USA > Indiana > Hamilton County > A history of the formation, settlement and development of Hamilton County, Indiana, from the year 1818 to the close of the Civil War > Part 7
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Isaac Ballenger, William West, Samuel Carey. John Phelps and Eli Phelps; in 1832, James Williamson, John Green. William McElvaine. Alexander Bovard, Isaac Jessup, Peter West and Joseph Green; in 1833. Samuel Hockett. William Murphy, John .A. Shaffer. Sylvanus Carey, William Fultz and Humphrey Irwin. New settlers continued to arrive until 1836, at which time about all the Government land had been taken up. Those who first settled in this township selected lands near White River on both sides thereof. They joined hands in the erection of buildings and rolling logs and in all work that the pioneer was unable to do with his own forces.
The river divided this settlement, but communica- tion was kept up, when the river could not be crossed on horseback, by means of the old canoe.
These people came to this country for the purpose of making homes for themselves and families. They soon began to petition the Board of Commissioners of the county for the location of roads. They usually asked for the location of roads connecting points of interest to them, and as a rule asked that they be laid out over the most suitable lands. This meant that the viewers should avoid, as far as possible, wet, swampy lands and ponds, which were at that time numerous.
For work done in those early days by one settler for another in the way of erecting buildings, rolling logs and like work, no account was kept and no charges
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made. These people had no pasture for their stock ex- cept what was found in the woods. The rule was to fence in the cleared lands for the protection of crops and turn all stock into the woods.
The settlers on the east side of the river did their milling, as a rule, at the Betts mill on Stony Creek. On the west side of the river they had their grinding done at the Conner mill on White River. For a number of years these pioneers raised but little upon their farms to sell. Their purpose in the early days was to raise a sufficient amount to supply the needs of the family. They were all, or nearly all, good hunters and trappers. The woods were full of wild game, which belonged to all alike. The skins taken by hunting and trapping were at all times salable, and in this way they managed to get along fairly well.
A man by the name of Bruitt had located in the south part of this township on the west side of the river before these settlers came. He had a small stock of such goods and trinkets as was usually kept in store for the Indian trade. He bought all kinds of furs. The little trading these people did in those days they did at Bruitt's trading post, at Conner's trading post, and, after Conner's store was opened. at Noblesville, they did their trading there.
The wolves were very plentiful and were very bold and troublesome, frequently coming near to the build- ings and picking up pigs and lambs and carrying them
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off. They sometimes attacked young calves, so that the pioneers, in addition to the vast amount of hard work to be done, were compelled to be on the watch for these and other wild beasts. The wolves were shot to death whenever and wherever found. They were also caught in traps. In fact, a regular fight was made against them with a view to their extermination. In these respects, however, this neighborhood did not dif- fer from other neighborhoods in the county.
The following is a partial list of the persons who set- tled in this township from the year 1825 to the year 1836: James Heady, George Medsker, Thomas West, David Dawson, Dorothy Heady, John Kinzer, Jacob Kinzer, William Slater, Alexander Mills, Isaac Ballen- ger, William West, Samuel Carey, John Phelps, Eli Phelps, James Wilkinson, John Green, William Mc- Clain, Alexander Bovard, Sylvanus Carey, Humphrey Irwin, Isaac Jessup, David Redwine, Ebenezer Osborn, Elijah Brock, William Roberts, James Farley, Reuben Stinson, George Kirkendall, Moses Mills, John Darrah, Jacob Faucett, John Demoret. The above named per- sons settled in various parts of the township. James Farley settled in the southwest corner ; Williamson set- tled near him. A school house was built on Mr. Far- ley's land and a cemetery laid off not far from the school house. The school house and the cemetery were called respectively the Farley school house and the Farley cemetery. In an early day Mr. Farley laid off
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and set apart several acres of his land to be used as a park for deer. This park was surrounded by a high rail fence. Mr. Farley was very proud of his deer park, and maintained it for a long time. The first school in this township was established in 1830 in a cabin on the land of Abraham Williams. This was a subscription school. In 1832 a school house was erected and a Mr. Lynch was employed to teach. This was a subscription school also. The Farley school house was built in 1837. Johnson Farley was the first teacher in this school house. About this time there was a school in a log cabin on the land of George Wise. Joseph Gore taught this school. These schools were all subscription schools.
