USA > Indiana > Sullivan County > A history of Sullivan County, Indiana, closing of the first century's history of the county, and showing the growth of its people, institutions, industries and wealth, Volume I > Part 14
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This corner was visited by fire in September, 1884, resulting in the destruction of the old house on the southwest corner and the warehouse of Crawley and Mckinley. "If there was an older house in town than the two burned last Saturday night, we don't know where they are," remarked the Democrat. "Thirty years ago the dwelling was occupied by John S. Howard. The other was erected by the late Joseph Gray for a store house, and upstairs was located the Democrat office for the first two or three years of its existence."*
* Referring to the time when the Democrat was publishing in this old building, in an issue of 1890 the proprietor of the paper mentioned the use of the Washington hand press for printing, and said that copy for the paper was sometimes cut from an almanac. Mail was still carried on horseback from Merom, there were no sidewalks in town, and a polished boot or shoe was rarely seen. Except the courthouse, there were only two or three brick houses in the place.
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For over fifty years Barnett Saucerman followed the trade of gun- smith in Sullivan, and hunters came from miles around, bringing him their defective or broken firearms. With the tearing down of his old shop at the corner of Broad and Beech streets, in the summer of 1901, passed a landmark that had stood for nearly forty years. A few days before the old shop was knocked to pieces the venerable gunsmith was photographed at the door of the shop, having a trusty old rifle on his knees. The proprietor of the gunshop died June 27, 1902, at the age of eighty-one. He was a native of Coshocton county, Ohio, had learned his trade as a boy, and came to Sullivan county in 1847, his first home being on a farm near Abbey Mill in Cass township. He served in the 85th Indiana Infantry, and was with Sherman's army in the campaign to the sea.
Chronology of Sullivan Fires in Recent Years.
April, 1885-Fire destroyed the Masonic building, corner of Main and Washington, and so quickly that the records of the lodge on the third floor could not be saved. The town was still without fire protection. The loss was between $30,000 and $40,000, the Times office, the American House, and the Calvin Taylor law library being among the list of damage and ruin.
September 12, 1886-Livery stables of Lucas, Russell & Joyce, at rear of brick building on the north side of the square, burned. Other attempts to start fires indicated incendiarism.
October 1, 1886-Burning of two frame buildings at the south end of the west side of the square causes talk of establishment of fire zone.
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October 29, 1886-Fire destroyed Johnson's photo gallery on north side of square. October 31-Crowder's hay press and a barn at rear of buildings on the west side of the square burned.
January 11, 1887-South side corner of Court and Jackson streets ruined by fire. July 5-Planing mill of Hoke & Co. burned ; loss, $7,000 to $10,000.
December 14, 1889-Bauer & Son's flouring mill, near depot, burned, total loss being $18,000 to $20,000.
September 25, 1891-In early morning fire broke out in Leach ware- house, near E. & T. H. depot, extended across right of way to freight depot, north to warehouse owned by P. R. Jenkins and Miss Jennie Thornhill, south to the Snow warehouse, and two box cars burned. Total loss about $20,000, with only $3.000 insurance.
February 10, 1892-Sawmill of Mahley and Co. burned, after being in operation two years. February 26-Stivers and Bland pork packing house burned, at a loss of several thousand dollars.
August 12, 1892-The Sullivan expert fire company disbands after seven years' existence. The members have always responded promptly to fire arms, even going beyond the city limits. Dissatisfaction because of failure to remit their taxes as provided by law.
November 23, 1899-Jacob Mahley's sawmill burned; total loss, $10,000.
ยท October 21, 1906-National Bank building damaged by fire to extent of several thousand dollars.
August 13, 1908-The McCammon Hotel, on the corner of Wash- ington and State, gutted by a fire that burned for four hours, leaving all
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of third and most of second and first stories in ruins. Loss on building, $12,000; to the proprietor, Mrs. Hinkle, $4,000.
