USA > Indiana > Johnson County > A historical sketch of Johnson county, Indiana > Part 12
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During the following summer, Franklin was laid out, and made ready for settlers ; but it was not until the spring after that a house was built within the plat. At that time, a man named Kelly put up a house on the west side of the square, and kept a few articles in the grocery line for sale, chief among which seems to have been an odd sort of beer and cakes. He was for some
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reason unable to get whisky, and, at the end of a year he left and went to Indianapolis.
In the summer of 1824, William Shaffer built the court house, and, in the fall, he built himself a house on the southeast corner of the square. The same year, John Smiley put up a log house of two stories, on the northwest corner of Main and Jefferson streets, where Wood's drug store now is, and moving into it the same year he hung out a " tavern sign." At the same time, a cabin was put up adjoining Smiley's house on the west, and into this Daniel Taylor, from Cincinnati, brought a stock of dry goods and groceries. Edward Springer, that year or the next, built and operated the first smithy in the township on the west side of the square. In 1825 or 1826, Joseph Young and Samuel Herriott, partners in business, erected the first frame building in the town and township, near to Shaffer's house ; and, in the south side, a tavern was opened under the immediate supervision of Young; and in the north side was opened a general store under the care of Herriott. In 1828, George King built a brick house on Main street, in which he lived until his death, in 1869. The somewhat elaborate beadwork on the door and window casing, which many will remember, was cut out by the carpenters with pocket-knives. Among the early settlers was Thomas Williams, who came in 1823 or 1824; John K. Powell, a hatter; Caleb Vannoy, a tanner; Pierson Murphy and James Ritchey, phy- sicians ; Fabius M. Finch and Gilderoy Hicks, lawyers ; Samuel Headly and Samuel Lambertson, tailors.
In another place (Chap. VII) is an account of the drift of set- tlement in Franklin Township, and it only remains to add such of the names of the pioneer settlers as the memories of those car- ing to impart their knowledge will give. In 1825, Moses Free- man, Daniel Covert, Joseph Voris, Thomas Henderson and, prob- ably, John Davis, moved into and not far from the Covert neighborhood, at the Big Spring, near Hopewell. Henry Byers settled near the west side, and about the same time Joseph Hunt came in by Burkhart's, and Isaac Beeson over on Sugar Creek. John Smiley, in 1822, had settled on the same creek and had built a mill. John Mozingo and Squire Hendricks were living on the east side, as heretofore stated.
The same year Franklin was located, Cyrus Whetzel ran a line and marked it, with a compass, through the woods from the Bluffs to the new town, and in 1824 the Bluff road was cut out, and this afforded movers easy access to the northwest parts of the township. In 1825, Isaac Vannuys, Stephen Luyster and David Banta moved in, and, the year after, Peter Legrange and his sons,.
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Peter D. and Aaron, all then settled in what is now known as the Hopewell neighborhood. Following, at intervals, during the next few years, we find coming into the same vicinity John Voris, Simon Vanarsdall, Zachariah Ransdall, Cornelius Covert, Melvin Wheat, John P. Banta, John Bergen, Peter Demaree, Samuel Vannuys, Theodore List, Stephen Whitenack, Joseph Combs, Thomas Roberts and Peter Banta. On the south and west sides and south- west corner of the township, we find that Thomas Mitchel, Michael Canary, Robert McAuly, Jacob Demaree, Ebenezer Per- ry, James Forsyth, came in quite early, and then passing up the south side are the names of Major Townsend, John D. Mitchel, John Gratner, Joseph Ashly, John Harter, Alexander McCas- lin, James McCaslin, John C. Goodman, John Gribben, and Jonathan Williams. In the central and northern parts were Wm. Magill, Garrett Bergen, Peter A. Banta, Milton Utter, the White- sides brothers-Henry, James, John and William-and Stephen and Lemuel Tilson, Thomas J. Mitchel, John Brown, Elisha Dun- gan, Edward Crow, David McCaslin, Harvey McCaslin, Robert Jef- frey, John Herriott, Middleton Waldren, Therrett Devore, Travis Burnett, David Berry, Jesse Williams, Simon Moore, John High, Samuel Overstreet, John Wilson, David, Thomas and George Alexander, William and Samuel Allison and John Wilson ; while upon the east side, in addition to those mentioned in Chapter VII, may be named Landen Hendricks, William Garrison, Joseph Tetrick, Jesse Beard, Thomas Needham, Jacob Fisher, Samuel Owens, David Wiles and J. C. Patterson.
