USA > Indiana > An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1875 > Part 40
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
CRAWFORD COUNTY.
THIS county was named in memory of the unfortunate Colonel William Crawford, the land agent of General Wash- ington in the West, who was captured by the hostile Indians and burnt at Sandusky, in 1782. The surface of this county is
553
DAVIESS COUNTY.
very uneven and broken. Blue river is the only stream of importance. Along this river the soil is excellent, but in the interior it is not so good. Oak and poplar timber is found in great abundance. The principal agricultural productions are the same as those of the other counties. Coal and iron ore abound in the western part of the county. Blue river affords many fine mill sites, most of which are improved; but the chief object of attraction in the county is the celebrated Wyandotte cave. It has been explored for over nineteen miles. Its greatest height is two hundred and forty-five feet, and greatest width three hundred feet. It is located on the border of Harrison and Crawford counties, or near the border of the former, in Jennings township, in the latter county.
Leavenworth, the county seat, is on the Ohio river. Its growth has been substantial rather than rapid. It has good schools, and its public improvements are increasing in value and usefulness.
DAVIESS COUNTY.
THIS county bears the name of Colonel Daviess, who fell in the battle of Tippecanoe. The soil of the county is varied, but rich, and well adapted to the growth of articles usually cultivated in the West. The White river bottoms have a rich, black loam, in some places slightly sandy, which produces magnificent crops of corn and other grain. These bottoms were originally heavily timbered, and along the west fork, are from one to two miles wide; on the east fork, about half that width. The northeastern portion of the county is rolling, and heavily timbered; the northwestern portion is level and inter- spersed with prairies and skirts of timber; the centre is level barrens; the south and east, rolling, with formerly heavy tim- ber. Formerly, this county presented some magnificent forests of walnut and beach, and other timber.
Washington is the county seat of Daviess county. It is a small town, but full of life and thrift, surrounded by a rich and fertile district, with good railroad facilities; in the near future it cannot fail to grow and prosper. It has good incor-
554
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
porated schools. The district schools of the county are fully up to the average.
DEARBORN COUNTY.
DEARBORN county was named in honor of General Henry Dearborn, at that time secretary of war. The bottom lands on the Ohio, Miami and Whitewater rivers, about fifteen thou- sand acres in all, and the west and northwest portions of the county, are level and slightly undulating; the other portion of the surface is broken and hilly. The land in the vicinity of the rivers and creeks, both in the bottoms and on the hills, is rich and fertile, being unsurpassed in value for agricultural purposes in the State. The interior is well adapted to hay, wheat, etc.
Lawrenceburgh, the county seat, is located on the Ohio river, and on the Ohio & Mississippi and Cincinnati, Indianapolis & Chicago railroads. It is quite an important railroad station, and a growing commercial centre. Its educational facilities are good. Dearborn county has made considerable progress in agriculture and commerce.
DECATUR COUNTY.
THIS county bears the name of the gallant Commodore Stephen Decatur. The surface is level and slightly rolling. There are no prairie lands. The bottoms are not extensive, but very fertile. On some of the streams the land is hilly. The soil of the upland is a rich, black loam, and the timber consists mostly of ash, poplar, walnut, sugar tree, oak and beech. Along the east and south borders of the county there are some wet lands, well adapted to grass, but not good for growing grain. The stone quarries of Decatur county afford substantial profit. The building stone of the county is inex- haustible, and is being raised with good commercial results. The citizens of the county are a thrifty, intelligent set of men, awake to their own interests, and constantly developing the great resources of their county.
Greensburgh is the county seat. It is located on the Indi-
555
DELAWARE COUNTY.
anapolis, Cincinnati & La Fayette railroad, and, enjoying the productions of a rich agricultural region, blessed with ener- getic citizens, it is growing rapidly. Already it is a flourish- ing place, having excellent schools and good public improve- ments.
DE KALB COUNTY.
