USA > Indiana > Delaware County > A twentieth century history of Delaware County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 13
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
smith, one wagon maker, one painter, one saddler's shop, four milliners, one school mistress,'one minister of the gospel, one judge, four attorneys, one sheriff, one clerk of the court, two magistrates, one school commissioner, one county surveyor and recorder. A superb court house with a cupola etc., 45 feet square, and 28 feet high, is to be built, and is now under contract. The contemplated Central Canal will pass through this place, and the con- necting link, either by canal or railroad, between the Central and White- water Canals, will in all probability terminate at this point, as the Board of Canal Commissioners have reported favorable to such termination. The State Road from the Ohio State line to Indianapolis passes through this place --- a State Road from Richmond to Logansport-a State Road from New Castle, in Henry county, to Fort Wayne-all pass through this town. There is also a State Road leading to Pendleton, and Delphi. Muncietown is about 61 miles N. E. from Indianapolis N. lat. 40 deg. 7 min. W. lon. 8 deg. 9 min.
Around the public square, as soon as it was laid out, there began to appear the various features of community life. On the north side Mr. Gil- bert kept his store and his tavern for the accommodation of travelers. A general store, kept by Samuel Watson, stood on the northwest corner of Washington and High streets, while on Walnut street stood a blacksmith shop and about the same time the postoffice. Of course a certain amount of manufacturing was one of the important foundation stones of the new town. The pioneer manufacturer was Goldsmith C. Gilbert. Perhaps he was influenced in purchasing the reserve by observing the millsite afforded in the bend of the river at this point. In 1828, the year following the location of the county seat, he dug a mill race, blasting it part way through rock, and the next year constructed the "Old Mill," as Muncie's first grist mill was called. It was fit only for "cracking corn" at first, but later was supplied with a burr for grinding wheat. About the same time a sawmill was built just north of the grist mill; later a distillery was erected, and also a woolen mill, the latter being located at the point where the race enters the river. Mr. Gilbert started all these establishments, which comprised the manufac- turing interests of the town for several years.
Even in a pioneer community death is not an unknown guest, hence Muncie had scarcely begun to grow when a place was set aside for the inter- ment of the dead. The first cemetery was on the north side of East Main street, east of Beacon street, and the second on the north side of Adams west of Franklin. When the present cemetery was laid out the bodies were disinterred from the old grounds and placed in the new.
Even with several factories, Muncie could not produce all the necessi- ties of life, many of which had to be brought in from the larger centers. Cincinnati was the trading metropolis, and among those who used to cover the distance between these places with team and wagon was Boyd Linville.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Sometimes he could make the trip in a week, but more frequently in two weeks. The road to Richmond, which was the route used in this traffic, was very circuitous to avoid the bogs and other obstructions, and transportation was beset with tremendous difficulties.
With the help of an early newspaper and some reminiscences formerly published it is possible in a measure to reconstruct the Muncietown of sev- enty years ago. The brief description above quoted from the Muncietonian is a summary of the principal features, but this outline can be filled out somewhat by a study of the advertising columns, which are the important and almost only local items published by the old-fashioned newspaper. The business and professional interests of the little village in June, 1837, as rep- resented by advertisers, were the following :
Eli Green, brick maker, layer and plasterer; William Scott, tanner and currier ; Thomas C. Anthony, lawyer; John Smith, whose chair factory was located at Jackson and Liberty streets; A. R. East, who had just been appointed school commissioner of the county vice T. C. Anthony resigned ; W. G. Renner, lawyer; Mrs. Ellen O. Minshall and Miss Louvina Long, milliners ; Joseph Anthony, lawyer; Eleazer Coffeen, who had claims against various persons of the county; G. W. Garst, W. C. Willard, John A. Clark, physicians; Edward S. Keasbey, who manufactured hats at the corner of Main and Mulberry ; Anderson Carter and Davis Williams, tailors; Stephen Cox, grocer at Main and Franklin; James Hodge, cabinet maker at Frank- lin and Washington; Walton and Harlan, saddlery on Main street; Wat- ton and Cummerford, chair makers at Jackson and Liberty streets; Edward Benbow, wagon and plow shop, Main and Mulberry; Asahel Spencer, gun- smith; Israel Shoemaker, boots and shoes; Minus Turner, grocer on Main street; the Exchange and Green Tree hotels; Kirby and Willard's general store; James O. Leas, general store; Bloomfield and Jack, general store; Joseph Lefavour, general store; C. F. Willard and Samuel P. Anthony, drugs; while the following additional persons published "estray notices,' which were very common in those days and characterized that state of devel- opment when fences are rare: William Williams, Joel Triplet, William Jones, Jesse Delaney, Benjamin Prickett, Ichabod Dille, Major Nottingham, John Marshall.