The next mill built in the township, after Smiley's, was by John Harter, on Young's Creek, two miles below Franklin. Har- ter bought his mill-irons from John Smiley and agreed to pay him in corn, two bushels being due on Wednesday of every other week until paid for ; and in this connection, it may be stated as an evidence of the straits to which men were put in those days, that Jefferson D. Jones had a supply of bacon but no meal, while Harter had the meal but no bacon, and that they made an ar- rangement whereby Jones took a half-bushel of meal every other week, and gave Harter of his bacon, in payment therefor at the same intervals of time.
About 1827, Levi Moore got a little mill in operation on Young's Creek, at the mouth of Moore's Creek, and, still later, Cornelius Covert built a mill on the same stream higher up.
In 1826, a little child of Joseph Young's died, the first in the township. In 1829, a school was taught in the log court house. John Tracy, of Pleasant Township, was a pupil, walking not less than five miles night and morning. James Graham was the
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teacher. About 1825, Thomas Williams married, as is now be- lieved, the first couple in the township. Their names have not been remembered, but the groom, having no money to pay the Squire, proffered that he would make rails and his wife work in the kitchen for Williams in lieu of money.
FRANKLIN COLLEGE-ITS ORIGIN. FURNISHED BY DR. W. T. STOTT.
On the 5th of June, 1834, a number of Baptist ministers and laymen met at Indianapolis to form an education society. Their names were William Rees, J. L. Richmond, E. Fisher, H. Brad- ley, John Hobart, S. Harding, L. Morgan, J. V. A. Woods, E. Williams, John McCoy, John Mason, Moses Jeffries and Reuben Coffey.
Bids were advertised for a place in which to plant a school. Among four places, Franklin was chosen, and the "Baptist Manual Labor Institute " was organized. In 1844, a college charter was secured, college functions were assumed, and Rev. G. C. Chandler, of Indianapolis, was elected President.
The curriculum would, at any time, compare favorably with that of any other college in the State, and the attendance was always fair. The finances were not so favorable. Many attempts were made to raise an endowment, but with only partial success. The largest effort was begun in 1852-53; the sum of $60,000 was subscribed, on what was known as the " scholarship plan." A large proportion of the scholarships were used ; not half of the subscriptions, however, were paid. In 1853, Rev. Silas Bailey, D. D., was elected President. His reputation was so well estab- lished, and his leadership so marked, that he soon gathered an able Faculty, and had a good attendance of students. There was yet no endowment worth the naming. An additional building was put up, capable of accommodating sixty students with rooms. It was found to be impossible to collect the subscriptions to the endowment without recourse to law, and, after several trials, the collection was given up. Why men were not willing to recognize their own obligations to their own institution is not known. Fail- ing health obliged President Bailey to resign in 1862. Instruction was kept up for some time; but, as the war was taking all the young men from the country, the college was obliged to suspend, its last term having but two students, and they were both lame, and so could not enter the service. What a fine comment on the patriotism of the young men, who, in times of peace, would have been pursuing a course of study in our colleges ! In 1869, the Board of Directors again undertook the work of providing instruc-
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
tion. Rev. W. T. Stott, Pastor at Columbus, was elected to the chair of natural science, and was made Acting President. An able corps of teachers was selected, and the school was soon in a prosperous state. In 1870, Rev. H. L. Wayland, D. D., of Kalamazoo College, was elected President. Vigorous efforts were now made to so present the needs and importance of the college, that the Baptists of the State would raise at least $100,000. After repeated efforts, President Wayland became discouraged, and resigned. The board had incurred a considerable debt in repairs and in advancing the pay of the instructors, and so in the early part of 1872, the college property was taken to secure the debt, and the board dissolved. Within a few months, however, the citizens of Johnson County and other friends, organized a Joint Stock Association ; over $50,000 were subscribed, and, in Septem- ber, 1872, the college was again ready to give instruction. Rev. W. T. Stott was chosen President, and it was decided to offer the advantages of the college to young men and young women on the same terms.