THIS county was named in honor of General De Kalb, a Revolutionary officer of German descent, who was killed in the battle of Camden. The surface of the county is gently undu- lating, and, with the exception of some low, wet lands, was originally covered with timber. The St. Joseph runs about twelve miles through the southeast corner of the county, while the other portions are well watered by Cedar creek and its tributary streams. The timber is of an excellent quality, and the soil cannot be excelled by any land in the State. It is being extensively cultivated, with good results for the husband- man.
The county is divided into nine townships, Union being the centre, in which is located Auburn, the county seat, a small but thrifty town. It is located on the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw railroad. The county is young, but in a very flour- ishing condition.
DELAWARE COUNTY.
THIS county was given its present name on account of its being the home of a large tribe of the Delawares. The surface is quite level, with but slight undulations. Small, wet prairies abound in the county to one-twelfth of the extent of the surface; but these, besides affording good pasturage, are tillable with the slight expense of drainage. Timber was formerly very plenty in this county, and of the best quality. Almost every foot of land in the county is adapted to farming. White river in the centre, Mississinewa in the north, Buck creek, and their numerous tributaries, supply the county abundantly with water power.
It was in this county where the Prophet, brother of Tecum-
556
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
seh, resided, and there, until it fell by decay, evood ino post at which he caused his enemies, whites and Indians, to ve tor- tured. David Conner, an Indian trader, was the first white man to settle in the county; others soon followed, and all have become independent and wealthy.
Muncie is the county seat. It is a city of about four thou- sand five hundred inhabitants, an enterprising commercial and manufacturing centre. It is located on the C., C., C. & I. and Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati railroads. Having all the advantages of a rich agricultural section around it, and being in direct communication with all the great cities of the north- west by railroad, it will undoubtedly continue to prosper, and will ultimately attain to considerable importance. It has excellent schools. Indeed, the schools in the whole county are well conducted.
DUBOIS COUNTY.
THIS county was named in honor of Toussant Dubois, who had charge of the guides and spies in the Tippecanoe cam- paign. The northwestern portion of the county is undulating; the other portions level, and about one-fifth of the whole is in the bottoms of White river, Patoka and other streams. A greater portion of the county has an excellent soil. Consid- erable portions of the surface are subject to inundation with the spring and fall freshets. There are no prairies in the county. Timber was originally abundant, consisting of wal- nut, sugar, beech, hickory, poplar, and white and black oaks. The staple productions of the county are hogs, cattle, horses, corn, etc. Among the material resources of the county, coal is abundant, and is already being mined with success. Coal mining is destined to become one of the great industries of the county, and will be conducted without injury to agricul- ture.
Jasper, the county seat, is a small but enterprising town. The county is making considerable progress in agriculture, mining and education.
557
FAYETTE COUNTY
FAYETTE COUNTY.
THIS county was appropriately named in honor of the dis- tinguished General La Fayette. The surface of the county is divided nearly in the centre by the west fork of White- water, which is a very serviceable stream for manufacturing purposes. The surface of the county is rolling in the east and south, and level in the north and west, with a large pro- portion of bottoms, and every part of the county is susceptible of profitable cultivation. The forests were originally dense and valuable, consisting principally of walnut, poplar, sugar, beech, hickory, oak, etc. The soil is very productive, and the labors of the husbandman are attended with substan- tial rewards. The farmers of Fayette county are nearly all wealthy. They have good residences, their farms are well improved, good school buildings grace every district, and a general thrift pervades the whole county.
Connersville, the county seat, is one of the finest towns in Indiana. It has a population of about four thousand, excel- lent schools, good churches and fine public improvements. The city has ample railroad improvements, bringing it into direct communication with all points of importance. The commercial and manufacturing interests of the city are in a flourishing condition. The citizens are a very intelligent class of people, full of the right sort of public spirit.
FOUNTAIN COUNTY.
THIS county was so called in respect to Major Fountain, of Kentucky, who was killed at the head of the mounted militia, in the battle on the Maumee, near Fort Wayne, in 1790. The surface of the county is mostly level, though the central and
- southern parts are occasionally undulating; and it is beauti- fully variegated with heavy forests and rich prairies, which latter constitute about one-fourth of the county. The soil is generally a black loam, with a slight mixture of sand, and is very fertile, producing excellent crops of wheat and corn. In the southern part of the county there is a preponderance of clay, and the soil there is consequently better adapted to wheat
1
558
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
1
and grass. There was originally an abundance of timber, con- sisting of poplar, sugar, beech, oak, walnut and hickory.