This summary is no doubt accurate, so far as it goes, though there are probably some important omissions. Apparently, the most important occu- pations and forms of trade were represented, so that there was no occasion for anyone to want the necessities nor even some of the luxuries. That the women of the community were not denied their most particular fashion is proved by the presence of two milliners. Doubtless the ladies felt that the pioneer lot was somewhat relieved when they could put on beribboned bonnets to visit neighbors who lived on the other side of the square. Mrs. Minshall, one of the milliners, was the widow of the Dr. Levi Minshall who had been one of the carly physicians and had died only a short time previous
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
to thic date of this advertisement. Stephen Cox, who advertised as a grocer, had a dilapidated cabin at Main and Franklin, and is said to have made a specialty of "wet goods," of which he himself drank as freely as he sold to customers. Ile was charged with the practice of pouring into the barrel as much water as was drawn off in liquor through the spigot-perhaps a safer custom than the western one of maintaining the strength of the barrel by additions of vitriol, though a time must have come when the diluted con- tents were too weak even for a pioneer thirst. The "Great Western," a saloon that stood on the southwest corner of Main and Mulberry about the same date, was also noted for the mean quality of its whiskey.
Post Coaches.
The first paper tells what the means of communication were, in a card announcing the arrival and departure of mails, the mail from Richmond on the south and from Peru on the north arriving twice a week, and that from Indianapolis, Winchester, and Connersville, once a week. What was termed "a much needed public accommodation" was a "four horse post coach" to run semi-weekly between Indianapolis and Greenville, Ohio, via Noblesville, Andersontown, Muncietown and Winchester, the contract for which was opened to bid in this paper (June, 1837).
By 1840 Delaware county had a population of nearly nine thousand. It is estimated that only about 400 were located at Muncie at this time. The village was growing, however, and about this time occurred the first move- ment toward incorporation, so far as is now known. In a letter, dated Jan- uary 7, 1842 (now in possession of Mrs. Julia Williamson), John A. Clark, writing to G. C. Gilbert, then in the legislature at Indianapolis, states that a mecting had just been held "for the incorporation of Muncietown," and that "we have raised a remonstrance." "I [ Clark] am not as yet apprised of whether we will get a majority against it or not, but Alsop Edmond and all your Slickville friends are in favor of no incorporation." James Russey was reputed to be the head of the corporation movement. The attempt did not succeed, since Muncie did not become a corporation for more than ten years.
Muncietown Becomes Muncie.
For nearly twenty years the county seat was known as Muncietown. Likewise in those days Anderson was called Andersontown. The abbrevia- tion of the name was probably dictated by several reasons, sufficient to cause the state legislature to give the name its present form. There was some local affection for the old name however, since a correspondent in the Muncie Democrat, May 10, 1845, spoke regretfully of a late act of the legislature that changed the name to Muncie.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Muncie and the County in 1848.
Some interesting records of the past are contained in Volume I No. 15 of the Indiana Signal, published at Muncie June 24, 1848. John C. Osburn . was editor and proprietor, his name being the first to catch the attention of the reader. The newspapers of that time devoted much space to exchange matter, short stories, moral essays, etc., but, overlooking these, one finds much direct representation of the affairs that concerned Delaware county people sixty years ago.
First, was the agitation for free schools. Indiana had then no free schools in the modern sense, and the question was soon to be put to vote whether the people favored free schools or not. This subject is discussed elsewhere in the chapter on education.
"All letters," reads an editorial notice, "must be postpaid to receive attention." It would be unnecessary to instruct anyone now to prepay the postage on a letter. In 1848 the postal system was still in its beginnings. It cost anywhere from five to twenty-five cents to send a letter, but it was largely optional whether the sender or the receiver should pay the postage. Hence the wisdom of the editor's little notice, who was thus safeguarding himself from paying postage on letters that had little pertinence to his busi- ness and perhaps contained criticism of his paper.