The subscriptions of stock have, up to this time, amounted, in round numbers, to $100,000. The total net assets of the college are, as per statement in catalogue for 1879-80, as follows :
Buildings, campus, library, apparatus and cabinet ... $ 40,000 00
Productive endowment. 60,531 88
Unproductive endowment (real estate) ... 10,652 48
Beneficiary fund ... 1,250 00
Centennial Hall fund .. 471 69
Bad and doubtful subscriptions 8,660 00
Total $121,566 05 Deducting bad and doubtful subscriptions, we have as
our assets. $112,906 05
The number of graduates is fifty-six. Many of these have taken places of responsibility and honor.
The college has two departments ; preparatory (of three years), and college proper (of four years).
The attendance is increasing year by year. The library con- tains between 2,500 and 3,000 volumes .*
The expenses are moderate, only $51 per year in college, and $48 in preparatory, including room and incidental fee.
The officers of the board are J. L. Bradley, President ; Rev. G. E. Leonard, Vice President ; E. C. Miller, Secretary ; Dr. B. Wallace, Treasurer. Rev. W. N. Wyeth, D. D., is employed as General Financial Agent.
* The campus consists of abont twelve acres, on a portion of which stand the original forest trees. There are two high brick buildings, each 80x40 feet, and three stories high. These furnish recitation rooms, society rooms, laboratory, music room, painting room, chapel, library, studies for professors, and forty-eight rooms for students.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
The Faculty consists of Rev. W. T. Stott, D. D., President and Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy ; Rev. C. H. Hall, B. D., Professor of Greek Language and Literature ; Miss R. J. Thompson, Professor of Mathematics, pure and applied ; A. B. Chaffee, A. M., Professor of Latin Language and Liter- ature ; D. A. Owen, A. B., tutor in Natural Science; W. C. Thompson, A. B., tutor in Preparatory Department; Mrs. Bel. R. Stott, teacher of Painting and Drawing; J. M. Dungan, teacher of Instrumental and Vocal Music.
Prominent among those who have been connected with the college as instructors are as follows :
Presidents-G. C. Chandler, D. D .; Silas Bailey, D. D., and H. L. Wayland, D. D.
Other teachers-J. W. Dame, A. M. ; W. J. Robinson, Julia Robinson, J. S. Hougham, LL. D .; Mark Bailey, A. M .; G. Brummback, A. M. ; F. M. Furgason, A. M .; W. Brand, D. D. ; Dr. B. Wallace, M. D .; A. F. Tilton, J. E. Walter, A. M .; F. M. Brown, Mrs. M. A. Fisher, J. W. Moncrief, A. M .. and E. S. Hopkins, A. B.
Among those who have given the largest subscriptions to the present endowment may be named Grafton Johnson, W. W. Lowe, James Forsyth, James L. Bradley, William Needham, U. P. Schenk, E. H. Shirk, J. L. Allen and John Kenower.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
CHAPTER XVIII. WHITE RIVER TOWNSHIP. BY JUDGE FRANKLIN HARDIN.
White River Township originally extended across the north part of Johnson County, but is now restricted to its northwest corner. It includes forty-eight sections of land. Its length, which lies north and south, is eight miles and its breadth six. It is sit- uate in the basin of White River, and about one thousand acres lie on the west bank of that stream. Three or four sections in the southeast corner are included in the valley of Young's Creek. The valley of White River, through and over the gravelly and sandy stratum of the drift, is about twenty miles wide, and has a depth of sixty or seventy feet. There are only two ter- races to the river, the nearer being about twelve feet above low water and a mile in width, and overflows to a depth of about three feet. The farther is still fifteen feet higher and of equal breadth. With this terrace the level portions of its valley cease and are succeeded north of the bluffs by sandy and gravelly ridges a mile and more in width, and which extend for long distances parallel with the river having an elevation often equal to the greatest depth of the valley, proving to any observer that they were formed by moving waters confined to the valley of the river, and which were then equally extensive with its whole width and depth. Across this inclined plane, with its great fall throughout the whole township, except half a dozen sections in the southeast corner, situate in the basin of Young's Creek, Pleasant Run, Honey Creek, Bluff Creek, Crooked Creek and other smaller streams rush down to the river, thus giving an unsurpassed drainage to the township. The township has a greater variety of soils than any other in the county, and of unequaled productiveness. When Whetzel, in cutting his trace with the purpose of going still fur- ther, looked down into the rich valley of White River, he said " This is good enough for me," and there erected a permanent camp. And those who have resided in White River Township and having left in search of other eligible points, have sought in vain for its equal. Its rich, dry soil attracted emigration at a very early day, which continued to pour in until the township was soon densely populated. The greater part of the emigrants were
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
from the Southern States, three-fourths at least from Virginia, a few from Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio. The emigrants were men of small means, seldom able to enter more than eighty acres of land, and dependent entirely upon personal efforts for the improvement of their lands and for the subsistence of them- selves and families. And this one feature, that is, the slender means of the emigrants-although at first thought it seems paradox- ical-accounts for the rapid advancement of Indiana more than any other. There were no idlers. The men worked, the women worked, the children worked.
