about $9,000. This building was a substantial one and was used fro about forty years. In 1884 the present court house was erected at a cost of about $120,000. It is of modern style of architecture, and is a commodious and handsome edifice.
In 1814. the first steps were taken for the building of a public jail for the county, and the building was soon afterward completed, and was used till 1835, in the spring of which year a new jail . building was completed. The second building served the county for many years, and until the present substantial brick jail was built. The poor in Gibson County have always received careful attention. Comfortable buildings serve as an asylum for the un- fortunate poor, and are creditable to the citizens and officials of the county.
Public roads and bridges in the county have been looked after in a manner manifesting a spirit of progress on the part of the county. Good school buildings and excellent schools also mark progressiveness of the people. But few counties in Indiana have
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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
better public buildings and other improvements than has Gibson County. The county also has many fine homes and well im- proved farms. The county is almost wholly an agricultural dis- triet; and in the production of wheat stands second to no county in the State. It is perhaps the leading wheat producing county. The present assessed value of real and personal property in the county is about $14,563.775. The county is one of the oklest in the State. It has not witnessed any phenomenal ad- vances in growth and development, still it has made steady pro- gress. It has convenient shipping facilities, having four lines of railroads, viz .: The Evansville & Terre Haute; the Louisville, Ev- ansville & St. Louis, (Air Linc) the Evansville & Indianapolis and the Mt. Vernon branch of the E. & T. H., from Ft. Branch.
A review of the financial condition of the county each year since its organization would be of little historical value, but a re- capitulation of the county auditor's report of receipts and dis- bursements for the fiscal year ending May 31, 1806, will give the reader an idea of the financial condition of the county at the time of this writing. According to the Treasurer's annual report for 1806, the amount on hand June 1, 1805, was $111,948.57. For the fiscal year ending May 31, 1896, the receipts were $258,458.39, which amount, together with the amount on hand June 1, 1895, makes a total receipt of $370,407.96, for the above named fiscal year. For this same year the amount expended was $260,003.00, hence the amount on hand May 31, 1896, was $110,404.96. Of this amount $32,913.96 were county revenues; $9,290.75, State revenues; $4,655.48, township funds; $13,057.46, tuition funds; $13,880.05, special school funds; $10,645.49, road funds ; $7,184.04, special road funds; $017.79, dog funds; $9,196.38, corporation funds; $366.93, library (Princeton) funds; $406.19, railroad funds; $3.349.13, school bond funds; $20.00, surplus tuition funds; $300.00 saloon license; $7.80, estray fund; $2,045.74, school fund principal; $2,167.77, school fund interest.
MEDICAL HISTORY.
At this late date, in the absence of the necessary data. it cannot be expected that much of the history of the medical profession in Gibson County can be recorded. Who were the first physi- cians to practice the healing art in the county cannot be ascer- tained. Below is given the names of several physicians who may be appropriately classed as "olden time" practitioners in the county : J. J. Pennington, Wiloby Walling, George B. Graff, H. 11. Patten, Kell, V. T. West, Cook, - Fullerton, Ncely, Downey, - Stockwell, ---- Howard, McCollough, Day, ------ Littlepage, --- Mumford.
May 1, 1874, pursuant to a call of a number of physicians of
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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
Gibson County met at Princeton for the purpose of organizing a county medical society, and on that date the Gibson County Medical Society was duly organized. The following physicians Irave been members of this society and have practiced medicine in the county: J. Stott, H. II. l'atten, J. C. l'atten, V. T. West, W. W. Blair, S. E. Mumford, W. G. Kidd, Robert Moore, J. W. Runcie, S. 11. Shoptaugh, Wm. A. Downey, W. II. Church, I'. HI. Curtner, E. J. Iloward, W. Il. Stewart, J. L. Dow, J. A. Malone, R. Davis, J. C. Mcclurkin, J. C. Woodruff, J. F. Gudgel, F. 11. Maxam, W. G. Hopkins, D. P'. Reavis, G. C. Mason, G. M. Scars, W. W. French, G. W. Runcie, W. H. Maghce, F. Nelson, W. P. Hornbrook, Geo. A. Thomas, G. C. Kendle, A. R. Burton, J. P. Ward, G. C. Fisher, F. Blair and others.
The following is a list of those who have practiced medicine in the county more recently, and perhaps the list embraces nearly. all physicians now residing in the county: R. S. Anderson, A. R. Burton, Hiram Burton, John Ballard, W. W. Blair, Frank Blair, Thos. M. Browh, R. A. Benson, Geo. B. Bearsford, John 1. Clark, W. B. Duncan, Oscar F. Davis, Geo. P'. Dorsey, E. E. Eads, W. W. French, J. F. Gudgel, W. R. Genung, Oliver L. Hudson, John. F. Howard, Royal G. Higgins, W. G. Hopkins, John M. Ireland, Wm. G. Kidd, G. C. Kendle, F. H. Maxam, T. J. Montgomery, Victor Marchant, Robert S: Mason, G. C. Mason, J. W. McGowan, W: J. McGowan, John S. Moreman, Claude M. McDonakl, Frank Nelson, Calvin .L. Null, Jas. C. Patten, Isom H. Phipps, J. W. Runcie, D. P. Reavis, H. R. Rickets, L. B. Richie, J. L. Robinson, George Strickland, J. W. Shelton, S. H. Shoptaugh, Wm. H. Stewart, - Tarr, Gco. A. Thomas, James Thomas, J. M. Williams, W. T. Williamson, A. C. Woodruff, J. P. Ward.