Many persons have never seen an old-fashioned letter, and the follow- ing describes one that was written over sixty years ago. Written on paper about twelve by six inches, the two ends were folded to meet in the center ; then a fold from the left up to about two inches of the right side, which was then turned over in the same manner as the flap of a present-day envelope, being fixed with wax, on which was often stamped the sender's initial letter or other character. On the opposite side was a plain face for the address and postmark. The circular postmark on this particular letter bears on the outer edge "Muncietown, Ind." and in the center "Jan. 7" [1842]. No postage stamps were used, but the sending office had a stamp with the word "paid," after which was written in figures the amount, which, in this case, was ten cents, that being the rate for a letter between Muncie- town and Indianapolis.
Political discussion claimed a large share of newspaper space: At the date of this issue the presidential campaign was just joined, by the nomina- tion of Gen. Lewis Cass by the Democrats, and of Zachary Taylor, the hero of the Mexican war, by the Whigs. Over half of the news space in the Signal was devoted to these candidates, with natural preference for Taylor, since the editor was a Whig.
It is more material interests that are reflected in the price list of "Mun- cie produce markets." It is worth quoting, as follows:
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Flour, per cwt. .$1.75
Beeswax, per lb. $ .19
Wheat, per bu.'
50@.55
Lard, per lb.
.05
:
Corn, per bu.
.25
Butter, per lb.
.06
Oats, per bu.
.20
Eggs, per doz.
.04
Beana, per bu.
.70
Flaxseed, per bu.
.55
Potatoes, per bu.
.25
Ginseng, por 1b.
.25
Fenthers, per lb.
.20
While the Signal of sixty years ago did not contain a column or more of amusement notices, as can now be found in the local press, there was one announcement that meant more, socially, to the people of Delaware county from the oldest to the youngest than any single event of this more lively and spectacular age. The announcement, of the "celebration of Inde- pendence day," went on to state that the citizens of Muncie and vicinity would meet in a grove near town on the morning of July 4th and participate in the following exercises :-- "Prayer, by Rev. Mr. Ash; Declaration read, by T. J. Sample; oration, by R. B. Abbott, A. B."-The Pendleton band was expected to be present, and vocal music was also on the program. These exercises over, a procession would be formed under the direction of James L. Russey, marshal, and Jolin Brady and William Perkins, assistant marshals, to march thence to the public square, "where a dinner will have been pro- vided by the Muncie Sewing Circle, to be partaken of at one dollar per couple: the proceeds of which will be applied to the erection of a new Meth- odist church in this place." Of those in charge of arrangements are some familiar names :- James S. Ferris, Samuel W. Harlan, John Jack, 'James Nottingham, William G. Ethell, F. E. Putnam, Job Swain, James Hodge, Joseph Martin, George W. Garst, Joseph E. King, Samuel F. Brady, Wil- liam N. Jackson, Charles P. Sample, John Dungan, Albert Heath.
We also get a glimpse of local political leaders, in the column of candi- dates' cards. Josiah P. Williams, Charles Mansfield and Jonathan Wachtel aspired to be county commissioners. James Hodge was candidate for state senator, also Joseph S. Buckles and Warren Stewart. Samuel Orr and George W. Garst desired the office of representative. John A. Gilbert and Warner Mann were candidates for associate judge of Delaware circuit court. For the office of clerk Samuel W. Harlan announced his candidacy.
Only one of the legal notices calls for attention. The county auditor invited bids for the "building of a house [of brick] for four offices, on the public square in Muncie, to be completed by the first Monday of December next."
A perusal of this paper explains the transportation facilities, when mails arrived only twice weekly from Indianapolis and other points, when a regular twice-a-week hack line ran from Muncie to Cincinnati, and all pas- senger traffic was by horse traction. The dawn of a new era, however, is seen in a notice for election of directors for the Indianapolis and Bellefon-
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
taine Railroad, which in a few years was built and is now the line of the Big Four road. Sixty years ago the state capital was as distant to the people of Muncie as St. Louis is now, for it was never less than a day's journey there, and a very fatiguing one at that.