Covington, the county seat, is a thriving town on the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railway. Attica is another smart town in this county. It is located on the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway. The county has made great improvement during the last decade, both in the growth of its towns and the general developments of the farming districts. The schools are efficient and prosperous.
FRANKLIN COUNTY.
THIS county was named in honor of the distinguished Benjamin Franklin. The northeast portion is level, the cen- tral and western portions rolling, and in many places quite hilly. The timber, which was originally plenty, consists of" oak, sugar, beech, hickory and black walnut. The soil is gen- erally good. A considerable portion of the county is bottom land, lying along White river and it branches. These bottoms are, as usual, a very rich soil, well adapted to the growth of corn. The uplands are better adapted to the growth of wheat and grass. The farming interests of the county are fully up to those of other counties in the State. This county has some interesting antiquarian features. There are numerous mounds of earth and structures of stone, imbedded in the earth, and prepared with apparent skill, so that the deposits of some very distant period are found in a remarkable state of preservation. Franklin county has all the natural elements for success, and is rapidly increasing in population and wealth.
Brookville, the county seat, is located on the Whitewater division of the Indianapolis, Cincinnati and La Fayette Rail- way. It is an enterprising, educational town, rapidly increas- ing in population, wealth and importance.
FULTON COUNTY.
THIS county was named in honor of Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat. The surface of the county is level, with the exception of a range of hills along the north
559
GIBBON COUNTY.
bank of the Tippecanoe river. The north and east portions of the county were originally covered with a dense and valua- ble forest. The soil is generally very rich and fertile, and well adapted to the growth of wheat and corn, and other grains. The county is well watered by the Tippecanoe river, and by Mill, Mud, Owl and Chipwamunc creeks.
Rochester, the county seat, is located near the centre of the county, in direct railroad communication with Indianapolis and Chicago. It is a thriving town of about two thousand five hundred inhabitants. It possesses fair public improve- ments, good schools and churches, and shows the effects of a liberal spirit and enterprise on the part of its citizens. About two miles east of Rochester is located the famed " Lake Man- itou," or " Devil's Lake." It covers an area of about thirteen hundred acres, and is about two and one half miles long. Many tales are told by some of the most substantial and reliable citizens, of an immense fish, or "devil-like " monster being seen at various times, in the night, and at a spot in the lake where bottom has never been found, although many efforts to reach it have been made. A legend has been handed down through several generations, by the Indians, to the effect that a party of their people, encamping on the east side of the lake, were surprised during the night by this monster, and after a desperate encounter, were all destroyed and dragged into the lake. Ever after this event, no Indian could be per- suaded to go onto the lake. A fine mill stream flows from this lake-being fed by springs- which affords power for several large flouring mills in the town of Rochester. The county has made considerable advance in the several indus- tries.
GIBSON COUNTY.
THIS county was named in honor of General John Gibson, secretary of the territory from 1801 to 1816, and repeatedly acting governor in the absence of Governor Harrison. The surface of the county is pleasantly undulating. A consider- able portion of the soil is river bottoms on the Wabash, Patoka and White river's. The balance was originally heavily
560
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
timbered with walnut, beech, hickory, ash, oak, etc. The soil is generally loam and sand, and very productive in corn, wheat and oats.
Princeton is the county seat. It is a thriving town, contain- ing between two and three thousand inhabitants, located on the Crawfordsville and Evansville railroad, affording commu- nication to the northern cities, and southern ports, via Ohio and Mississippi railroad. It has excellent school facilities, fine churches, and good public improvements. The citizens are enterprising, and take a just pride in the growth of their city.
GRANT COUNTY.
