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 15
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THE JAILS.
Plans for the first jail in Vanderburgh county were adopted May 11, 1818. It was built on the east quarter of the public square, baek from the street. It was twelve feet square in the clear, and its walls were double, built of oak, and one foot apart and filled between with heavy oak timbers set on end and reaching three feet below the floor into the ground. In the style of the architecture of the times the logs were notched at the ends so as to interlock. The lower floor was double, the timbers crossing each other and passing through the inner wall and abutting against the upright oak timbers. The second floor was of heavy oak as was the ceiling above. The stairs were against the building without, and admitted to two separate apartments, one of which was a dungeon, 4 x 12 in size, with two very small iron-grated windows-a place for the vilest law offenders. The other room was twice as large, one window, 12 x 15 inches-a place for debtors. Hugh MeGary built this jail for $875. It was finished February 15, 1819, and was used about teu years. It was sold in September, 1829, for $19.37 1-2. After that a ball and chain sceured the culprits, who were guarded at some tavern by a deputy sheriff. On September 26, 1832, a contract for a new jail was let, to be erected on the old site. It was finished in two months, and cost $350. It was two stories high, 18x22 feet in size, stone foundation, floors of hewn timber cov- ered with plank, double walls with stone between in the lower story. The upper story had a single wall. When James Roquet built the court-house and completed it in 1855, he also built a jail, which was used for nearly forty years-up to the time the present jail was ocen- pied which was in 1891. This structure completed in 1855 was of stone, two stories high, had sixteen cells, and a capacity of forty pris-
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
oners. A sheriff's residence was built at the same time, of brick, just in front of the jail, and faced on Third street. The present jail and sheriff's residence stands on Fourth street opposite the court house.
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IN COURT.
When referring to the primary significance of the words freedom and liberty, the former word always reminds one of the free doom of the race of Teutons while the word liberty suggests the Roman forum where laws were prescribed for the purpose of regulating free doom. A man's personal privileges were more or less perfectly defined and his relations to civil society pointed out. Law, then, would signify lim- itations as well as protection. No lawgiver, before or since the time of Moses, of whom any account is given, so well understood the re- strictive as well as permissive rights of men toward each other as did the slayer of the Egyptian and the rescuer of a wonderful race of in- tellectual people from the thralldom of the barbarous Pharaoh. That human passions, under given circumstances, will break all bonds of law and trespass upon the personal rights of others is only a plain corollary of all legal enactments.
Some very remarkable and notable cases have been tried in the Vanderburgh courts, first and last. At the second term of the circuit court, held in May, 1818, the first cause for murder came up. Jesse McGary was charged with the crime of killing his wife Catharine. McGary was a rough backwoodsman living in what is now Scott township, near the Gibson county line. He entered a plea of not guilty, and his trial was postponed. His bond was fixed at $10,000. At the March term, 1819, he was tried before a jury and found "not guil- ty." The acquittal was secured on a singular plea. McGary and his wife had had trouble of some sort, and one day as Catharine was en- tering the cabin door, Jesse shot her through the heart with his rifle. Ou trial he declared he had shot at a dog, not knowing his wife was at that moment about to enter the house, and that he had accidently killed her instead of the dog.
An interesting civil case was a suit in chancery or equity brought by Joseph M. McDowell et al. vs. John J. Audubon et al. The sub- sequent career of the principal respondent in the suit causes greater in- terest to attach to the case than would, perhaps, otherwise belong to it. This Audubon afterward became the celebrated ornithologist. He was a Frenchman, who had previous to the suit established a steam
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
sawmill at Henderson, Kentucky, and failed in the enterprise. Later he moved to Louisville. McDowell charged in his complaint that Audubon and others had sold some land-569 acres in fractional sec- tions 2 and 3, township 7 south, range 11 west-to the plaintiff's for $300. Jacob Gall had effected the sale. It was charged that Audu- bon's interest in the tract was obtained surreptitiously and fraudu- lently. Audubon answered that Gall had signed portions of the land to him previous to the sale to secure or indemnify him against loss of money loaned to Gall. The case was finally determined in the Octo- ber term, 1822. The decision went adverse to the complainants, and they were also forced to pay the costs of the suit.
