USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Evansville > A history of Evansville and Vanderburgh County, Indiana : a complete and concise account from the earliest times to the present, embracing reminiscences of the pioneers and biographical sketches of the men who have been leaders in commercial and other enterprises > Part 11
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The canal extended through the city of Evansville, a distance of a mile and a half. Commencing in 1865 the authorities proceeded to fill up the canal at the various street crossings and as early as 1867 it was filled at all, or nearly all, of the crossings, and the canal was thus obliterated at those points.
Water collected and became stagnant in the intermediate portions, which resulted to the enactment of an ordinance by the city, requiring the owners of the lots to fill up the canal, which threatened the public health. At the May term, 1866, this court decided that the state ac- quired only an easement or servitude in the lands upon which the canal was constructed, and that the fee continued in the former owners. (Edgerton vs. Huff 26-35). Thereupon those who seemed to be the owners of the fee of the lands in controversy proceeded to fill up the canal, completing the filling at a cost of about $2,000 in the year 1867. Thereafter the lots were regularly assessed for taxation against the several owners, until the year 1873, when the county of Vander- burgh acquired the title by regular conveyance, from those in posses- sion and who had title as above.
Having related all the facts connected with the history of the canal, the judgment of the appellate court, may be stated briefly, which was to the effect that the judgment of the lower court was affirmed, with costs, which meant that the county owned the land purchased from the citizens of Evansville, who acted in good faith and conscience- land that Mr. Collett, of Terre Haute, attempted to wrest from them. The principal of the law upon which the higher court reached this conclusion is stated in the syllabus, of the decision, which is quoted as follows :
" When a canal, instituted by the state and afterwards conveyed by it to a corporation known as the board of trustees of the Wabash and Erie canal, for public purposes, who abandoned as a highway, and possession was afterward taken by abutting lot owners, who filled up the channel and rescued the property at great expense and in good faith, from becoming a public nuisance, and retained exclusive and contin-
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
uous possession for twenty years, they acquired title by prescription as against one asserting a mere proprietory interest in the land form- erly occupied by the canal."
The decision was in favor of the public-spirited citizens of Evans- ville, who had spent their time and money in filling up the microbe- breeding pool or ditch, that the canal company had left as a legacy to the inhabitants of Evansville for the consideration they had shown and the interest they had taken in the building of that waterway.
CHAPTER IX.
FIRST TAX REVENUES.
Early Method of Levying and Collecting Revenue-First Tax Col- lected was less than One Hundred and Fifty Dollars-Financial Depression-Coonskins and Other Articles Collected by the Tax- gatherer-Favorable Location for Evansville's Great Prosperity- Class of People who Settled in Vanderburgh County-Expendi- tures of Public Money.
Julius Gibson was the first assessor of the county. The order for his appointment was made at the first session of the first board of county commissioners, March 10, 1818, and reads as follows: "Ordered that Julius Gibson be appointed the assessor for the county of Vander- burgh." After the assessment of property the tax levy was made by the commissioners. The tax books or duplicates were prepared by the clerk, and placed in the hands of the sheriff for collection. When the sheriff settled in November, 1818, he was charged with $146.75, and in the next year he collected $430.96. The sale of the lots donated by the proprietors of Evansville had in November, 1818, amounted to $4,142. Of this amount ten per cent was by law set apart as a semi- nary fund, and the greater portion of the remainder was represented by promisory notes of purchasers. At this settlement in 1819, the treasurer reported that the county, after exhausting its own funds, had drawn on those set apart for seminaries to the amount of $132. From that time on for many years the county was never out of debt. The building of a court house had been undertaken, and all moneys coming into the treasury were directed to be applied on this account as rapidly as received.
Major Alanson Warner, a man well and favorably known in every branch of the county's early history, advanced small amounts of cash for the county's use, onee $28 and again $75. In May, 1824, the treas- urer settled for the whole period of his service, and there was due him $11.33. In 1824, the taxes collected amounted to $377.96; in 1825, to $347.31; in 1827, $501.15; in 1828, $503.16; in 1829, $610.64.
During this period the licenses issued to various business men
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
added to the revenue and the receipts from this source in each of the latter years named amounted to a little more than $100.
Judge John Law, the first prosecuting attorney for the county, and for many years an able and eminent lawyer, brought suit and re- covered judgment against the county iu 1822, and nine years later the county treasurer recovered a judgment against Daniel Miller, then collector and previously county agent. Credits on the former judgment aud on the orders issued in building the court house were received as the basis for equal credits on the judgment against Miller.
HARD TIMES.
