USA > Indiana > Vermillion County > Biographical and historical record of Vermillion County, Indiana : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each; a condensed history of the state of Indiana; portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Vermillion county, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of the county and its villages > Part 18
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SECTION 6. The agent who shall be ap- pointed for the sales of lots at the seat of justice of said new county shall reserve and receive ten per centum out of the proceeds of all donations made to the said county, and also out of the proceeds of all sales made of lots at the county seat of said county, and pay the same over to such person or persons as may be appointed by law to receive the same, for the use of a county library for the said county of Vermillion, which he shall pay over at such time and place as may be directed by law.
" SECTION 7. The powers, privileges and authorities that are granted to the qualified voters of the county of Dubois and others named in the act entitled .an aet incorpo- rating a county library' in the counties therein named, approved January 28, 1818, to organize, support and conduct a county library, are hereby granted to the qualified voters of the county of Vermillion; and the same powers and authorities therein granted, and the same duties therein required of the several officers and persons elected by thic qualified voters of Dubois and other counties therein named, for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of the act aforesaid, according to the true intent and meaning
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thereof, are hereby granted to and required of the officers and other persons elected by the qualified voters of the county of Ver- million.
"SECTION 8. The said county of Verinill- ion shall have both civil and criminal jurisdiction over all the country north of said county, which is or may be included in ranges nine and ten west, to the northern boundary of the State.
" SECTION 9. The said new county of Ver- million shall be attached to the counties of Pike and Vigo, for the purpose of electing Representatives to Congress, and to the same Senatorial and Representativedistricts to which said counties now belong, for the purpose of electing Senators and Representatives to the General Assembly, and to the first return dis- triet for the purpose of returning votes for electors of President and Vice-President of the United States."
For the space of a year Vermillion Connty thus had jurisdiction over more than a hun- dred miles of country north and south-to Lake Michigan, but a few miles from the modern city of Chicago. The presidential election referred to in the closing sentence was that at which John Quincy Adams was chosen, and during the administration of President Monroe. It takes us back almost to " ancient " history.
The county is thirty-seven miles long, north and south, by an average of seven miles in width, east and west. It is bounded on the north by Warren County, on the east by the Wabash River, or Fountain and Parke counties, on the south by Vigo County, and on the west by the State of Illinois, that is, by Edgar and Vermillion counties, that State.
The county seat was located at its present point, in what was then (1824) a wilderness, by Commissioners Robert Sturgis, Samuel M. Caldwell, William Pugh and William Me-
Intosh, of adjoining counties. A fifth com- inissioner was probably appointed, but did not act. Tradition gives four reasons why the seat of government was fixed at Neport: First, the site is nearly central; second, it was convenient to a good big spring, and to a grist and saw mill on the Little Vermillion River; third, those who owned the land were more liberal in their donations to the county than were others who sought the seat of gov- ernment elsewhere; and fourth, a few have intimated that the commissioners were bought up by parties in interest; but of course no proof of this has ever been given; the first three reasons are sufficient. There has never since been a serious effort made to remove the county seat; and, although Dana may out- grow the other towns in the county and some day bid strong for the honor, the pres- ent railroad system of the county constitutes an additional reason, and a more cogent rea- son than all the others combined, for retain- ing the seat of county government at its present place. It is more convenient than any other point in the county can be, unless Dana should grow to a city and become a kind of railroad center.
EARLY ACTS OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
The earliest acts of the commissioners of Vermillion County were recorded in a " home- made" book manufactured for the purpose by the clerk. This record was left in some place exposed to the depredations of mice, which mutilated it seriously, and some of the minutes therefore cannot be deciphered. In March, 1882, by order of the commissioners, as much of this mutilated record as was pos- sible was carefully transcribed in a large, well-bound book of modern mannfacture. This transcript begins with the minutes of the March session of 1824, the year the county was organized, and therefore but very little
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of the record is really lost. This first session was held at the residence of James Blair, situated near the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section 16, in township 17 north, of range 9 west. That was on the west side of the old wagon road leading from Eugene to Newport, and about half way between those two towns. As these earliest acts of the County Legislature gather increas- ing interest with lapsing years, we print the first few pages of them.