The first judicial execution was the hanging of John Harvey for the murder of a man named Casey, near the old McDowell farm in Union township. The trial was heard before Judges Goodlett, McCrary and Olmstead by a jury whose names were Joseph Wilson, Joseph McCal- lister, Jesse McCallister, Samuel Kenyon, Elisha Durphey, Lewis Wil- liams, Jno. Fickas, Henry James, Elijah Waters, Benjamin F. Barker, Vicissimus K. Phar, and Robert Gibson. After a brief deliberation the jury returned a verdict of guilty. A motion for a new trial was denied; a motion to arrest judgment was overruled, and on June 7, 1823, he was sentenced to be hung on the 27th of the same month. Near the center of the west quarter the gallows was erected. The militia under General Robert M. Evans and Colonel Hugh MeGary was on the grounds four abreast, in the form of a hollow square around the gallows. When Sheriff R. N. Warner shook the hand of the condemned man in etern- nal goodby, the officer cried openly. The trap was sprung, and after the body was cut down the soldiers marched away. The dead crimi- nal was buried near the foot of the gallows. Years afterward when excavating for a building the bones were dug up and afterward wired by Dr. Isaac Hutchinson. Some doubted his intentional guilt, as it was said a woman was back of it all.
Since physical prowess was regarded in those times as an evidence of manhood, many cases of assault and battery were tried and against some of the very best men. Hugh McGary was indicted for obtaining money under false pretenses, and again for adultery, but was acquit- ted in both cases. Ezekiel Saunders, a preacher, was fincd one cent on a preferment of usurpation. Many indictments were presented tor extortion, taking up horses, larceny, counterfeiting, selling liquor or practicing medicine without license, adultery, disturbing religious meetings, gambling, betting, man-stealing, for not keeping the peace, and every manner of wrong doing. S. W. Hammond was impleaded
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
for challenging to a duel, but the jury rendered a verdiet of "not guil- ty." This by no means exhausts the list. In 1836, General Robert M. Evans and F. E. Goodsell staked $500 on the electoral vote of In- diana, General Evans wagering that Harrison would get the vote over Van Buren. Both men were indieted, and fined, General Evans in the sum of one eent and Goodsell the amount of $30.52. In 1830, Daniel Rose, of Armstrong township, was charged with manslaughter, having killed his wife by brutal treatment when she was in a delicate condition. The charge was not sustained on trial, in September 1832. Thomas Barnett, Sr., was aequitted in 1839 of the aceu- sation of manslaughter. Delila Leach and her four children were set free in Mississippi on the death of their master, and they eame to Evansville. Dr. William Trafton elaimed they were not set free in accordance with the laws of Mississippi, and asked their custody, but the court discharged them from the power of Dr. Trafton. Some famous land cases, and will contests, and partition suits have gone through the courts and excited at the time no little public attention. A complete record of even the most interesting eases of the courts could not be condensed into a single volume.
It may aid the reader to know that Vanderburgh county, at differ- ent times, was a part of different judicial cireuits. From 1818 to 1852 it formed a part of the fourth judicial eircuit of Indiana. In April, 1852, it was made a part of the third judicial eireuit and afterward was joined to the fifteenth judicial cireuit. In 1873 Vanderburgh and Posey connties were ereeted into the first judicial eircuit, and it so re- mains at this time.
Only two legal exeentions ever took place in this eounty. One has elsewhere been noted ; the other was the hanging of Ben Sawyer, a big, burley, ignorant negro, for the murder of his wife, Lizzie, on February 2, 1871, on board the steamer G. W. Thomas, as she lay at the wharf just below Vine street. Lizzie was a ehambermaid on the Thomas, and Ben was a deek hand on another boat. They had parted, and Lizzie refused to go back and live with him. She was ironing in the wash-room of the steamer, and he beat her head almost to a pulp with a smoothing-iron. The trial oeeupied two days, and the jury re- turned a verdiet of guilt on February 18, 1871. The trial was eon- ducted before Judge Charles H. Butterfield. The condemned man was born a slave in Virginia, and was about thirty-seven years old. He paid the extreme penalty of the law on Friday, May 26, 1871, on a scaffold creeted in the jail yard on the north quarter of the pub- lic square, by the sheriff, Adolph Pfafflin.
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
The early associate judges were not men versed in law, and indeed were not required to be. They were farmers as a general thing, lion- est men, but poor judges when it came to measuring the worth of facts by the test of law. In order that courts might be more in keeping with the noble profession of the law, this order of things was done away with in time and a new system of courts adopted, as described heretofore.