September 9, 1908-Fire of unknown origin, beginning in the livery barn of J. Ed. Blume, on South Main street, destroyed the livery stable ; loss $2,000, insurance $2,000. The Colonnade Theater, loss $14,000, insurance, $8,000; Baptist parsonage, loss $2,200, insurance, $1,600; J. B. Mullane's hardware and furniture store, loss $4,600, covered by insurance ; F. M. Douthitt clothing store, loss $8,000, insurance $4,000; Central store, loss $4,000, covered by insurance. Total amount of prop- erty destroyed was about $40,000. The severe drouth of this season and limited water supply accounts for the destructiveness of this fire.
January 31, 1909-Fire starts in Herman Schmidt & Co.'s hardware store from stove or crossed wires. The water plugs were frozen, much time lost in getting them to work, and a strong northeast wind carried the fire on until property to the value of more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars was consumed. The detail loss was: J. B. Mullane, $30,000 stock, $15,000 building; Central Store Co., $25,000 stock; Ben Davis and Joe K. Smock, $12,000 building; F. M. Douthitt, $16,000; C. H. Edwards, building, $5,000; Herman Schmidt, $8,000 stock; Ella Dix, $4,000 ; Herschel Ford, $4,000 stock, building owned by local com- pany, loss $4,000; Leonard & Goodman, $4,000 stock, $4,000 buildings ; Reed and Batey, $4,000 stock; Dale and Son, $2,000 stock; Sullivan Light & Heat Co., $4,500 fixtures and equipments. Insurance carried amounted to about $52,000.
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Public Improvements and Growth.
November 3, 1864-Sidewalk mania is prevailing to an alarming extent. Almost every individual you meet has a subscription for the construction of a plank walk out his street. The most important one projected is to reach to the depot and will cost $500.
March 23. 1865-There has never before been such a demand for houses to rent, not only dwellings, but business houses, shops, etc.
February 3, 1875-J. C. Briggs petitions for continuance of Harris street west, and R. H. Crowder for a new street between his lot and Charles F. Briggs', due north to a point west of Jackson street, thence east to west end of Jackson. (These are the streets that meet at the library ).
August 6, 1879-Court house has no janitor. The sheriff is employed to clean up the court room previous to each term of court. but it becomes foul before the term ends and thus remains until the succeeding term. September 15-Bill Joyce enters upon duties as janitor.
May 5, 1880-Contract awarded for excavating, grading, slag- ging and graveling the streets around the square.
June 29, 1883-Most exciting case in court last week was dam- age suit of John Fordyce against town for opening Harris street west ; was awarded $373 damages.
July 17, 1883-Nice brick sidewalks have been put down on Court street, south from the square.
October 12, 1883-Town board has ordered sidewalks on the east side of Broad street and the south side of Gray to the depot. The property owners on West Washington street have presented a petition agreeing to grade and slag that street next spring if the board will rescind order for sidewalks. A petition generally signed by property owners in the southeast part of town states that Broad street is simply a deep ravine and receptacle for all kinds of rubbish.
July 4, 1884-The town has undertaken to put in tile along the
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streets where property owners pay cost of the material. (This order rescinded August 15).
September 26, 1884-Trouble arises over the order of the board to widen the south end of Court street. The town marshal in pur- suance of an order from the town board proceeded to remove the fences which obstructed the widening. One woman whose grounds were exposed by this action penned up all the stock that trespassed on them, and among other strays thus taken in were some hogs be- longing to one of the town trustees. (The case got into the courts, and by change of venue went first to Greene and then to Knox county, and was eventually compromised except with one party ).
April 24, 1885-West Washington street, after many vexing delays, has been graded and graveled. The residents along the street are grading the space between the sidewalks and the street, and are sowing it with grass seed. The effort will not prove successful if cows and hogs continue to roam the streets.
July 1, 1887-County commissioners have contracted for stone walks from the court house to each entrance of the park, to be of sawed Bedford stone.
November 18, 1887-Contract let for sewer on Broad street from Washington street to a point south of the I. & I. S. R. R. To be built jointly by town and county, at a cost of about $4,000. The county is taking part in order to secure drainage for the jail, injunc- tion proceedings having been begun to restrain the emptying of sewage on a near-by lot.
August 30, 1888-The grading of Main street preparatory to graveling begun.