About the year 1830 religious services were held on the east side of the river at the house of Dorothy Heady by Rev. Ray, of the M. E. Church. The Friends' Church, near Carmel, is in Dalaware Township, but the membership is made up of people from both Clay and Delaware. A description of this church will appear elsewhere. Hezekiah Smith, a local preacher of the M. E. Church, held religious services at private houses on the west side of the river as early as 1836. He was fol- lowed by W. D. Rooker, who was also a local preacher. In the year 1838 a class was organized, of which he acted as leader for a number of years. The meetings were held in the Farley school house until 1852. In that year a house was built on section 33 and was called
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White Chapel, and is yet so called. The Carmel M. E. Church will be noticed in connection with Carmel.
Silas Moffit erected a brick house on his land in 1827. William Wilkinson built a brick house in the same or the next year on Cool Creek, now owned by one of the children of W. W. Rooker, deceased. Both of said houses are well preserved. The Moffit house is now owned by one of Silas's sons. The title to the Moffit land has never changed hands. It came to the present owner by partition after the death of Silas in 1832.
W. D. Rooker erected a grist mill on Cool Creek. It received its motive power from that stream. Its ca- pacity was limited, but was equal to the wants of the settlement. He subsequently added a saw to the ma- chinery. The settlers began to tear down their log cabins and build frame buildings in their stead. Mr. Rooker did a thriving lumber business. Amasa Bond succeeded Rooker. Peter Wise and son succeeded Bond. Wise & Son operated the mill for a time, when it was abandoned. William Wilkinson erected a saw- mill on Cool Creek in 1840. It was west of the brick house built by him. He afterward added two rims of burrs, one for wheat and one for corn. The flour ran into a box in which it was carried to the bolter, which was operated by hand. Mr. Wilkinson afterward built a better mill on the same site. Mr. Wilkinson came from Pennsylvania. He carried a cross-cut saw with
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him to this county. He also carried a pack made up of goods carried in those days by the pack peddlers. From the sales made on this trip he derived in the way of profit a sufficient amount of money to defray his ex- penses.
Noblesville Township.
The first settlement made in this township was at Horseshoe Prairie, a little west of south from Nobles- ville. This settlement has been fully described. There were a few persons settled in an early day a little east of north of Noblesville. Among them were Popejoy, Leaming and Potter. In the immediate vicinity of No- blesville no settlement was made until the land had been surveved and was ready for entry. A few of those who first came and settled near Noblesville have been no- ticed. We note others in this connection. The Dale family was somewhat numerous. They all settled near to Noblesville. The Stoops family, with its many con-
nections, were early settlers. As many as four different families bearing the name of Cottingham were early settlers. Many members of these several families sub- sequently became identified with Noblesville as mer- chants and mechanics and assisted in its development.
In 1824 Stephen Wall came to this neighborhood from Fayette County, Indiana. He settled a half-mile east of Noblesville on what is now known as the Conrad farm. An incident in his career is worthy of note. On the evening of the twelfth day after leaving Fayette
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County he crossed Fall Creek at what is now known as the bridge across Fall Creek on the Noblesville and Greenfield Road. Soon after crossing the creek he came to a cabin and asked if he could be accommodated with lodging for the night. He was informed that he could spread his bed on the floor of the cabin. He learned before leaving the cabin that the name of the man who lived in it was Bridge, the same man who one month later assisted in the murder of the Indians above Pendleton, and who was afterwards hanged for his crime.
The west side of Noblesville Township had no set- tlers until after the year 1830. About that time a cabin was built two miles west of Noblesville. A settlement was formed soon after by Walls, Carey, Metsker and a few others. But to the northwest all was woods and swamps. As late as 1830 the wolves came at night to the first hill west of town and frequently kept up their howling until late in the night.