CHAPTER XIII.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Full List of Them from the Beginning, the Only Break Being in Pigeon Township-Acted as County Commissioners at One Time.
The conservators of the peace, wherever they may be, and the exec- utors of the law are men whose positions in the social economy of hu- man society cannot be overestimated. The power delegated to them by the people is the arm that protects the weak and intimidates the wrong-doer and restrains the vicious.
The first justice of the peace in Vanderburgh county was elected in 1822, and his name was Prestly Pritchett. Pecuniary and criminal offenses occupied his attention chiefly, and he was regarded as a suc- cessful magistrate. Jacob Zimmerman was an early justice of the peace.
From 1824 to 1831 the jnstices of the peace performed the duties of county commissioners. The nnwieldiness of the board and the con- fusion resulting from mingled official duties led to the establishment of the old board of commissioners.
At the first meeting of the board of justices on the second Monday in September, 1824, there were present, Leon F. Ragar, Daniel Mil- ler, Benjamin F. Barker, Eli Sherwood, William Bingam, James Kirkpatrick and John Connor. Mr. Connor's term as justice expired in July, 1825, and in August he was elected by the people to succeed himself. In September, 1828, Nathan Rowley succeeded him. In the next year he was superceded by James Ross. But 'Squire Row- ley was re-elected in September, 1830. At the last meeting of this board of justices, in May, 1831, there were present, James Ross, Alpheus Fairchild, John S. Saunders, Martin Miller, and Hiram Nelson.
Below will be found a list of the justices of the peace in Vander- burgh county, since that time. It is as nearly complete as practica- ble. The dates of their service are also given or the dates of their commissions. It is as follows:
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
Silas Stephens, February 18, 1835; Henry B. Moore, April 15, 1835; Amos Clark, June 10, 1835;
James W. Jones, September 1, 1835; William Town, April 13, 1836; Jesse Ely, March 30, 1836;
Seth Fairchild, March 30, 1836; Joseph D. Gobin, September 8, 1836; Daniel Hardesty, September 8, 1836; Joseph M. McDowell, December 29. 1836;
Hiram W. Clerid, December 29, 1836; Jonathan Clinton, December 29, 1836;
Alanson Warner, March 25, 1837;
Conrad Stacer, September 14, 1837; John Ingle, January 10, 1838;
Thos. Hanbrook, January 10, 1838; Charles F. W. Stephens, November 26, 1838;
John S. Terry, March 27, 1839;
Nathan Rowley, June 18, 1839;
Henry A. Morgan, October 24, 1840; James Hamton, October 24, 1840; Jesse Lane, October 24, 1840; Brackett Mills, July 14, 1840; David H. Stephens, Nov. 25, 1840; Ira P. Grainger, October 24, 1840; George W. Finch, June, 1841; Ferdinand D. Goslee, October, 1841; Joseph Wheeler, Sr., January 12, 1842;
James Starnes, March 16, 1842; Henry Harwood, January 17, 1842; John R. Wilcox, June 15, 1842; Samuel McDonald, August 8, 1842; Jesse Lane, October 6, 1842; John Ingle, February 13, 1843; Louis Richter, April 12, 1843; Wilkes Reagin, August 9, 1843; John Moffett, January 6, 1844; Daniel Woolsey, June 8, 1844; James Graves, August 12, 1844; William C. Saunders, November 23, 1844;
Brackett Mills, April 25, 1845;
George W. Sharpe, July 16, 1845; Humphrey Barnett, April 24, 1845;
Mason O. Newman, April 24, 1845; George L. Schnee, January 8, 1846; Samuel McCutchan, April 10, 1846; Samuel C. Rogers, April 10, 1846; David Stinchfield, April 27, 1846; John A. Morgan, April 29, 1846; Julius S. Catlett, April 29, 1846; William T. Stewart, July 4, 1846; Dorastus L. Grimes, November 16, 1846;
Joseph Wheeler, March 5, 1847; Wilson Shook, April 27, 1847; John Hall, April 23, 1847;
John Ingle, April 23, 1847; Leroy Calvert, April 23, 18'7;
William Whittlesey, June 12, 1847;
Berraiah Moss, April 23, 1847;
Samuel McDonald, October 25, 1847; James T. Walker, January 14, 1848; James Need, May 1, 1848;
Harry. T. Calloway, May 30, 1848; Nathan Rowley, February 17, 1849;
Jesse Jackson, April 20, 1849; James Neal, April 20, 1849;
John M. Blair, October 19, 1849; John G. Meissner, April 18, 1850;
Brackett Mills, April 24, 1850;
William C. Sanders, April 24, 1850: Louis Richter, April 24, 1850; William C. Bramfield, April 24, 1850; Michael Mentzer, June 7, 1850; Christian Bippus, August 14, 1850; Jesse Jackson, April 26, 1851; Stephen Burtin, April 26, 1851; Louis W. Short, April 26, 1851; Thomas E. Collins, October 10, 1851; Joseph Wheeler, April 23, 1852; E. C. Dusky, April 23, 1852; Henry P. Vaughn, April 23, 1852; John F. Crisp, May 17, 1852; Samuel McDonald, July, 1852; James T. Walker, April 23, 1852; James Houstin, August 10, 1852; Francis Jaus, January 5, 1853; Levi Hooker, February 11, 1853; David Aikin, May 26, 1853;
Abraham P. Hutchinson, May 26, 1853;
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE AND DATE OF COMMISSION.