September 9, 1890-Town board has an engineer employed to straighten boundary lines of streets in east part of town. There is some antagonism from men whose fences must be removed, but fences are useless and unsightly since cattle have been kept off the streets.
February 13, 1891-Misfortunes of town in way of damage
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suits have aroused the trustees, and the marshal is now ordered to inspect crossings and streets once a week.
March 13. 1891-The town board has ordered the improvement of Court street, the engineer being ordered to survey and establish the grade and a committee being appointed to determine the style in which the work will be done. March 31-Town board and com- mittee decide to pave Court street with brick, contrary to the wishes of the property owners, who want gravel.
April 10, 1891-Bids were received by the town board on April 10 for the extension of the Broad street sewer. The sewer was made necessary by threats of the property owners south of the woolen mill to sue the factory owners for allowing the waste to run down the ravine.
August 4. 1891-The town board has let the contract for gravel- ing the streets in the southwest part of town-Jackson from Court to Crowder, Crowder street, and Johnson street from Crowder to Bell. August 18-Brick walks ordered on the south side of Jackson street. both sides of Crowder street, and both sides of Johnson, west from the intersection of Crowder. December 15-Graveling of Thomp- son street and brick walks ordered.
May 24, 1892-Contracts let for grading and graveling Court street. June 28-Contract let for graveling from head of Main street to depot.
August, 1894-Contract let for graveling North Court and Thompson streets. Thanks to energy and management of John L. Thompson, West Washington street has been graded to the bridge. and Vineyard hill has been cut down and the bottom filled. Mr. Thompson collected some of the money and donated his own time and money to the work.
June 25, 1895-Graveling ordered done on State street, south from Washington to Marion and north from Cochran; on Section street, south from Harris to corporation line ; on Sylvan Dell, from Crowder street to corporation line.
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July 13, 1897-Town board votes to pave with brick the alley back of the buildings on the north side of the square.
January 30, 1902-J. B. Mullane has placed on sale a number of lots north of town. April 17-Town is growing rapidly, changes being especially noticeable on East Washington street, where houses now extend beyond the old fair grounds.
July 23, 1903-Silver Chaney, John C. Chaney, and L. A. Stewart purchase for ten thousand dollars 134 acres south of town, with the intention of making a new subdivision.
September 3, 1903-The town board decides to pave the square with brick and remove the hitch racks. (A protest follows against brick paving).
August 4, 1904-At recent town board meeting, the city engi- neer, Richard L. Bailey, made a report of his survey of the sanitary and storm sewerage system for that part of town lying west of State street. The report has been accepted, and the work will be per- formed under the law empowering a city to assess the cost of such improvements against property owners. September 8-The board having set a time for hearing objections to the proposed sewerage construction, not a citizen appeared to enter his objection.
September 15, 1904-Auction sale of lots in South Sullivan results in sale of 99 at total of $7.592.50. November 3-Walks of vitrified brick to be built from Court street to new Southern Indiana depot.
January 19, 1905-Sewer system, after many revisions and the protest of many citizens, adopted. February 23-All bids from con- tractors for construction of sewer system rejected.
August 17, 1905-Street Commissioner Scott appears before the county commissioners asking that they keep the hitch racks clean and put in cement curb, gutter and sidewalk around square.
July 5, 1905-The district around the E. & T. H. depot becom- ing quite a business section and new buildings going up. Some older residents remember when this was the principal business part
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of town, and trade centered in and around the half dozen stores near the depot. Recently only shacks have existed in "depot town."
September 21, 1905-The town board decides to pave with brick Washington street from Section street to the E. & T. H. railroad, Jackson street from Section to State street, and also the pulpit square ; and to lay cement walks on the north side of Beech, from section to Broad, on the west side of Court, from Graysville to Wall, and on the east side of Cross, from Graysville to Washington streets.
April 25, 1907-Town board orders the paving of North Court street with brick, and the improvement of Troll street with crushed rock, cement walks, gutters and curbing.
Sullivan Cemetery.
The first cemetery of Sullivan was abandoned over forty years ago. It was located within the corporation limits. It is said that when Sullivan was platted, no provision was made for a burying ground. The first death was in the family of H. K. Wilson. It was suggested, as the only suitable place at the time, that the child be buried in broken ground southeast of town.