Mr. Beaty came later than those I have mentioned. He bought from one of the Dales the land east of No- blesville and lived upon it until his death. John Gascho purchased this land from the Beaty heirs. Mr. Gascho, wife and family of nine children came in wagons from Lancaster County Pennsylvania. At the time of his death, or before that time, he owned 600 acres of land. He and his sons were all good farmers. East from Noblesville, on the Pendleton road, the Gaschos own
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the land from the corporation limit on either side of the road for a distance of very nearly two miles. These men were farmers and gave their entire attention to their business.
White River Township.
A settlement was formed as early as 1820 in what is now White River Township, extending from a point two miles below Strawtown to a point very near the east line of Hamilton County. This settlement was near the river and did not extend into the forest. The first persons who settled in this locality were John Shintaffer and a MIr. Bennett. Shintaffer built his cabin near the present site of Strawtown and Bennett built his cabin about two miles below Strawtown, near the river. Both of these men bought furs from the In- dians, or rather, they received them in exchange for articles kept by them for sale. They were both called Indian traders. There was an Indian village not far from Strawtown at that time. On the 24th of Septem- ber, 1822, Jesse Mckay. Zenas Beckwith, William Dyer. John Collip, Henry Foland. Jesse H. Wood and Lambert Heath entered land near White River in White River Township. Some of these persons had built cabins upon the lands so entered by them before purchasing them and lived upon and improved the same to some extent. The exact date of their settlement is unknown to me. Zenas Beckwith built his first cabin near Strawtown before the land came into market. He
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failed to enter the land at once, so it was entered by another person and Beckwith subsequently entered land further up the river. He was permitted to occupy his first cabin and have the use of his improvements for one year, which was all the compensation he received for his improvements. The cabins built by the pioneers in this settlement were of the same description as those built by the pioneers who settled near the Horseshoe Prairie, which have been described.
The first incident of note in this settlement was the fight between Shintaffer and the Indians, in which one Indian lost his life. The second incident was the killing of one Indian and Benjamin Fisher at Shintaffer's cabin. The third was the establishing of the first toll- gate in the county. \ trace, or partially opened road, leading from Anderson to William Conner's, by the In- (lian village near Strawtown, crossed a creek some two or three miles above Strawtown. This creek was very difficult to cross. Horses and cattle would frequently stick fast in the mud. A squatter hunter and trapper built him a cabin near this point and built a bridge across this stream and demanded toll from all travelers passing that way. The travelers were as a rule land- seekers, and they paid the small fee rather than quarrel with the hunter.
The first school taught in White River Township was for this neighborhood and was taught by Amos Palmer in a cabin near Strawtown. The second school
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was taught in the same place by the same teacher. The third school was taught in the neighborhood of William Dyer's, probably in the year 1826. These schools, as well as all others in the new settlements, were subscrip- tion schools, the teacher receiving from the parents of each pupil from one and a quarter to one and three- quarter dollars for his services. As a rule he boarded with the parents of the pupils alternately. Itinerant preachers occasionally passed through this neighbor- hood and were well received by the pioneers. Preach- ing services were held at the cabins.
These pioneers were all good marksmen and got most of their living from the spoils of the chase. Meat for the family was acquired thus and the skins and furs of animals, killed or caught in traps, were sold to traders in that line. The first mill built in White River Township was built in and for this neighborhood. It was built near Strawtown on Duck Creek, on what has been known lately as the Couden farm. It was called a corn cracker. The Kemp family, very early settlers in this township, built a mill on White River some dis- tance above Strawtown, on what is now known as the Shepherd farm. This mill ground wheat and corn. A still-house was also built and operated in an early day by the Kemp family, also a sawmill, and subsequently a carding machine was added to the grist mill and still- house. Navigation on White River ended at this point.
There were numerous other persons who were early
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settlers in this settlement. The family of Michael French, Mr. A. Johnson, two Friel families, a Mr. Peck and others. Elias Hoddy, a single man, came carly. J. K. Leaming opened the first general store for this neighborhood, and Bicknell Cole the second. James Hughy opened the first grocery store, and he also sold liquors. The first tavern was kept by William Wallace. The first blacksmith was Robert Hoddy. The first death was the wife of Benoni Friel. The first marriage was Benoni Friel to the widow of Benjamin Fisher, the man killed by the Indians at Strawtown.