THIS county was named in honor of Captain Samuel Grant and Moses Grant, who were killed in 1789, in a battle with the Indians, near the creek since called by their name, in the · northeast part of Switzerland county. The surface of the county is quite level, except a strip along the Mississinewa river, where it is decidely rolling. It was originally heavily timbered. The soil, without exception, is rich, and well adapted to the cultivation of grain, grass, fruit, etc. The farmers of the county are all blessed with abundant harvests; they are growing wealthy and independent.
Marion, a town of two thousand five hundred inhabitants, is the county seat, and a thrifty place. It has excellent rail- road facilities, good schools, and, being surrounded with a fertile region of country, is destined to have a continuous growth. Jonesboro is another thriving town in this county.
HAMILTON COUNTY.
THIS county bears the name of Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the United States treasury, under Washing- ton. The surface of the county is level in some parts, and gently undulating in others, and the soil, without any excep- tion, is excellent, being well adapted to either corn, grain, or grass. There are, along White river, some dry, rich prairies, and, at the heads of Cicero and Stoney creeks, some wet ones, but they are quite small. The balance of the county was
561
HANCOCK COUNTY.
originally heavily timbered, with a good proportion of oak, poplar, walnut, sugar, hickory, and beech. This is one of the finest farming counties in Indiana, and most of the farmers have become wealthy.
Noblesville is the county seat. It is located in the centre of the county, and is a thriving town, with a population of about two thousand. It has good railroad facilities, good schools, and its public improvements will compare favorably with other towns of equal population. There are quite a large number of Friends in Hamilton county. They have done much to develop the resources of that section.
HANCOCK COUNTY.
HANCOCK county bears the name of John Hancock, the signer of the Declaration of Independence. The surface of , the county is level, except in the vicinity of the water courses, where it is undulating. The county was originally heavily timbered. The soil is rich, and the only impediment to agri- culture, was the wetness of some sections. This difficulty is being obviated by a system of drainage. Corn and wheat growing are the staple industries of the county, as also is the raising of horses, hogs, and cattle.
Greenfield is the county seat, and is a prosperous town, of nearly two thousand inhabitants. It is located on the Pitts- burgh, Cincinnati, and St. Louis railroad, twenty-one miles east of the capital. The town has good schools, is rapidly in- creasing in wealth and population, and is cultivating a spirit of public improvements. The county, generally speaking, has made good progress.
HARRISON . COUNTY.
THIS county was named for our own General William Henry Harrison. The surface of the county and character of the soil are diversified. "The chain of knobs on the east, the river hills, and many places along Indian creek and Blue river, present as fine scenery as can be found in any part of the State. The bottoms, valleys, and a portion of the upland are
36
562
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
fertile, and were originally well timbered, but some of the barrens have many · sink-holes,' in which are frequently en- trances to immense caverns, and in many places the soil is very thin. Six miles west of Corydon is Wilson's spring. sixty feet in diameter, and, though it has been sounded over four hundred feet, no bottom has been found. It rises from a solid rock, in a level spot of land, and it affords a sufficient amount of water to turn a valuable flour mill. Pitman's cave, in the same neighborhood, has been explored about two and a half miles, and is frequently visited. The descent to this cave is about twenty feet perpendicular; it then extends off horizon- tally." Harrison county is one of the oldest in the State, and Corydon, the county seat, is one of the oldest towns in Indiana. It was the capital of the State for several years, or until the capital was permanently located at Indianapolis. Around it centre some of the earliest territorial legislation. It was at Corydon where the constitution convention of 1816 was held, when the first State constitution was framed.
Corydon, the county seat, is a town of over one thousand. It has grown but little during the last twenty years. How- ever, its growth has been substantial, and its improvements permanent.
JASPER COUNTY.
THIS county bears the name of Sergeant Jasper, of Carolina, who died in defense of his country in the war of the revolution. The surface of the county is generally level, consisting mostly of dry and wet prairies, interspersed with small groves of timber, usually known as oak openings. A large portion of' the soil is very fertile, and well adapted to the production of wheat, oats, corn, grass, etc. It is a very fine grazing county, and horses, cattle, and sheep are raised with considerable profit.
Rensselaer, the county seat, is a living town, with good public improvements. Remington is another enterprising town in Jasper county.