" At a special meeting of the board of com- missioners of Vermillion County, begun and held at the house of James Blair, on Tuesday, the 23d day of March, 1824, and the com- missioners having their certificates of election, and having taken the necessary oath, took their seats. Commissioners present-John IIaines, Thomas Durham and Isaac Chambers,
" 1st. Ordered, That William W. Kennedy be and is hereby appointed elerk of the board of commissioners of Vermillion County for this session.
"2d. Ordered, That Caleb Bales be and is hereby appointed lister of the County of Ver- million, upon his giving bond and security.
" 3d. Ordered, That all that part of the County of Vermillion contained in the fol- lowing bounds, to wit: Beginning at the Wabash River where the line dividing town- ships 13 and 14 crosses the same, thenee with said line to the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, thence north to the line dividing townships 14 and 15, thence east with said line to the Wabash River, thence sonth with said river to the place of begin- ning, shall constitute the township of Clin- ton; and that the election in said township be held in said township at the house of John Sargeant, in Clinton.
" 4th. Ordered, That all that part of the county of Vermillion contained in the follow- ing bounds, to wit: Beginning at the Wabash
River where the line between townships 14 and 15 crosses the same, thence west with said line to the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, thence north with said line to the center of township 16, thenee east with said eentral line to the Wabash River, thence sonth with said river to the place of beginning,-shall constitute the township of IIelt, and that elections for said township be held at the house of John Van Camp.
" 5th. Ordered, That all that part of Ver- million County contained in the following bonnds, to wit: Beginning at the Wabash River at the center of township 16, thence west with said central line to the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, thence north with said line until it strikes the Big Vermillion River, thence east with said river until it empties into the Wabash, thenee south with said river to the place of begin- ning, shall constitute the township of Ver- million; and that elections in said township be held at the school-house on section 16 in township 16.
" 6th. Ordered, That all that part of Ver- million County contained in the following bounds, to wit: Beginning at the Wabash River at the mouth of the Big Vermillion River, thence west with said river to the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, thenee north with the said line to the line dividing townships 19 and 20, thenee east with said line to the Wabash River, thenee south with said river to the place of begin- ning, shall constitute the township of Iligh- land, and that elections in said township be held at the house of Jacob Andrick."
The next four orders appoint inspectors of the elections first to be held in the above described townships-Salmon Luck. for Clin- ton; William Bales, for Helt; John Gardner, for Vermillion; and Jacob Haines, for High- land.
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The next four orders direct that justices of the peace be chosen at these elections, and that the sheriff give due notice of the time, place and purposes of the same.
The succeeding four orders appoint consta- bles for the townships-Charles Trowbridge, for Clinton; John Harper, for Helt; Jacob Custer, for Vermillion; and George Han- sucker, for Highland; upon their giving bond and security.
The above constitutes the business of the first day's session.
Clinton and Helt townships remain un- changed to this day; but the other two town- ships have been made into three, as follows: The line between Vermillion and Engene townships is the line dividing sections 19 and 30 of surveyed township 17 north and 10 west, running east to the northeast corner of section 21, township 17 north and 9 west, thence north a half mile, and thence east to the river; the line dividing Eugene and Highland townships is the line dividing sec- tions 19 and 30 of township 18 north and 10 west, running east to the river; and from the northern side of Highland Township has been cut off one tier of sections of Congres- sional township 19 north, 9 west, and thrown into Warren County.
On the second day the session the fol- lowing were appointed grand jurors for the May (1824) term of the Circuit Court: David W. Arnold, Horace Luddington, Rezin Shel- by, Andrew Thompson, John Tipton, William Coffin, John Scott, Jesse Iliggins, Morgan De Pny, William Hedges, John Vaunest, William Boyles, James Andrews, James Harper, Sr., and James Davis; and the fol- lowing as petit jurors: Joel Dicken, Robert Elliott, James Groenendyke, John Thompson, Simeon Dicken, Isaac Worth, Lewis Zebres- key [or Zabriskie], Benjamin Shaw, Alexan- der Bailey, William Rice, Harold Hayes,
Amos Reeder, William Hamilton, Jolin Clo- ver, Ralph Wilson, John Wimsett, Abraham Moore, John Maxadon, Joseph Dillow, Thomas Matheny, John E. Anderson, O! ed Blakesley, Jolın Van Camp, and Joshua Skid- more.