William R. Vann, May 6, 1854. Knight.
Joseph Shaw, May 12, 1854, Knight.
David S. Summers, May 27, 1854, German.
James Neal, June 22, 1854, Perry.
David Kirkbride, June 22, 1854, Union;
Enoch C. Duskey, December 29, 1854, Union;
Brackett Mills, May 11, 1855, Pigeon; Henry Tratey, April 28, 1855, Ger- man;
William Barker, May 16, 1855, Perry; Daniel Chute, September 6, 1855, Pigeon;
Julius C, Catlett, September 6, 1855, Union;
Hiram Hopkins, December 22, 1855. Center;
William Jervis, May 3, 1856, Perry; William Kempf, May 3, 1856, Pigeon; Samuel McDonald, May 6, 1856, Arm- strong;
Frederick Munold, May 8. 1856. Scott;
Samuel M. Gibson, May 5, 1856, Pigeon;
Archihald Fitzgerald, May 10, 1856, German;
Fleming Durham, May 5, 1856, Pigeon;
John Ingle, June 23, 1856, Scott;
Alfred Harrison, July 3, 1856, Union;
Christian Bippus, April 30, 1857, Pigeon;
Zebulan M. P. Carter, May 4, 1857, Pigeon;
Samuel McCutchan, May 4, 1857;
William W. McPherson, June 25, 1857;
James T. Walker, August 24, 1857; Henry W. Elmendorf, May 1, 1858; Francis Finney, May 13, 1858; David Aiken, May 17, 1858; Johu Robinson, June 2, 1858; Samuel M. Gibson, November 13, 1858;
William R. Vann, May 12, 1858; Ben Stinson, June 3, 1859;
Nathan Rowley, July 13, 1859;
Samuel McCutchan, June 29, 1859; George F. Harms, June 21, 1859;
David H. Cloud, November 7, 1859, Union;
David Aiken, July 15, 1859;
Julius S. Catlett, April 20, 1860;
John B. Neal, April 24, 1860;
John Ingle, May, 1860;
Samuel McDonald, April 20, 1860;
George W. McBride, June 25, 1860; Archibald Fitzgerald, May 28, 1860;
Richard Nash, April 8, 1861;
Kenlock McJohnston, April 18, 1861; Joseph Shaw, -- , 1861; John F. Crisp, August 4, 1861;
William Jervis, September 27, 1861;
Charles G. Derlan, -, 1861; Joseph Hartlein, April 19, 1862;
A. W. Chute, April 20, 1862; James L. Gardner, April 20, 1862; Daniel Grimm, April 19, 1862; Francis Finney, May 17, 1862; Samuel McDonald, June 30, 1862; James T. Walker, July 13, 1863; Ben Stinson, June 21, 1863;
Samuel McDonald, May 21, 1864; David Aiken, April 25, 1865; Stearns Hatch, May 4, 1865;
Charles G. Dirlan, September 25, 1865;
Henry Meinert, September 21, 1865; Joseph Hartlein, April 19, 1866; Ben Stinson, July 21, 1867;
Edward Maidlow, April 17, 1867; James T. Walker, July 13, 1867; William Emery, July 13, 1867; Lewis W. Short, April 17, 1867; Henry Meinert, April 24, 1869; Levi Newman, April 24, 1869; Andrew Koch, April 24, 1869; George B. McCutchan. April 24, 1869; Thaddeus McTernan, April 24, 1869; Levi Hooker, June 17, 1869;
Henry B, Wood, October 29, 1870; Robert B. Short, October 29, 1870;
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
ยท