The site was out-lot No. 12, of the original town plat, a little less than two acres. Broad street was on the west side, and the cemetery ran south from Harris street.
After a quarter of a century the old ground was filled up. The location was unsatisfactory, as the town had by that time grown around it. An association was formed to locate and lay off a new cemetery, and in the spring of 1867 selected the ridge west of town on the old Hughes farm. This point, when the county seat was located at Sullivan, had been
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designated as the exact geographical center of the county. This fact suggested the name for the burying ground, "Center Ridge," the name which now appears carved in the stone arch of the new entrance to this beautiful God's Acre. In the southwest corner of Center Ridge is a row of stones marking the graves of some who had first rested in the old cemetery. The bodies were removed from the old to the new ceme- tery, but in some cases the relatives and friends of the deceased could not be found and the town trustees bought the lots in the southwest corner of the cemetery for the graves of those who had no relatives and friends to attend to the removal.
Center Ridge occupies a high ground above Buck creek. There are many native trees, and little artificial landscape gardening was needed to produce the quiet beauty that should adorn the home of the dead. Several years after the cemetery was laid out, rose bushes and other shrubbery were set out, and the beginning thus made has been continued. A sidewalk was built from town to the bridge over Buck creek, and at the present time a cement walk leads to the new gateway, and a new concrete bridge will also be constructed over Buck creek. In December, 1893, it was reported that the trustee's of the cemetery association had expended between three and four thousand dollars in grading and gravel- ing drives in the cemetery, in making lots with stoneware posts and clearing the north end of the grounds. The following year, the manage .. ment of the cemetery was made more systematic, rules being made for the filling and grading of lots, planting of vines, shrubs and trees, all to be done under the supervision of the superintendent.
About 1896 twelve acres additional ground was bought, on the west
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side of the first plat. The cost of this new ground was $3.584.75; and the cost of surveying, fencing and planting of trees was about $250 more.
A few years ago there existed in Sullivan an organization known as the Literature Club. Rev. Bartlett, pastor of the Presbyterian church, was the leader in the movement. The members studied and read the standard works of English poetry, drama and fiction. The last meeting of the club was held in June, 1890. In 1893 a meeting at the home of Judge Briggs took steps to reorganize, but the plans seem to have been somewhat changed, for during the following winter the Sullivan His- torical Club took its place and studied the history of the United States. It is of interest that on the occasion of the club banquet at the home of Judge Briggs, in February, 1894, Mr. A. G. McNabb introduced a dis- cussion of the needs of library facilities for the work which the club was doing, and this was followed by a talk from Judge Briggs, in which he suggested an organized movement to obtain a library. The topic was a favorite one among the club members during their subsequent meetings.
The coming of the Van Amberg circus to Sullivan in 1906 recalled an interesting bit of pioneer history. The original circus of this name was the first traveling show, it was said, to exhibit in Sullivan. The story was that when the advance agent appeared to engage a site for the tent, he found none available that was large enough, but he advertised the circus and went away. When the wagons of the circus drove into town on the appointed day, they could find no place, to pitch their tent. The county commissioners were just beginning to clear the ground for the court house, and the versatile circus manager offered to clear the site if he
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might be allowed to pitch his tents there. The bargain was made, and some of the citizens took part in the arduous frolic which the circus men made of clearing off the brush and trees.
The pioneer days of Sullivan were recalled in an issue of the Demo- crat in February, 1906, in speaking of Mr. William Catlin, whose parents had moved to the county about 1823. Mr. Catlin recollected seeing In- dians pass along the trail which crossed the site of Sullivan town. This route was sufficiently used by the Indians, who, of course, walked single file, to keep the trail worn hard and smooth. At the day of the first sale of town lots in Sullivan a large crowd of settlers stood on the northwest corner of the square. The day was rainy and it was difficult to find a spot which was not covered with water, and Mr. Catlin, with others, took their stand on a log which lay across a pool of water near the auctioneer.
CHAPTER X.
MEROM.