Zenas Beckwith built a two-story brick house on the land he entered in 1827. This house has been in con- tinuous use ever since and is now in a good state of preservation. There is an old-fashioned bake-oven built into the kitchen. A barn built by Mr. Beckwith in 1824 is still standing and in good condition. A barn built in 1829 is also in a good state of preservation. This farm has never been transferred out of the family and is now owned and occupied by a granddaughter of Mr. Beckwith. This land was entered in 1822 or soon ! i
after. It is doubtful if another such case can be found in the county.
Dr. Amos Palmer, while teaching school at Straw- town, made his home with John Finch, four miles southeast of Noblesville. His habit was to leave the vicinity of the school house on Friday evening and Finch's on Sunday evening. On one occasion, there
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being good moonlight, he left the Finches after night- fall. Palmer was making the trip on foot. The route was mainly through the woods. He followed a trace leading from the Finch place to Strawown. This trace crossed Stony Creek near the north line of lands now owned by Charles Zeis. There were plenty of wolves and panthers in the woods and occasionally a bear, so Palmer secured a good stout stick before starting from Finch's. Soon after crossing Stony Creek he was sud- denly attacked by a number of wolves. Although taken by surprise, he used his stick as best he could and suc- ceeded in keeping them off of himself. He finally found a low limb upon a tree, which he believed he could reach by a vigorous leap. He made the effort and succeeded. He was for the time being safe, although the wolves made several attempts to reach him, but without suc- cess. How long he remained in this tree he could never tell. The welcome crack of the rifle and the barking of dogs gave him great comfort. The wolves on hearing the gun crack and the dogs bark left at once and Pal- mer was safe. To a party of hunters near by with their dogs Palmer owed his escape.
Benjamin Fisher settled on Government land in Hamilton County, Indiana, not far from the present site of Strawtown, in June, 1820. At this time John Shintaffer, with his family, lived in a log cabin near the present site of Strawtown. Shintaffer was a trader in a small way, mainly with the Indians, as there were but
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few white people in the county. A man by the name of Bennett settled below Shintaffer about this time and he also did some trading. Both he and Shintaffer sold whisky and bought furs.
Shintaffer, probably for the purpose of drawing the trade of the white people, procured and hung a good grindstone, which was the only one in the neighbor- hood. There were at this time quite a number of rov- ing bands of Indians in that vicinity and an Indian vil- lage northwest of Strawtown. Early in the spring of 1821 two or three Indians, possibly more, dropped in on Shintaffer and commenced trading and drinking. A quarrel ensued between one of the Indians and Shin- taffer, resulting in a fight. Shintaffer got the better of the Indian and purposely or otherwise threw the Indian into the fire and held him there until he was so badly burned that he died. One of the other Indians and Shintaffer also fought, and this second Indian was also thrown into the fire and badly burned, but recovered.
In June, 1821, Benjamin Fisher took his chopping axe to Shintaffer to have it sharpened. Two or three other white men were there for the same purpose. Be- fore the white men were ready to leave some eight or ten Indians came to Shintaffer's cabin. They had no guns, but each had a tomahawk and a sharp knife. The white men present at once took up the cause of Shin- taffer and entered his cabin with him. A regular battle with clubs and stones ensued. The white men finally
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charged on the Indians and drove them from the prem- ises, but were afraid to follow them for fear of being ambushed. Then the Indians again advanced, and so the battle raged for some time. In one of these ad- vances by the whites. Fisher stumbled and fell and was cut to pieces by the Indians. The Indians then ad- vanced upon the whites, who were all inside the inclos- ure which surrounded the house, the Indians being out- side. One of the Indians threw a club at Shintaffer, striking him on the head and knocking him down. The Indians then advanced, knife in hand, for the purpose of scalping Shintaffer, and when in the act of crossing the fence the foremost Indian was met by Jacob Hire with a mattock handle in his hand. He struck the Indian with the mattock handle, killing him almost instantly. This ended the battle. The Indians secured the dead body and retreated to their village across the river. That night Shintaffer loaded all of his household goods and also his family into a large canoe and disappeared and was never heard from. There was but little excitement caused by these incidents. The Indians continued at their village until their removal west. None of the white men who went to the assistance of Shintaffer were ever molested by the Indians. There was a general feeling of unrest for a time, but it all blew over.