WAR HISTORY.
The people of Gibson County from pioneer days to the present have been law abiding citizens, as well as patriotic. The first war in which the citizens of the county participated, was that struggle with the Indian confederacy, organized and led by Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, in 1811. Several com- panies were organized for that struggle, from the territory em- braced in Gibson County. After the close of this struggle little occurred to rouse the military spirit of the citizens of this county until the Mexican war came on. This war occurred between the United States and Mexico in 1846 and 1847. The State of Indiana furnished five regiments, and there were a few men en- listed from this county. The Hon. Judge William M. Land, of l'rinceton, was one of them. Joseph and Thomas Summers were in the Black Hawk war of 1832. In 1842 the Board of County Commissioners exempted George Holbrook, Sr., from paying tax
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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
on 160 acres of land on which he resided in this county, on proof of his having served in the Revolutionary war. Jesse Kimball, / Thomas Montgomery, Samuel Montgomery, Jerre Wyatt and Joshua Kitchens were also Revolutionary soldiers, and after- ward residents of this county.
The war of the rebellion fully aroused the military spirit of the county, and to the call for volunteers to culist in the army of the U'ation. Gibson County quickly responded, and her sons went forth to aid the nation in the hour of its peril, nobly discharging the duty imposed by their obligations to their common country, and the purpose to maintain the supremacy of the laws. The greatest of conflicts began on the memorable 12th of April, 1861, when the guns of treason opened fire on the flag of liberty, at Fort Sinter, and closed with the surrender of Gen. Lec to Gen. Grant at Appomattox. April 9, 1865. Of the record her citizens bore in that conflict Gibson County may well be proud. The State of Indiana furnished 280,367 sokliers to the war for the Union. Of the above number Gibson County is credited with having furnished 2,199, of which number 193 were re-enlisted veterans, and consequently served two terms. The quota assigned to this county was 2.314, and the credits 2,392, making a surplus of 78 more than the county was required to furnish. Gibson county not only gave her best and noblest blood, but also subscribed lib- erally her money and other means so necessary to carry on a great war. The county paid a total bounty of $104,014.15 and a total relief fund of $31,035.51.
Inasmuch as this volume contains the history of Indiana in the civil war, in which a brief mention is made of each regiment or- ganized and sent out from the State, the reader is referred to the history of Indiana embraced in this work. for further information on this subject.
COMMON SCHOOLS.
The history of early education in Gibson County is involved in considerable obscurity, as the official records furnish little infor- mation in regard thereto. The carly settlers, however, fully appreciated the importance of establishing schools, for as early as 1807 a few subscription schools were maintained in the more thickly settled neighborhoods. The first school house was erected in the Robb neighborhood in the northern part of White River Township. The structure was a one-story log house, with clap- board roof and puncheon floor: the roof was held down by weight poles made fast by hickory withes; it had windows of greased paper to admit light, a portion of a log being left out on each side to give place for the paper windows. A large fire place, extend- ing from side to side at the rear end of the building, and the chimney was of clay and sticks. Large logs were rolled into the
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HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY.
fire place and a roaring fire heated this primitive country lyceum. Puncheon benches served for seats, and slabs fastened up around the sides of the room by pegs resting in holes in the logs, served as writing and ciphering desks. Reading, writing and arithmetic were the rudimentary studies. The schools of those early days were subscription schools, and the teacher generally boarded round with patrons of the schools. n many instances pupils had to go three, four and five miles to and from school, morning and night. Joseph Duncan taught school in the county as early as 1808. William Woods and John Johnson were pioneer teachers. David Burch, Solomon D. King, John Coursly. Mathew Cunning- ham, William Chittenden, Ira Bostick, Major James Smith. John Kell, William Putnam and others were among the early teachers in this county. The first constitution of Indiana wisely provided that "it shall be the duty of the general assembly, as soon as cir- cumstances will permit, to provide by law for a general system of education, ascending in a regular gradation from township schools to a State university, wherein tuition shall be gratis and equally open to all." The schools of the State. however. were supported by an inferior system up to about 1853, about which time the new state constiution made it the duty of the general as- sembly to provide by law for a general and uniform system of common schools, wherein tuition shall be gratis, and the schools equally open to all. The law of 1855, and later of 1865, carried out the plan of the constitution, and hence our present magnificent system of free schools in Indiana. For many years the schools of Gibson county have been managed under that beneficent sys- tem of free instruction, provided by law, and the many good school houses that are now in this county, and the excellent schools taught therein are abundant evidence that the cause of education in Gibson county has always had many supporters.
CHURCHES.
The people of Gibson county have always been a deeply moral and religious class. The following have been the prevailing de- nominations of church in the county: Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian, General Reformed Presbyterian, United Presbyter- ian, First Reformed Presbyterian, Independent Covenanters. Methodist Episcopal, Evangelical, Regular Baptist, General Bap- tist, and Roman Catholic. The clergymen of the Regular Baptist and the Methodist Episcopal were among the first to preach the gospel in this county. Limited space forbids giving a detailed history of churches in this county.
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