The first emigrants were a body of select men, who came to a county covered with a heavy forest, to better their condition by conquering its wildness and developing its agricultural re- sources. Their capital was in their ability to perform hard serv- ice, and in a will and purpose to do so. The heavy forest, with its tall trees, and with its dense shrubbery, was sufficient to deter irresolute men from undertaking so arduous a task as its removal, and except a few wandering hunters there were none here. Every man needed assistance, and every man stood ready to render it. If an emigrant but cut a new road through the brush- wood, and erected a camp, a half a dozen men would find it out and be there in twenty-four hours, not by invitation, but volun- tarily to assist him in building a cabin. Often a cabin was built in a single day, and covered in, and the family housed in safety and comfort at night beneath its roof. If food was needed by the new-comer, that was carried along, and often half of the meal for those assisting was supplied by the neighbors, and the good old kind-hearted mothers went along to help prepare it. The furniture of the cabin consisted often of a fixed bedstead in each of the four angles. One bed-post only was used, set up four and one-half feet from one wall, and six and one-half from the other, with two large holes bored into it two feet from the floor. Then two holes were bored into the walls, and into these were inserted, smoothed with a drawing-knife, two poles, four and a half feet, the width, and six and a half feet the length of the frame work. On the long way, rails were laid, and into the space between the logs of the wall were inserted the usual split boards, and thus this indispensable piece of furniture was completed. A man could make one in an hour. They answered every purpose with the finest bedstead, except they were not sufficiently stable for rest- less sleepers, who often found themselves descending through mis- placed boards to the floor.
In every cabin, suspended to the joists, hung a frame-work of nicely smoothed poles a foot or two apart. On these, in the fall
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season, hung, in thin sections to dry for long keeping, the rich, golden pumpkins.
But often the emigrant did not wait to build a cabin, but, if he came in the spring, he built a camp, leaving the cabin to be erected during the summer and fall. The first indispensable object was bread, and to reach it required long days of patient labor. But the pioneer came fully advised of what was to be met and overcome. His bread was in the ground beneath the forest trees. He did not sit down and repine, or reload his wagon and return whence he came; he was a man. The first thing was to remove the small undergrowth. It was the universal practice to cut down everything "eighteen inches and under". When felled, it was cut up into sections twelve to fifteen feet in length, and the brush piled around larger trees for the pur- pose of killing them by burning. Ten to fifteen settlers had an understanding that they would act together and assist one another. It mattered little if ten miles apart, that was not too far to travel to assist or to be assisted. Every man had his day, and when that day came, rain or shine, none of the expected assistants were absent. They did not wait till the dews were dissipated; they came as soon as the sun rose and often sooner. I yet see them, and how I regret that we have not a photographie view of the company, our fathers and mothers, just as they were then. True, they were not fashionably dressed, for in nine cases out of ten, each man wore a pair of buckskin pants, partly from necessity and partly from convenience, for a man dressed in leather moves through brush and briers with little inconven- ience. Each wore moccasins instead of boots ; and old hats, coonskin or buckskin caps made up the head gear. There was no time lost. Every man was a veteran and hastened on to the work to be done with precision and skillfulness. If the company was large enough it was divided. Eight men made a good strong company, and quite as many as could act together. Every squad had a captain or leader, not by election, but he was such by pre-eminence and skill in the business. And now the work begins. The leader casts his experienced eye over the logs as they were fallen by accident, or, more probably, by design, and at a single glance takes in the situation over an acre. A half-dozen logs are lying a few feet apart, and in a parallel position. They can be readily thrown together and constitute a nice pile for burning. The leader speaks, and they seem to have suddenly acquired locomo- tion, and are in a pile. And thus on and on for fifteen or twenty days every spring, before each man has had his day. The mothers were there also assisting, in cooking, not in patent metal stoves