David Thomas in his "Travels in the West," writing about 1818, has the following about the county seat of Sullivan county: "The beautiful bluff above Turtle creek, now called Merom, has become the seat of justice for Sullivan county ; and was selected by commissioners appointed under an act of the legislature. The agent, who was authorized to sell the lots, makes the following remarks in his advertisement :
".It is situated on the east bank of the river, thirty-five miles above Vincennes, on that elevated ground known by the name of The Bluff, the highest bank of the Wabash from its mouth to the north [here the author explains that it should have been written east "line of the state"] line of the state. The river washes the base of this high land one mile. Freestone [sandstone] and a quality of [im- pure ] limestone appear in the bank in great abundance. Springs in every direction around the town are discovered.
"'From the most elevated point of the bluff, the eye can be gratified with the charming view of La Motte prairie, immediately below in front; and with Ellison and Union prairies on the right and left ; the whole stretching along the river a distance of not less than thirty miles, and all now rapidly settling. In the rear of this
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beautiful site, is a flourishing settlement of twenty or thirty farmers, three miles east of the town.
" 'Gill's prairie, south three miles, has at present a handsome population of industrious farmers.
"'A mile and a half from the town, a mill will soon be erected on Turtle creek by a Mr. Bennett .- June 27, 1817.'"
Such was the beginning of the quaint old town on the east side of the Wabash, which during the early years of Sullivan county was the "port of entry" and chief emporium of the county. One is impressed by the natural advantages of the site as a stronghold of defense. Had the settlement of the county been followed by wars for the possession and defense of the country, this site would have proved a capital "burg" or citadel, such as have proved scenes of glorious military achievements in different epochs and other lands. From the towering bluff the guns of the defenders could not only have swept the river, but would have commanded the approaches on all sides.
The original plat of Merom was on the plateau along the river. The first street on the west was called High, and then came Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth. On the south side of the first plat was Kane street, and north in succession lay Walnut, Market, Fetter, Poplar, White, Cherry, Coleman.
Of the early history of Merom few definite records exist. During the twenty-five years, until 1842, when it was the county seat, it was the most important town between Terre Haute and Vincennes. The periodi- cal sessions of court brought lawyers and citizens to the court house, and on these occasions Merom was a scene of much activity and social plea-
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sures. The export and import commerce of the time was transacted largely through the port of Merom. Here was the headquarters for the fleet of flatboats which the merchants of the day had built each season, and which in the spring were sent down stream loaded with grain, pork and other products of this locality. Business and official importance combined to make Merom a commercial, social and political center, around which have gathered associations that will always lend a special charm and interest to the locality.
Some fanciful explanations have been made in explanation of the name Merom. The choice of the name seems, however, to have been both a natural and happy one. Merom meaning high ground, and the name of the highest lake along the Jordan and the scene of Joshua's battle with the assembled kings, was not inaptly chosen to designate the high sandstone bluff by the Wabash.
The removal of the county seat in 1842 and the building of the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad in 1854 were two events which com- bined to deprive Merom of much of its former prestige. Each year after the railroad came saw a decrease in the river traffic, and soon the town had only its mills and stores as the nucleus of former prosperity. The Merom mills were long an institution, attracting the patronage of hun- dreds of farmers from far and near. Cushman and Huff built the saw- mill here in 1845, and the following year added the grist mill. During the fifties the plant was owned by Seth Cushman, son of the original proprietor, and was operated after a time only as a flour mill. This enterprising miller did much to sustain the commercial reputation of Merom during the years when the town was isolated from railroads. The
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establishment of Union Christian College in the late fifties also created an institution that has had an important bearing upon the subsequent pros- perity of the town.
Merom was incorporated as a town in 1866. The petition for incor- poration was laid before the commissioners in June of that year. The preliminary census gave 350 inhabitants in the proposed corporate limits. The plat of the town showing the limits of town jurisdiction included the "island," in the river near the foot of the bluff, and containing thirty- three acres. This island was the alleged rendezvous of a whiskey peddler and his patrons, it being his practice to sell bad whiskey from "the gun- boat moored at the foot of the island." The bootlegger claimed to be out- side of municipal, state and federal law, and hence the inhabitants of the proposed town thought to eliminate his nefarious business by extending the jurisdiction over his haunts.
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