In this manner many of the transactions in behalf of the county were effected without the exchange of money, which at that time began to be exceedingly scarce. During the first part of the decade, commenc- ing with 1820, hard times generally prevailed. Lands, town lots, and produce rapidly decreased in price. Widespread and disastrous sick- ness checked and almost stopped immigration. The suspension of specie-payment by the government, the failure of western banks found- ed on a fictitious basis, and the circulation of a depreciated and often worthless currency, totally deranged all values. These were the princi- pal causes conspiring to produce the greatest stagnation of business experienced in this locality up to that time. The county, as well as individuals suffered. Tax-gatherers were compelled to take coon skins or other articles in "trade" in satisfaction of the law's demand. Re- covery from this condition was at first slow, but before the end of the decade good health prevailed, immigrants came in, and the settlers having learned to accommodate themselves to the trying times, with energy and industry, brought back prosperity. Nevertheless, in 1832 the receipts of taxes were only about $600, though from licenses and other sources the total amount realized was $1,006. The expenses of the county were in 1832, $983.81; in 1833, $1,402.80, and in 1834, $1,093.41.
A PROSPEROUS PERIOD.
Soon after this commenced a period of prosperity that was uncheck- ed, until the failure of the state's credit in the downfall of the internal improvement elsewhere adverted to. Improvement was rapid, not-
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
withstanding a rather serious but temporary, check in 1838. Settlers and speculators from the eastern states and from the countries across the ocean poured into the county in great numbers, Englishmen, Ger- mans and Irishmen. The public lands were soon taken. Capital was freely invested in all sorts of enterprises. The country's natural re- sources, its unbounded wealth of coal and timber, its magnificent transportation facilities, its favorable location as the terminus of the Wabash and Erie canal, and near the mouths of several rivers whose improvement seemed only a question of a few years, gave unhesitating confidence and faith in its future greatness. Investigating adventurers pushed on to Chicago and other localities, but returned to the land of greater promise. For a time their expectations were realized. They knew little of the richness of the country beyond the Mississipi and even less of all that would be achieved by the railroads, those potent factors of later years. By 1850 the annual exports from Evansville amounted in round numbers to 600,000 bushels of corn; 100,000 bush- els of oats, 1,500 tons of hay, and 1,500,000 pounds of pork and bacon -though all this was not produced by Vanderburgh county. In that year the expenses of the county were $35,645.07. This was exclusive of revenues paid to the state, and to the townships for roads, schools and other local purposes. The total receipts at the treasury in round numbers were in 1850, $38,800; and in 1858, 57,900. The expenses here referred to include such items as the construction and repair of public buildings, highways, bridges, charities, books, stationery, adver- tising, county officers, courts, interest on indebtedness, and some mis- cellaneous items. These expenses in 1870 were $169,284.90; from 1874 to 1878 inclusive, $1,377,480.69; in 1880 they were $154,416.00. The amount of taxes received at the treasury in 1862 was $74,505.00; in 1870, $199,521.00 ; and in 1879, $142,240.00.
Nothing can refute figures except falsehood. The county's growth and prosperity are eloquently portrayed in these figures : For the year ending May, 1882, the receipts were $521,993.48; the expenditures were $484,856.80. In 1885 the receipts were $390,956.95; the ex- penditures were $386,901.54. In 1890 the receipts were $658,605.07; the expenditures were $663,766.40. The total receipts for 1891-2-3-4-5 were $3,740,216.52; the total expenditures for the same period were $3,722,640.46. The auditor's records shows for 1896 the total receipts to be $690,475.96, and the total expenditures to be $697,381.27. No comment, as to the wonderful growth of the county, is needed here. Nothing can be more expressive than these very significant figures.
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
COUNTY INDEBTEDNESS.
In early days, when the revenue was limited, the receipts seldom equalled the expenses, and the incurrence of debt was a necessary se- quence. In borrowing great caution was at first observed. In 1835 Nathan Rowley, who faithfully served the public in many positions of trust, was appointed to negotiate a loan of $280.00, to be used in building a bridge across Pigeon creek near Negley's mill, and was au- thorized to borrow from the Evansville branch of the State Bank, the county solemnly pledging its faith for the payment of the loan when due. In 1841 Willard Carpenter, John Burbank and A. B. Carpenter held $2,068.92 of the county's orders issued in payment of its debts for the building of bridges, etc., which they had bought from various individuals, no doubt at considerable discount, for the orders of the county have at times sold for less than one-half their face value. New orders were issued, to secure the payment of which the agent was in- structed to mortgage a number of town lots and all personal property belonging to the county. In 1858 the orders unpaid and drawing in- terest, amounted to $21,471.24; in 1871 the total indebtedness, in- elnding bonds and ontstanding orders was $128,799.67, and in 1875 was $197,683.75. The total indebtedness of this county at the end of the year 1890, amounted to $595,000.00. Ample provisions have been made to redeem her bonds and pay all of the outstanding claims against the civil corporation. This splendid showing, considering the amount of its public works, the condition of its roads and public in- stitutions, clearly and eloquently testifies to the wise management of the commissioners, the county's financiers.