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with a half a dozen apartments to stow away everything nicely, but in Dutch ovens and sugar kettles before a hot burning log- pile. If anything was wanting, and the want was made known, it was kindly contributed, and a rich, hearty meal was provided, and then eaten with a zest unknown to the present lazy shadows of manhood. And thus the day was spent in useful necessary labor and friendly chat. But the pioneer, during the busy sea- son, did not go home to rest and to sleep from a log rolling, but to his own clearing, where he continued to heap brush on the burning heaps till the snapping and uproar could be heard in the distance, and the light lit up the heavens for a half a mile away, then retiring to snatch from labor a few hours of rest, he soon found the coming day, bringing with it the busy scenes already described. But there was a good woman, a faithful mother left behind, and so soon as the morning meal was over, she did not while away the day in reading novels or fingering a piano, but she took all the children to the clearing, and securing baby in a safe position, she and the older ones continued to pile on the brush and combustibles, and thus the work went on by day and night. In early spring, when the trees were being felled to be cut up for piling and burning on some elevated place in the midst of a pioneer settlement, my attention has been often arrested by the busy scene around me. In old age the mind wanders back to brighter days, and often finds pleasure even in youthful sports.
" How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood, When fond recollection presents them to view; The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wildwood, And all the loved scenes which my infancy knew."
When we travel over the "New Purchase," and see it as it now is, and compare it with its condition fifty years ago. the exclamation forces itself upon us ; How changed ! Everything is altered ! It is another world ! But what wrought the change ? Come, travel back with me to its condition as it was fifty years ago and learn the cause, and see the busy scene around. It is a pleas- ing one to me, and was then, although repeated over and over for three months during every spring. It is now the 1st of May, and fifty years ago since those good men, the pioneers, stimulated by the recollection of the scanty supplies of the last year, were straining every nerve to clear up more ground to supply the deficiency. Here with their bare, brawny arms, they swung high in the air their sharp glittering blades, that effectively fell in unceasing blows amid the trees and brush of the jungle, click ! click ! just at hand and faintly heard in the distance ; click ! click ! twenty
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or thirty axes are heard in rapid fall. Every man and every boy is at work.
"Deep echoing groan the thickets brown,
Then rustling, crackling, crashing thunder down,"
the forest trees. And the ponderous maul forced down with the power of a stalwart pioneer, shakes the forest for a mile away ; and the loud-sounding monotones of twenty bells, at least, on the leaders of cattle and horses, like telephones, tell the owners where to find them, as they roam at large and feed on nature's wide . pastures.
And now gaunt want, with his emaciated form and hateful, shrunken visage, who had forced himself into every cabin in spite of the efforts of its inmates, when he heard the crashing, falling trees, and saw at night the lurid glare of burning logs and brush, was alarmed and fled, but afterward often returned and cast a wistful eye within, but seldom entered.
It was thus the improvements in Johnson County were begun. It is thus the work has been carried on and the consummation reached in the grand development of its resources in every department of our industries. Among the pioneers were some immoral, bad men ; there were, however, but few entirely destitute of all good. In this history, it is the gold and not the dross that we would preserve. Not only in laborious duties, but, also, in moral and social qualities, the pioneers generally, were a noble and select class of men and women. Their ears were open to every call of aid and assistance. I would to God that I had the skill to paint in proper colors, and to describe their kindness and sympathy, and their vigils around the couches of their suffering, dying neigh- bors, but I am powerless to do them justice. And around their firesides, in social evening gatherings, their friendship and kind- ness knew no limits. And, if it were not for the want and desti- tution and constant hardships endured by them, and the gloomy, deadly autumnal sickness, I could wish to meet them once again, though in the gloomy forest, to enjoy another social gathering in a humble log cabin where every thought and every word came up fresh and pure pushing from the heart. But they are gone. They have long since gathered by the "side of the beautiful river," in a friendship now changed into perfect love, where God shall wipe away all tears, where there is no more toil, nor want, nor sorrow, nor death, to receive the glorious rewards of well-spent lives. We owe to their memories a vast debt for the beautiful country which their labors and sufferings have left us, and yet still more, for their examples in goodness and virtue, which by night and by day still go with us, and kindly, and softly, and
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