From the two columns of "Business Directory" we can partly recon- struct the business and professional interests of that day. Nearly all the business houses were on Main street, and in the vicinity of the public square. At the west end of this street were A. M. Klem, clock and watch maker, and W. G. Ethell, printer, glazier and chairmaker; at Main and Chestnut was J. Walling, saddle, harness and trunkmaker; at east end and south side of Main street were Patrick Justice and J. R. Lockwood, tanners, shoe- makers and harnessmakers. Central Hotel, kept by S. Hoon, and Eastern Hotel, by Joseph Anthony, were on Main street, the latter at the east end and the Central on the southeast corner of Main and Walnut. Between these was the Trimble House, kept by John Trimble. Many of the business establishments designated their position with reference to the Central or Eastern hotels. Thus, B. Buckley, a shoemaker, was two doors south of Central Hotel; Nottingham and Meeks, cabinet makers, were nearly oppo- site the Eastern; G. W. Greene, tailor, was opposite the Trimble House; John Jack and J. L. Russey, dry goods and groceries, were one door east of Central Hotel; Charles F. Willard, merchant, was north of Central Hotel and east of square. Other business men and their locations were: Mark Walling, tanner and currier, north of Jack, Russey & Co.'s grist mill; George Liston, chairmaker and turner, on Washington street, near woolen factory ; Charles Rickert, plowstocker and carriage maker, one door west of Neeley's blacksmith shop; Joseph Stradling, wagon, carriage and plowmaker, corner Main and Mulberry; Edward G. Keasbey, hatmaker, Main street; John and S. F. Brady, saddle, harness and trunk makers, adjoining postoffice, which stood on Main and Jefferson streets; Milton and R. M. Rogers, wholesale and retail hardware, one door east of Russey and Jack's store ; P. Tuthill, shoemaker, four doors west of Eastern Hotel; Elisha Spear, shoe- maker, one door east of Willard's store; T. S. Neeley, blacksmith and plow dealer, Main street; William S. Collis, sash and blind manufacturer, Liberty and Jackson streets; James Hodge, dry goods and groceries, Chestnut and Main; Jonathan Wachtel, chairmaker, west end Main street; Josiah P. Williams, grocer, Main street, corner opposite court house; W. W. Moore's bakery and confectionery, one door east of postoffice, north side Main street. Physicians' cards appeared of B. F. Paris and A. F. Esterbrook, "botanic physicians and surgeons"; J. E. Moler, two doors east of Galliher and Burt's store, Main street. The only lawyers whose cards appear were Thomas J. Sample, east end of Main street; Joseph S. Buckles, in court house; Joseph Anthony, near Eastern Hotel.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
(Indiana Signal, October 28, 1848.) Besides the erection of several dwellings, and one or two business houses, the past summer, there is now in the course of erection a splendid fire proof county building, designed to be occupied by four of the principal county officers. A few weeks ago and the foundation stone was not yet laid, and now there stands a brick building nearly ready for the covering. But a few weeks more will elapse, ere it will be ready for the reception of those who are to occupy it. All of this has been thus speedily performed by our enterprising citizens, Messrs. Rus- sey, Jack, and Wysor, who are the contractors.
There are in this village eight Dry Goods Stores, (though one would scarcely have believed it, had they taken our advertising columns as a cri- terion by which to judge, ) all doing good business; four Groceries and Bak- eries ; three Public Inns; three Furniture Warehouses; three Blacksmith's shops; one Tin Manufactory, and Stove Depot; two Tanner and Curriers; one Hatter; four Waggon and Carriage Makers; three tailors; three Shoe- makers; three Chair Manufactories; one Clock and Watch Repairer; one or two House and Sign Painters; one Tinker; one Grist and Saw Mill; one Woolen Factory; one Seminary with two or three good Teachers; two Churches; two Apothecary Shops; a plenty of Lawyers and Physi- cians; several Masons, Carpenters and Joiners, and one Sash and Blind Manufacturer,-all of which are well supported, and in a county too, that is not as yet blessed with any internal improvements. The population falls but little short of 1500.
The account of Muncie in 1848, as given above, describes the town just before it entered upon the period of growth and enlargement consequent on the building of the railroad. Four years afterward the railroad was completed. This new force changed many of the old fashions of living. . Previously it had been the habit of the editor to excuse a late issue of his paper by saying that bad roads had prevented the arrival of paper from Cin- cinnati, or the merchant had a like plausible reason why his shelves were bare of staples. The daily passing of freight trains put an end to the condi- tion that made such excuses necessary. The railroad brought a daily mail, and along with it came the telegraph, so that the mental horizon of this town was extended to the furthest limits of the world.
Incorporation.