CHAPTER X.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.
Civil Townships-Formation, Description and Names-First Vot- ing Places in Each-List of Taxpayers in 1837.
At its first meeting, March 10, 1818, the first Board of County Commissioners established Armstrong township with the following boundaries : Beginning at the northwest corner of Vanderburgh county, at the range line dividing ranges 11 and 12, thence south with said line to the township line dividing townships 5 aud 6, thence east with said line to the old Redbanks road, thence north with the meand- ers thereof to the line dividing Vanderburgh and Gibson counties, thence west of said line to the place of beginning. The county board then ordered that the remainder of the county be known and desig- nated as Pigeon township. The house of Zadock McNew was desig- nated as the polling place in Armstrong township, with Patrick Cal- vert as inspector, and that of Hugh MeGary in Pigeon township, with Julius Gibson as inspector.
Union township, organized May 10, 1819, includes all of the south- west part of the county bonnded on the north by the "big bayou," and on the other side by the Ohio river. The house of Frederick Stacer was named as the first polling place, with Joseph M. McDowell as in- spector. The original order for the formation of the township is as follows : "That a new township be laid off and established; to in- elnde all the inhabitants of the south end of Vanderburgh county, included inside of and bounded by the Big Bayou, and that said township be known by the name of Union township."
Scott township organized August 13, 1821, was bounded as follows : " Beginning at the county line, dividing the counties of Warrick and Vanderburgh (where the same intersects the line dividing the town- ships 5 and 6 in range 11 west), running north as far as the corner of Vanderburgh extends, thence west on the county line of Vanderburgh seven miles, thence south to the line dividing townships 5 and 6 in range 11 west, thence east one mile on said range west, dividing 10th and 11th; thence east across township No. 11 west to the place of
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
beginning. The township was named in honor of Samuel Scott, at whose house the first election was held, Joseph Baldwin being the in- spector.
Perry township was organized September 10, 1840, out of the west end of Pigeon township, with bounds as follows: Commencing on the Ohio river at the line dividing fractional sections 25 and 26, in town- ship 6, south of range 11 west, running thence north to the line divid- ing Congressional townships 5 and 6, thenee west to Posey county, thenee south with the line of Posey county to the Ohio river, thence up said river to the bayou, thence up said bayou to where it again in- tersects the Ohio river, thence up said river with the meanders thereof to the place of beginning. The residence of Lewis B. Stinson was des- ignated as the polling place, and David Grimes was appointed inspec- tor. May 14, 1880, a change was made in the township boundary lines by which the following described territory was taken from Perry and added to Pigeon township; commencing at the northeast corner of seetion 26, township 6, south of range 11 west, and running thence due west along the line dividing seetions 26 and 23 in said township and range to the north and south half-section line of said section 26; thenee south along said half-seetion line and the half-section line of section 35 in said township and range, to the Ohio river; thence north and northwest up said river to a point where the east line of said sec- tion 26 strikes said river, and thence north along said east line of said section 26 to the place of beginning; the territory embraced being the east fractional half-sections of sections 26 and 35, in township 6, south of range 11 west. On the question of making this change Comniis- sioners Wunderlich and King voted "aye" and Commissioner Bower voted "no."
Knight township was organized September 10, 1840, out of the east end of Pigeon township, with meets and bounds as follows: "Be- ginning on the Ohio river at the line dividing fractional sections 8 and 9, in township 7, south of range 10 west; running thenee north to the line dividing Congressional townships 5 and 6; thence east with said township line to Warrick county; thence south with the line of Warrick county to the Ohio river; thence down said river, with the meanders thereof to the place of beginning-which new township shall be and the same is hereby designated as Knight township."
On September 6, 1843, a new township was carved out of Pigeon, Knight and Scott townships, as follows: "Beginning at the junetion of Locust with Pigeon creek, and running along said Pigeon creek to the Warrick county line; thence due north with said Warrick county
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
line to the northeast corner of section No. 24, township 5, south of range No. 10 west; thence due west to the east line of Armstrong town- ship; thence with said township line south to the east line of Perry township; thence south along said Perry township line to Locust creek; thence along the said Locust creek to the place of beginning-which said township shall be known and is hereby designated as Center township."