John B. Garrett, October 29, 1870; Lewis W. Short, April 17, 1871; Oliver P. Aiken, October 29, 1870; Joseph Hartlein, October 29, 1870; William Emery, July 13, 1871; Alexander Maddux, July 13, 1871; Samuel P. Havlin, July 21, 1872; Samuel McDonald, April 20, 1872; Thaddeus McTernan, November 9, 1872;
George B. McCutchan, April 24, 1872; Ezra J. Gerard, November 5, 1872; William R. Vann, November 5, 1872; Albert A. Swope, June 17, 1873; Joseph Morris, April 17, 1873; Henry Meinert, April 24, 1873; Charles L. Roberts, April 24, 1873; Patrick Burke, July 13, 1874; James L. King, November 4, 1874; Edward Schmaedel, November 1874;
4,
Richard Litchfield, November 20,
1874;
Samuel P. Havlin, November 4, 1874; Henry Goelzhauser, April 17, 1875; Samuel M. Gibson, April 15, 1876; Samuel McDonald, June 6, 1876; Charles Straub, October 31, 1876;
Samuel Day, November 9, 1876;
Peter J. Schmidt, October 31, 1876;
Kenlock McJohnston, October 31, 1876;
George B. McCutchan, October 31, 1876;
Julius S. Catlett, November 5, 1876; William R. Vann, November 5, 1876; William Emery, April 17, 1877; Charles L. Roberts, April 24, 1877; Frank Rheinlander, April 24, 1877;
Thaddeus McTernan, December 10, 1877, in place of P. Burke, resigned, Henry Meinert, April 9, 1878; Thaddeus McTernan, April 9, 1878; William Niehaus, April 9, 1878; Charles Gardner, April 9. 1878; Ezra J. Gerard, November, 1878; John Friedhof, October, 1878; James L. King, November 4, 1878; Richard Litchfield, November 20. 1878;
Joseph Hartlein, April 17, 1879; John Friedhof, April 10, 1880; Jesse G. Hrblard, April 10, 1880; Charles Smith, April 10, 1880; Joseph Ziegler, April 10, 1880;
George B. McCutchan, October 31, 1880;
Thomas W. Cullen, April 10, 1880; James F. Clark, November 5, 1880; Charles J. Straub, October 31, 1880; Samuel Day, November 9, 1880; Soren Sorenson, December 14, 1880; John B. Moll, November 17, 1880; Z. H. Cook, April 24, 1881; Stearns Hatch, August 1, 1881; William R. Vann, August 24, 1881; Adolph Miehle, April 8, 1882; Thaddeus McTernan, April 9, 1882; W. A. Nightingale, April 8, 1882; William Hornby, April 9, 1882; Henry Meinert, April 15, 1882; Simon Hartig, April 9, 1882;
James D. Riggs, April 8, 1882; John B. Moll, April 8, 1882;
Richard Litchfield, November 1882;
4,
Henry Maasberg, April 14, 1884; Henry L. Graff, April 14, 1884;
Thomas McCutchan, April 14, 1884: Charles J. Straub, October 31, 1884; Dudley M. Oliver, November 9, 1884; Samuel Day, January 14, 1885;
Charles Vogt, April 5, 1886;
Thomas J. Mooney, April 5, 1886; John W. Pearce, April 5, 1886;
Bracket Mills, April 5, 1886; Herman Wartman, April 5, 1886;
Henry Meinert, April 15, 1886; Adolph Miehle, April 8, 1886;
Thaddeus McTernan, April 5, '1886;
Samuel Day, April 5, 1886; Richard Litchfield, November 4.