For some reason, however, the most of those appointed as grand jurors failed to serve, as the Circuit Court record for the May (1824) term opens by giving the following named gentlemen as constituting the grand jury: Simeon Dicken, Ralph Wilson, Joseph Schooling, Obed Blakesley, James Harper, Sr., Carter Hollingsworth, Joshua Skidmore, Amos Reeder, Joel Dicken, Robert Elliott, Jesse Higgins, John Thompson, John Tipton, Joseph Dillow, Ludlow Lndwiek, James Davis and William Rice.
This day they also appointed " superintend- ents " of the school sections-Harold Hughes for Clinton Township, William Bales for Helt, James Davis for Vermillion, William Coffin for that in 17 north, 9 west, in High- land Township, Horace Luddington in 18 north, and Jacob Andrick in 19 north, also in Highland.
For overseers of the poor, John Vannest was appointed for Clinton Township, James Andrews and Angustus Ford for Helt, Zeno Worth and John Tipton for Vermillion, and John Haines and William Gouger for High- land.
John Collett was appointed "agent for laying out a county seat," and also "for sell- ing such lots as were donated by John Jus- tice and George Miner for the use of the county, and such lands as were by them do- nated as more fully appears by their bonds." Josephus Collett and William Fulton were accepted as security for John Collett.
Alexander Bailey was appointed collector of State and county tax.
James Blair was appointed agent for the
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library of the county, and authorized to re- ceive the moneys appropriated for the pur- pose from the sales of the county seat lots. (There is no " county library " now.)
On the third day of this session the bills of the sheriff and commissioners appointed by the State government to locate the county seat, were audited and ordered paid. Will- iam Fulton was allowed $35 " as a sheriff in organizing the connty of Vermillion," and also $2.50 for obtaining a copy of the laws regulating the duties of sheriffs in new counties.
John Collett was anthorized to receive a deed of the land for the connty seat from John Justice, Josephus Collett and Stephen Collett, the land being "all that part of the west halt of the southwest quarter of section 26, in township number 17 north, of range 9 west, which may be south of the Little Vermillion Creek, should the same contain more or less."
William Fulton was substituted for Alex- ander Bailey as collector of taxes.
For the May (1824) session the same com- inissioners first met at the house of James Blair, and, before transacting any business, adjourned to 4 P. M., at the house of Josephus Collett, at Vermillion Mills. At this place Mr. Haines did not appear. The other two commissioners decreed that ferry licenses be $7; " that the clerk list all property liable to taxation for county purposes to the full amonnt allowed by law; " that tavern licenses be $5; that the scat of justice shall be known as " the town of Newport," and that the lots in said town be laid off according to the following form, viz: Lots sixty-six feet in front, and 181g feet in depth; the main street to be 100 feet in breadth, all other streets eighty feet; the alleys running north and south to be thirty-three feet, those east and west, sixteen; and that the sale of lots take
place on the first Monday in June next, at the publie square in said town, one-fifth of the purchase money to be paid in hand, the residue in four semi-annual installments; and one-half of the lots donated to the county only shall be offered at said time."
Next, the connty was divided into thirteen road districts, and supervisors for them were appointed.
James Blair was authorized to run a ferry at Perrysville, at the following rates: Wagon and five horses, 75 cents; wagon and four horses, 62} cents; wagon and three horses, 50 cents; wagon and two horses, 37g cents; man and horse, 12g cents; pedestrian, 64 cents; neat cattle, 4 cents a head; hogs and sheep, 2 cents a head.
John Gardner was anthorized to run a ferry across the Wabash about two miles north of Newport.
For the proceedings of the next day the record says that "the grand and petit jurors, being duly selected for the present year, were deposited in a box prepared for that pur- pose !" No wonder they dreaded to serve !
" License to vend foreign merchandise for the present year [remainder of 1824] was established at $10."