On September 2, 1845, German township was established, with bounds as follows: "Commencing at the northeast corner of section No. 24, in township 5, south of range 11 west, running thence west to the northwest corner of section No. 15, same township and range; thence south to the southwest corner of the last named section; thence west to the northwest corner of section No. 19, same township and range; thence south to the southwest corner of section No. 7, in town- ship 6, south, range 11 west, thence east to the southeast corner of sec- tion No. 11, in township and range last named above; thence north to the place of beginning. And said township shall be known and desig- nated as German township."
EARLY TAXPAYERS OF PIGEON TOWNSHIP.
Below will be found in alphabetical order the names of the business men, professional men, and taxpayers including the leading men and taxpayers of Evansville, Indiana, Pigeon township, in the years of 1837 and 1838:
Aydelotte, Zachariah, a prominent business man, an official, taxed at $400.
Amory, Frank & George W., constitute the firm, sterling business men, taxed in the town at $1,500; total amount of taxes, $650.
Amory, Francis, Jr., one of said firm, taxed at $2,500, other prop- erty included $47,000.
Amory, George W., $500, and other property, making in all, $3,500.
Armstrong, John, active business man, taxed at $218.
Ashley, Robert, $200.
Armstrong, Kirby, $612.
Archer, Thomas, good business man, afterwards known as one of the first engineers on the E. & T. H. R. R., $1,100.
Anthony, William, well kuowu as the owner of ferry opposite Hen-
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
derson, taxed in town at $3,880; whole amount of taxes in the county, $17,103.
Angel, Joseph, farmer, $450.
Aiken, David, farmer just above town, $3,173; total taxables, $14,033.
Alsop, Thomas & Son, traders, $2,520.
Butler & Coleman, merchants, $19,300.
Barker, W. H., carpenter and builder, $300.
Barnett, Joseph, farmer near town, $1,000.
Bray, Dr. M. J., leading physician and surgeon iu 1836, now living in the city.
Brown, John, trader, $2,000.
Browning, Richard, farmer and miller, Scott township, $2,585.
Burtis, Jesse, farmer, $600.
Burtis, Steven, farmer.
Boardman, Sylvester, county commissioner, $200.
Barnes, Robert, a merchant with great peculiarities, $28,000.
Barnes, Neriah, brother Robert Barnes, $700.
Bourne, Charles D., clerk of court.
Burbank, John, capital, $13,000.
Clark, Amos, very prominent lawyer and representative in the legis- lature.
Clement, Charles, $2,500.
Carpenter, A. B. & Co., the company was composed of Williard Carpenter, A. B. Carpenter and John Burbank.
Caldwell, Wm., $3,100.
Chute, Daniel, then the leading school teacher of the town, after- wards postmaster, succeeding Benjamin F. Dupuy, known as one of the most accommodating and efficient men in the country round.
Cody, Barney, prominent farmer, $200.
Coffits, William, an old German soldier who was in the battle of Waterloo, very old man at this date, $200.
Calvert, James, chief clerk of the dry goods store carred on by But- ler & Coleman.
Cawson, James, retired merchant, $5,500.
Dunham, Horace, one of the original settlers and a man of learn- ing, $2,500.
Horace Dunham's brother, $12,000; and then the leading Episcopa- lian of our city.
Dunk, Charles, florist, $800.
Douglas & Mitchell, merchants, $10,800.
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
Duncan, Thomas, brother-in-law of Robert Barnes, $233.
Decamp, Abraham, farmer near town, $600.
Deming, Charles, river trader, $400.
Damon Reuben, farmer in bayou, $1,200.
Dupuy, Benjamin F. succeeded to postmastership in 1838.
Douglas, John, a wealthy old bachelor, and first cashier of what is now known as the Old National Bank, $8,900.
Daleran, Edward, trader in stock, $4,500.
Erskine, Andrew, Blue-grass farmer, taxed in town at $494.
Erskine John, brother of the above, $600.
Elliott, Wm. N., $400.
Elliott, Joseph P., $150.
Elliott W. M. & Jos. P. Elliott, saddler merehants, $2,000.
Ewing, John A., trader, $500.
Eaton, Allen H., prominent carpenter, died not very long ago. Edmonds, George, farmer below town.
Edmonds, William, farmer below town.
Edmonds, John, farmer below town, $546.
Edmonds, Thomas, farmer below town, $200.
Erwin, Camellius, farmer above town.