JEFFERSON COUNTY.
THIS county was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the
563
JENNINGS COUNTY.
third president of the United States. It presents a great variety of soil and surface. "The bottoms on the Ohio, and along the principal creeks, are a rich loam, mixed with sand, and the lofty and steep hills near them have also a rich soil. On the table lands, back of the hills, there is more clay; and still further in the interior a considerable portion of the land is nearly level, covered mostly with beech timber -unfit for corn or grain, and suitable only for grass. About one-half of the county is of this character."
Madison, the county seat of Jefferson county, is located on the Ohio, and at the terminus of the Madison division of the Jeffersonville, Madison, and Indianapolis railroad. It ranks among the most important river cities, having a population of over thirteen thousand, and immense manufacturing and commercial interests. The public improvements are good, its educational facilities excellent. The growth of Madison has not been rapid, but it has been substantial.
JENNINGS COUNTY.
THIS county bears the name of Jonathan Jennings, the first governor of the State of Indiana. Near the streams the surface of the county is hilly and broken, and moderately fertile, except in the beech flats, at the head of the streams, where it is only fit for grass. There is an abundance of excel- lent timber in the county, of which large quantities are exported. There are also good quarries of lime stone, from which the interior of the State is largely supplied.
Vernon, a thriving town in the center of the county, is the seat of justice of Jennings county, but North Vernon, in Center township, is the largest town, having a population of over two thousand, good public improvements, excellent school facilities, and increasing commercial interests. The county is a good one, farming is profitable, and the farmers are prosperous. It is traversed by three railroads.
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY.
THIS county bears the name of the Polish soldier and patrios who served in the American army in the war of the revolu-
564
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
tion. The surface of the county is level and gently undu- lating. About two-thirds of the surface was originally covered with good timber, and it has generally a very rich soil; one- half of the balance is oak openings. The remaining portion is dry and wet prairies, of which the Turkey creek prairie, comprising an area of ten sections, is among the most fertile and beautiful land in the State-now all in a high state of cultivation. The soil is best adapted to wheat, oats, and corn. Near the head of Tippecanoe, Turkey creek, and other streams, there are quite a number of beautiful lakes, covering in all, probably twenty-five thousand acres. They are abundantly filled with fish.
Warsaw, the county seat, is beautifully situated between Pike and Eagle lakes, in the southern part of the county, on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad, and is the terminus of a road running north to Goshen and Elkhart. It has a population of nearly four thousand, and is rapidly increasing in wealth and population.
LA GRANGE COUNTY.
THIS county was named in respect to the residence of General La Fayette, in France. About two-thirds of the county is what was usually known to pioneers as "barrens," or oak openings, one-tenth is prairie, and the balance thick timber. The face of the county is mostly level, though in some places it is broken and gently undulating. The soil in the openings is a sandy loam; in the openings there is a heavy mixture of clay. The former is well adapted to wheat; the latter to wheat, corn, grass and oats; and the prairies to wheat and corn .*
La Grange, the county seat, is situated in the center of the county, on the Grand Rapids and Indiana railroad. It is a thrifty town of about two thousand inhabitants. Further north, on the same road, is Lima, a smart town of nearly one
* We have been directed, somewhat, in our observations touching the soil and surface of the several counties, by the "Indiana State Atlas," published by Asher, Adams & Higgins, New York.
565
LA PORTE COUNTY.
thousand inhabitants. La Grange county has made good progress.
LAKE COUNTY.
THIS county derives its name from its close proximity to Lake Michigan. The northern portion of the county adjoining the lake for several miles inland, appears to be merely sand thrown up from the bed of the lake. It is mostly covered with dwarf pine and cedar, and the soil is of but little value. South of Turkey creek the soil is rich and alluvial; but the central part of the county is better adapted to grazing than grain, the soil being a mixture of clay, marl, and black muck. Further to the south there is more sand, with a mixture of black loam, easy of cultivation; and the various kinds of grain raised in the west are produced in abundance, and still further to the south, along the Kankakee, are extensive marshes.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.