1886;
Fred Werkman, June 15, 1888; Leroy C. Robinson, April 2, 1888; S. C. Taylor, April 17, 1888; Martin Klauss, May 8, 1888;
Henry W. Elmendorf, April 14, 1888; James L. Christ, September 17, 1888; Joseph P. Elliott, April 24, 1890;
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
Paul Kuehn, April 15, 1890; Thomas J. Mooney, April 22, 1890; Sylvester Speicher, April 7, 1890; Martin Klauss, May 8, 1890; James L. Christ, April 14, 1890; G. W. Nexsen, May 9, 1890;
William R. Vann, April 7, 1890; Frederick Woehler, April 14, 1890; John W. Pearce, April 7, 1890; Richard Litchfield, November 1890;
William Mertens, June 16, 1891;
John H. Holtman, October 3, 1891, vice Martin Klauss, deceased;
Henry W. Elmendorf, April 14, 1892; Frederick Werkman, May 17, 1892; Eben C. Poole, December 4, 1894;
4,
Phylander D. Viets, March 17, 1891; Joseph P. Elliott, November 17, 1894; John T. Edmonds, December 11, 1894;
Henry W. Hartig, December 12, 1894; James L. Christ, November 17, 1894; Richard Litchfield, November 17, 1894;
Henry Stokely, November 17, 1894; William Francke, Sr., June 28, 1895, vioe P. D. Viets, deceased;
Brackett Mills, April 14, 1896.
Dudley M. Oliver, many will remem- ber, committed suicide. His official business was found in bad shape, and it was said he took his life to conceal his peculations and end his troubles.
.
CHAPTER XIV.
A VAST SCHOOL SYSTEM.
School System-Wisdom of the Ordinance organizing the Northwest Territory-Indiana's Large School Fund-First School-house- Pioneer Teachers-Township Trustees-List of Vanderburgh's Teachers-History of the City's Schools-A Roster of Superin- tendants, Professors and Teachers.
In passing the memorable ordinance of 1787, our forefathers of the Continental Congress wrote wiser than they knew. It appears to an impartial observer that they must have been inspired. As it is essen- tial to the preservation of free government that knowledge and learn- ing be generally diffused throughout a community, the great Contin- ental Congress had a desire to formulate and pass laws that would be legally binding upon the people to seenre and maintain a uniform sys- tem of common sehools for all time to come, for the benefit of all the inhabitants of the United States, either native or foreign-born, of all colors, to whom tuition should be without charge and equal to all.
The ordinance of 1787, therefore, provides for a general and uni- form system of common schools. Indiana's statesmen and legislators have so earefully governed their educational finances that this fund has reached the enormous sum of ten millions of dollars, a greater fund than is possessed than by any other state in the union. A part of this is loaned to the state, and the remainder is apportioned to the several counties, and placed in charge of the county auditors to be loaned to the people at the rate of six per cent. interest in advance, secured by first mortgage on real estate, not to exceed $2,000 being loaned to any one person. The state spends annually five million dollars for the education of its youth.
THE FIRST SCHOOL.
Herewith is furnished the readers a list of the teachers with the lo- cation wherein they taught. It seems that Perry township has the
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HISTORY OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IND.
honor of being the first township in this county that made a move under the existing laws to organize schools.
Thomas Trueman, in 1819, built the first school-house, on the pres- ent site of the county orphau asylum, below the city. The house was built of unhewn logs, and had a dirt floor. The cracks in the walls were not chinked. Trueman was a sailor of the Revolutionary war, well advanced in years when he opened his first school in Vanderburgh county. At this time, there being no school in the town of Evans- ville, the boys from town went to Trueman's school, which was then about two miles in the country. Trueman was a rude, eccentric indi- vidual, who lived alone and gained a subsistence by hunting, trapping and trading. He taught in different parts of the county for fifteen years. He died in German township and especially requested his friends to cremate his body on a log heap after death. His conduct seemed so strange to his simple-minded frontier friends that they took it for granted that it was the result of a freak of insanity, and he was not cremated. He was perhaps the first cremationist in the state of Indiana. ' Among other teachers who taught in Perry township in early times was George Thompson, in 1824. The school-house was located on what is now the farm of Washington Stinchfield. Later came Grimes, Foster, and Campbell. Of the trustees who did good service for this township may be mentioned : J. B. Cox, James S. Wills, David Stephens, Simon Waterman, Philip Koch, Henry Lauer, L. Schmadel, Fred W. Buente, Herman Klamer, and Theodore Hartig. The enumeration of school children in the town- ship for 1888 was 840; the length of the school term, nine months.
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