Muncie grew during this period, largely because of the railroad. Dur- ing the decade of the forties the county increased in population just two thousand : during the next decade, by five thousand. From a town of about four hundred it contained about nine hundred within two years after the completion of the railroad. Numerous additions were made to the town plat during this period, and the spirit of progress was felt by all.
One result of it was the incorporation of the town. A movement that had failed ten or twelve years before, now had hardly a dissenting vote. This time it was comparatively easy to obtain the signatures of more than
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
a third of the voting population, and a petition asking for corporation was presented to the board of county commissioners in September, 1854. The board, satisfied the sentiment for corporation was strong, ordered an elec- tion for the voters of the proposed town to decide the question. On Sep- tember 30, 1854, 57 voters wrote the word "yes," 42 the words "for corpora- tion," and 4 the word "no" on their ballots. The board decreed that Muncie was henceforth a corporate town, and in the following spring trustees and other officers were elected.
February 24, 1864, a petition, signed by more than a third of the voters within the corporate limits of Muncie, was presented to the town trustees, asking that board to take such steps as were necessary to secure incorpora- tion of Muncie as a city. The following November the board directed the town marshal to take a census as preliminary to city organization. The mar- shal made returns showing that Muncie had a population of 2196, more than double the number in 1854. February 2, 1865, the voters went to the polls to decide whether city organization was desired, and when the ballots were counted only one was against it and 293 signified assent to the proposition. Before retiring from office the town trustees divided Muncie into four wards. The limits of these original wards were as follows: First ward-all the city west of High street; Second-all between High street and Jefferson street; Third-all between Jefferson street and Monroe street; and Fourth -all east of Monroe street.
The first mayor, aldermen and other officers of the City of Muncie were elected on February 25, 1865. John Brady was chosen to the executive office of the city. Joseph F. Duckwall was elected clerk, William H. Stewart treasurer, Jacob Dodson city assessor, Joshua Truitt city engineer, and John T. Robinson marshal and street commissioner. The first ward returned as its representatives in the council, Mark Walling and James Truitt. Wil- liam B. Kline and Franklin Shafer were elected from the second ward; the third ward chose John L. Little and Isaac Meeks, while that portion of the city lying east of Monroe street elected William Brotherton and Lewis S. Smith.
California Forty-Niners from Delaware County.
The discovery of gold in California created quite as much excitement in Delaware county as in other similar sections of the country. Many left their settled pursuits and homes for the adventurous life of the west coast. Prob- ably no complete record of all the Forty-Niners could be found, but some old papers preserve the record of a company of twenty-eight who left the county for California on October 1, 1849. They were: James H. Wysor, J. H. Jemison, T. E. Burt, Elisha Spear, David B. Dowden, from Muncie. Stephen Hamilton, father and son, Thompson Walling, Archibald Hamilton,
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Samuel Martin, Crockett Ribble, Thomas R. Points, from the district along White river. Charles Carter, William Adsit, Samuel Peck, Dr. S. Hatha- way, Daniel Dilley, Reason Imes, John Sherry, James Hinton, George Car- ter, Peter Shideler, Thomas Beird, Wesley Carroll, Benjamin Lewis, Wil- liam Green, Isaac Ferguson, Dr. Davis, all from the Mississinewa. It is known that two other Delaware county men, Russey and Woods, met death while mining.
Probably the majority of these returned to the county within a few years, all enriched by strange experience if not by gold. One of them, how- ever, failed to return, and as nothing of his fate was learned, his disappear- ance became one of those mysteries that sometimes shadow family histories. The final solution of the mystery revealed the most interesting romance in the county's annals. The substance of the strange story, as told in the Daily News of June 18, 1884, under the title of "A Modern Enoch Arden," is as follows :-
Thompson Walling, one of the '49ers, married Susanah, daughter of George Shafer, in 1841, and lived for some years on a farm in this county. In the excitement of '49, with $500.00 loaned him by Volney Willson, he started in company with Henry Wysor, Stephen Hamilton, Jr., Theo. Burt, Elisha Spear, Dr. Hathaway, Charles Jeminson, Chas. McLaughlin, Samuel Martin and a number of people from along the Mississinewa, for California.
The company met with varying success, and some of them returned with the start that proved the foundation for later fortune, but young Walling remained, as did poor Russey, who fell a victim to the red man's malignant hatred.
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