North White River Township.
John Newby, Sr., settled four miles north of Straw-
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town in February, 1836. William James was at that time living a half mile south of Newby. James moved away in about ten days after Newby arrived. James and Jesse Justice lived at that time one and a half miles southeast of Newby's cabin. William Edwards came in two weeks from the arrival of Newby and settled one mile southwest of Newby. James Carey lived southeast of Newby's place. When Newby came William Wyant and Peter Carey lived near James Carey. Ebenezer Holloway lived a mile and a quarter from Newby. He owned a grindstone, the only one in the neighborhood. John V. Morris and William Birch lived on the Carey farm. Birch owned a yoke of cattle with which he hauled the logs for Newby's house. William Parker lived one and three-fourths miles from Newby, near Holloway. Mr. Mann lived two miles and a half from Newby on Bear Creek. These parties united for mu- tual benefit in building cabins, rolling logs and all other pioneer work. They constituted the first pioneer band north of the settlement made along and near White River in White River Township. These men cut the roads partly used by them in coming to their new i homes. This neighborhood relied on the Kemp mill for their meal and flour. They did their trading at Wood- ville, now called Strawtown.
Kemp operated a still-house and secured a road from his mill to Logansport. This road ran through the eastern part of this settlement, and was the only
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road in existence for some time except the roads cut by the settlers. The first school Newbys attended was taught by Colburn Birch in a log cabin on the Carey land. After this a log cabin was built on Newby's land and school taught there for some time. The first teacher was a Mr. Daugherty. The first church in the neighborhood was at Mr. Carey's house. Elder Havens and probably Mr. Carey did the preaching. This was a Methodist denomination. The second church service they attended was at the house of Rev. Blount, near the north line of Hamilton County.
After Kemp's mill burned these people got their grinding done at Shryock's mill, two miles below Straw- town, on White River. Mr. Hier owned a corn mill on the creek near the old Cowden farm. A still-house was attached to this mill. The Indians sometimes came here to get whisky.
Northwest of the Newby place Allen Sumner, S. Mendenhall and Dan Lister settled. The Newby and Carey settlement extended from the west line to the east line of the township, and north from the Straw- town settlement to the Ault, Leeman and Ransom Smith settlement. These people lived pioneer lives in pioneer cabins ; came to and conquered the wilderness and made it bloom and bring forth an abundant harvest.
North of this settlement in 1838 George, William and Cornelius Leeman settled between the present site of Omega, and Aroma, Harvey, Ault, Smith, Car-
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penter. Brown and others whose names I have not been able to procure constituted the settlement at the north end of White River Township. These men built the regulation cabin and began pioneer life in the same manner that other settlers did. In that township they did their milling at Perkinsville and their trading at Strawtown. This neighborhood attended church at
three different places. Harvey was a Quaker. A Quaker church was built on his land at a date unknown to me. The Leemans and all persons in that neighbor- hood believing the doctrine preached by Alexander Campbell, attended meetings held by that demonina- tion in a log church on lands owned by Rev. Blount near the north line of Hamilton County. They contin- ued to attend these meetings until the Christian Church was built at Omega. A cabin was built for the United Brethren Church on the lands of Henry Ault. Services were held in that cabin for a number of years. They were finally discontinued. What was known as the Ironwood Seminary Building was built upon lands owned by Cornelius Leeman at this time, but after- wards sold to Mr. Harvey. Jabez Brown built this house with money raised by subscription. He was the first teacher therein. This school building was largely patronized and was the best building for school pur- poses at that time in the northern part of the township.
The men composing the neighborhood herein spoken of were of the hardy pioneer class. They found
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plenty of hard work to do and were willing to do it, and their labors were crowned with success.
The Mounds.
The mounds in White River Township near Straw- town will ever be a mystery. William Conner, who had a better opportunity than any man in the county to learn their origin or purpose, was unable to learn any- thing definite concerning them. He said he had con- versed with the oldest Indians of his acquaintance, and all that he could learn was that they were here when the Indians came, and that was all they knew about them except what could be seen.
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