At the June (1824) session the commis- sioners ordered a contract to be let for the building of a court-house of the following de- scription: "36 feet in length, and 24 feet in depth; containing two jury rooms, to be fur- nished with a window of fifteen lights, and a door opening from each into the conrt-room; the latter to have eight feet for a passage be- tween it and the jury room; balance of six- teen feet to be finished, laid off and worked in a semicircular form, in a workmanlike manner; with seats for the judges, bar and jury; with bannisters to separate the said court and jury rooms, eight feet one from the other across said court-house, at the dis-
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tance of eight feet from said jury rooms, ex- eept so much as may be necessary for the admission of persons in and to the bar and eourt, which said space is not to exceed three feet; and the said conrt-room is to be fur- nished with three windows of fifteen lights each, and two good doors. Said building is to be erected on the southeast corner of the publie square, of good, substantial frame of a ten-foot story, covered with joint shingles; and said frame is to be settled on a sufficient number of eighteen-inch bloeks two feet long."
June 26, 1824, the board of commissioners met and awarded to John Justice the eon- tract for building the above deseribed court- honse, for 8345, the strneture to be completed by the first of the following November.
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PLAN OF FIRST COURT-HOUSE.
Although the commissioners refused to accept this building when Mr. Justice thought he had it completed, it was used for eourts and publie meetings of all kinds until another was erected, of brick. The county paid Mr. Justice in part; he sued for the balance, and finally recovered it, the Supreme Court ordering the county to pay the full amount and the cost of the proceedings.
In February, 1831, the commissioners had a plan for a new court-house drawn up, and advertised for proposals for furnishing the
material with which to build it. James Skin- ner, being the lowest responsible bidder, was awarded the contract for furnishing the briek, at 83.50 per thousand; and Stephen B. Gardner was promised $2.50 a perch for the stone. Other material was contracted for, and the court-house completed under the immediate supervision of the county com- missioners, and was occupied until January 29, 1844, at half past eleven o'eloek in the forenoon, when it was partly burned down. The commissioners ealled a session immedi- ately and arranged for repairing the building. It was fully repaired, and re-oceupied during the following summer. This served until 1868, when the present beautiful structure was built.
In June, 1828, the board of commissioners let the contraet for the ereetion of the first jail, which was to be 16 x 28 feet in ground area, two stories high, of hewed timbers, with a partition of twelve feet for debtors' and eriminals' room, lower story eight and a half feet in the clear, upper story eight feet, with partition as below, to be built of double timbers 8 x 10 inehes thick, or wider if con- venient; roof to be of joint shingles, etc., etc. Samuel Hedges was the contractor, who was to receive for the work $369.
In connection with the same building was to be a elerk's office, 16 x 14 feet, one story nine feet in the clear, two fifteen-light win- dows, one door, etc., etc. For this Mr. Hedges was to receive $116.
This building was erected in due time, according to contract.
PROBATE RECORD.
The first page of the probate record begins thus:
"Order Book 1. Probate Court, April 16, 1827. Present, the Honorable Jacob Castle-
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man and Jacob Andrick, Associate Judges of Vermillion County.
"Court was adjourned to meet at the clerk's office in Newport.
"Ordered, That Phebe Miller be and she is hereby appointed guardian of Matilda Miller, of lawful age to choose a guardian, and Eliza Ann, Charlotte, Jotham, Jacob, Jolin, Lucretia and Massey Miller, infant heirs of Joshua Miller, deceased, that she give bond in the sum of $600, and that John Haines and John Gardner be approved as sureties.
"Ou motion of James Groenendyke, ordered that John Armour, John Tipton and Robert Elliott be and they are hereby appointed com- missioners to make a partition of the real estate of John Groenendyke, deceased, among the heirs of said deceased, and report to the next term.
"Ordered, That Sarah Lamphier, adminis- tratrix of the estate of Elijah Lamphier, de- ceased, be allowed the following credits, she having filed sufficient vouchers to that effect: [Here follows a list of expenses, footing np $12.]
"Ordered, That Hiram Shepherd, admin- istrator of the estate of William W. Ken- nedy, deceased, be allowed a credit of $39 on said estate, he having produced sufficient vouchers for the sum.
"Ordered, That court adjourn till court in course.
"JACOB ANDRICK. "JAC. CASTLEMAN."
Mr. Andrick's name is signed mostly in German letter, while Mr. Castleman swings a fancy pen in modern style.
FIRST MARRIAGES.