Fickas, John, farmer above town, $1,736.
Fickas, John, farmer above town, $3,500.
Fairchild, Seth, Stringtown, $1,400.
Fairchild, Ira, $1,400.
Fairchild, Sherman, $800.
Fairchild, Zera, $1,000.
Fitzgerald, Thomas, farmer near town, $1,340.
French, Ira, $450.
Granger, Ira P., farmer above town, of great notoricty at that time, $336.
Gillman, John, hatter and fur trader, $400.
Gibson, Robert, farmer, $2,200.
Goldsmith, Daniel, county commissioner, $2,500.
Goodsell, Fred E., merchant, $19,850; postmaster in 1837.
Gerard, Hamilton, Andrew, William and Eli, farmers, $2,655, $1,000, $1,000 and $300, respectively.
Greek, Katherine, mother of John Greek, now living in this city, $2,000.
Griffith, C. M., a very prominent hardware merchant, stock taxed at $3,000
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
Goodlett, R. E., known as Judge Goodlett, father of Ex-Mayor Goodlett, of this city, $1,000.
Hutchinson, Abraham P., grandfather of the present Dr. Hutchin- son, dentist, $2,110.
Hutchinson, Abraham P., Jr., father of Dr. Hutchinson, dentist, $2,500.
Hull, Emanuel, prominent farmer, $12,600.
Hugo, John, steamboatman, $70.
Harrington, Erin, tobacco merchant and afterward a jeweler prom- inent in business, $800.
Hans, Ira.
Hopkins, Hiram, farmer close to town, $1,400.
Ham, Thomas, Sr., father-in-law of John J. Chandler, Sr., and grandfather of the present John J. Chandler.
Hutchinson, Isaac, physician.
Hazard, Wm., composing the firm of Hazard & Hibbard, dry goods merchants, stock taxed at $5,000.
Harrington, C. B., $2,100.
Humphrey, Noah, trader and peddler, $2,000.
Hugo, Jenkins, river captain, $500.
Hopkins, Stephen, merchant, $4,400.
Hornby, Henry, farmer, $270.
Hornby, Wm. $527.
Hilliard, James, $1,350.
Hilliard, Wm., $1,450.
Hilliard, Alexander, $1,400; all brothers and Blue-grass farmers.
Hayhurst, James, father of the present Dr. Hayhurst.
Hooker, Thomas, Sr., and Thomas Hooker, Jr., prominent Blue grass farmers; also Levi Hooker.
Hornbrook, Saunders, wholesale and retail merchant in Armstrong township, $7,900.
Hornbrook, Philip, $500.
Hopkins, Lorenzo, farmer near town and a man of sterling worth, $100.
Ingle, James, farmer, $515.
Inwood, William, $13,749.
Ingle, John, postmaster of what is known as Inglefield and postmas- ter under President Monroe, held the office until his death. Ile was the father of the present John Ingle, Jr.
Ikeby, Jacob,
Jones, Charles, trader in merchandise, $1,725.
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
Jones, Michael P., carpenter and builder. He built what is now known as the Old National Bank Building of this city; relatives liv- ing in the surrounding country taxed at $5,200.
Jerauld, Sylvester, merchant, afterwards moved to Princeton, $4,500.
Jones, James, G., prominent attorney and colonel of the Forty-sec- ond Indiana of the late war and first mayor of Evansville, Indiana.
Jones W. L. and James G., firm of prominent attorneys, $600.
Johnson, Charles, groceryman, $1,500.
Jerard, John, $1,715.
Kelsey, Broser, farmer near town, $2,274.
Knight, Isaac, farmer near town for whom Knight township was named, $3,700-
Knowles, Charles, prominent farmer, Blue grass, $1,675.
Keegan, Patrick, $800.
Kennerley, Eberton, county commissioner of this county at that time, $400.
Kirkpatrick; James, farmer, $280.
King, Robert, farmer, $2,000.
King, John, bayou farmer, $3,050.
King, Jeremiah, bayou farmer, $2,785.
Lilliston, J. W., associate judge, $500.
Lister & Shanklin, $1,300.
Lewis, Mrs. Octavia, widow of James Lewis, deceased, of the large business firm of James and Wm. Lewis, were the leading merchants for years, left a large estate which was well managed by the late Mrs. Octavia Lewis.
Livingston, William, prominent clerk, $500.
Lyon & Wilcox, merchants, $9,600.
Lamb, Jesse, prominent contractor, the man who built Williard Carpenter's residence, the finest house in Evansville at that time.
Lane, Dr. Daniel, prominent physician in town and county.
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