The first marriages within the present bounds of Vermillion County are probably recorded at the county seats of Parke and
Vigo counties, as the record at Newport opens with certificates at the rate of almost one a week, or forty for the year ending May 1, 1825. The record here begins with the following, in the order here given:
1. Jesse McGee, Minister of the Gospel, married Moorman Hayworth and Elizabeth Mardick, May 30, 1824; and June 2, same year, Hugh Johnson and Polly Tipton.
2. John Porter, Justice of the Peace, May 10, 1824, married Philo Heacock and Dian- tha Smith; June 10 following, Joshua Dean and Susan Nolan; June 27, Isaac B. Potter and Semiah Seymour; July 1, Noah Kirken- dol and Mary Wallen; and August 12, Ashur Sargent and Delilah Cooper, etc.
Some of the above names are probably wrongly spelled.
THIE CIRCUIT COURT.
The first civil suit brought into the Circuit Court was instituted by Mark Hays against Mary Ilays for divorce. The case was con- tinued for several terms and ended by Mark having to pay Mary's lawyers' fees, dis- missing and paying costs, and then the twain living together thereafter. " Vermillion County," says M. G. Rhoades, Esq., "has the reputation of settling more lawsuits by com- promise thian any other county in the State. This effect may be directly traceable to the example set in the case just related."
The first volume of the Circuit Court record opens thus: "May Terin, 1824. Pleas be- gun and held before the Honorable Jacob Call, President of the First Judicial Circuit in the State of Indiana, and Jacob Andrick and Jacob Castleman, Associate Judges for the county of Vermillion, at the house of James Blair, on Thursday, the sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.
"State of Indiana vs. Josephus Collett and
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Ralph Wilson." This was for assault and battery, although no memorandum of the fact is entered. Then follows the plea of indict- ment, which is interesting on account of the heavy wording characteristic of that day. Thus:
" The jurors, for and in the name and body of the county of Vermillion, upon their oaths present that Josephns Collett, late of the township of Vermillion, laboring [ laborer ?], and Ralph Wilson, late of the same town- ship and county aforesaid, laborer, on the fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, with force and arms, at [in ?] the township atoresaid, in the county aforesaid, did, in a certain public place, to wit, the house yard of James Blair, being a public place, did agree to figlit at fistieuffs, and then and there actually did fight, and then and there, in a rnde, insolent, angry and unlawful manner, did touch, strike, beat, bruise, wound and ill- treat each other, to the terror of the citizens of the State of Indiana, then and there being contrary to the force of the statutes of that case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana.
"GEORGE R. C. SULLIVAN, Pros. Atty."
Among the tautologies and slips of the pen in the above document, is the old familiar phrase, " with force and arms," connected with a case of simple "fisticnffs !" "Arms" were employed, no doubt !- two by each party.
According to tradition, the whole court were indictable as accessories to the affray, as, while they had no regular business on hand for the day, they " adjourned to see the fun!"
At the second term of the court Mr. Col- lett pleaded guilty and was fined $2; but Mr. Wilson continned his case for several terms, and was ultimately fined $10,-for the use of
the county seminary. Judge Jolin R. Porter presided at this term of court. His circuit, by the several changes that were made, ex- tended from the Ohio to Lake Michigan.
Of course it is not necessary for us to fol- low the criminal records further, or even give any statistics of crime in this county. In reading a modern newspaper one often gets the impression that " this section of the conntry" is awfully addicted to crime, for- getting that it is the province of the pape: to gather and publish all that is sensational, though other things be excluded. In reading the modern newspaper, therefore, one is almost constantly looking at the worst side of society.
There has been but one case of capital punishment in Vermillion County, a brief account of which we now proceed to give.
THIE SCAFFOLD.
Walter Watson was executed April 3, 1879, for having murdered Ezra Compton at High- land January 10, preceding.
Watson was born in Vermillion County, Indiana, March 20, 1852, and when grown was five feet nine inches in height, weighed about 165 pounds, and had a light complexion and anburn hair. When he was fourteen years of age his mother died, a little before which time he joined the Methodist Episcopal church; but in 1876 he joined the Baptist church, and December 25, 1877, married Mary E. Sharp, a member of the same church. His father kept house but a short time after his mother's death, and he and his brother were consequently left to shift for themselves. He was generally industrious, however, work- iug mostly on a farm, and some as a car- penter; he carried mail four months, and was also engaged in numerous other odd jobs, in various places.
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