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 25
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1522 .- To this year is credited John Wim- sett. from Virginia, who died many years ago. Jacob Wimsett, born January 3. 1527,
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
is still a resident. Jacob Custar settled this year on the Vermillion about a mile and a half above Newport. Philemon Thomas came this year and remained a resident until his death in 1860. IIis wife, née Catharine Custar, came in 1828, and is still living. (See sketch of Jacob Thomas.) Nathan Thomas was five years old when in 1827 he was brought to this county.
1823 .- Carter and Catharine Hollings- worth, from North Carolina. Mrs. Hollings- worth died in 1880, aged eighty-eight years. Eber Hollingsworth, born in Union County, Indiana, in 1822, was brought to this county the next year. Ile is a well known farmer and stock-trader two miles west of Newport. Henry Hollingsworth, born in this State in 1830, recently died in Newport.
1824 .- Anna, widow of William Hender- son, became a resident of this county in 1824.
1826 .-- Adam Zener, born in Kentucky in 1803, came to Clark County, this State in 1812, and in 1826 to this county, where he remained until his death, March 14, 1877, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Either this year or next came Philip W. Os- mon, who was born in Kentucky in 1803. Ilis son, Archibald W., born in 1829, is a farmer ten miles southwest of Newport, and Jabez B., born in 1836, resides at Newport. (See sketch.) Jeremiah and Mary (Taylor) Highfill, from Maryland: he died about 1867, aged eighty-five years, and she in 1852, at the age of about sixty years. See sketch of their son John, who was born here in 1828.
1827 .- Richard Potts, who was sheriff two terms, and died in 1875. His widow died in 1883, at the old homestead two and a half miles south of Newport. Of their two chil- dren, Thomas died a number of years ago, and Charles P. survives.
1828 .- Robert Wallace, a native of Vir-
ginia, became a resident of Vermillion Town- ship this year, and died at Newport, May 27, 1881, at the age of ninety-one years. He was a man of fine physical appearance, and was never sick to exceed a week during his life. William Wallace, who was born in Ohio in 1817, and was ten or eleven years of age when brought to this county, died several years ago. Joshua Nixon, born in Ohio in 1813, came to Newport this year, and resided here until his death, May 23, 1875, a faith- ful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. James Asbury, born in Virginia in 1815, is still residing on section 21. (See sketch.) Aaron Jones, from New Jersey, and William Jones, from Union County, In- diana, both came this year: the former is dead (see sketch), and the latter is still living in this township. Samuel Jones, born in Ohio, came in 1830, and died about 1881. George Brindley, born in Kentucky in 1800, died in 1878; and his wife Sarah, born in 1806, died in 1867. (See sketch of John Brindley, a son.) Benjamin Shepherd, born in Kentucky in 1808, and David Brown, born in Indiana in 1823, are still living in this township.
1829 .- Robert Stokes settled in this town- ship in 1829, and is still an active inan, re- siding in Newport. His wife, whose maiden name was Rebecca Wallace, was born June 8, 1809, in Virginia, and died November 25, 1884. They were married January 31, 1833. Of their five children, none are living except Finley. Samuel Davis, born in Ohio in 1811, is also still living in Newport. Eliza- beth Frazer, widow of William, who died in 1873, aged fifty-seven, was born in this State in 1822, and is still living.
1830 .- Jacob Sears came from North Car- olina, and died in 1859, aged eighty-five. His wife, née Mary Hofstetter, died in 1856, aged eighty. (See sketch of Daniel Sears.) E.
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VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.
Jackson, Sr., born in Ohio in 1807, lives in Dana. Thomas J. Brown, born in Kentucky in 1801, died in this township. Ross Clark, born in Ohio in 1797, died in this township in the fall of 1878; the farm is still occupied by his son, G. W. Jacob and Mary (Harlin) Groves, from East Tennessee; he was born in 1794, and died in 1843; she died in 1873. (See sketch of William C. Groves who was born in Tennessee in 1817, and has been a resident here since 1830.) William L. Tincher, born in Kentucky in 1814, was living in Montezuma a short time ago. William W. Doss, born in Kentucky in 1817, is living in Montezuma; his son Winchester still resides in this township. Robert S. Norris, from South Carolina, died in 1877, seventy- three years old. See sketeh of his son Jolin, who was born here in 1834. Other life-long residents of this township, who came this year when children, are Richard and Jolin W. Clearwater, John L. White, James II. Hutson, George Weller, etc.
1831 .- William Nichols, born in Virginia in 1804, died October 11, 1876. Isaac and Ilenry Nichols, boys when brought here in early day, lived here many years and are both now deceased. Isaacand Mary Carmack, from Tennessee, settled in the Lebanon neigh- borhood, he died in 1863. Alfred, a son, born in Tennessee January 8, 1814, died May 18, 1817; and Andrew, another son, lives in Dana. IIenry Wiltermood, born in this State in 1821. Charles Herbert, from Ken- tucky; his son, William J., born in 1819, is still living here, on seetion 27. (See sketelı.) John Henderson, from Ohio, still living, on section 7. (See sketch.) Archibald B. and Melissa Edmonston; the latter died, a widow, at the age of seventy-three, in 1865. Samuel Deheaben lives near Newport. Charles S. Little is deceased,
1832 .- II. F. Jackson, born in Ohio in 1798, died in Missouri. John Jackson and wife Lydia, from Ohio; the latter died De- cember 21, 1880, at the age of seventy-four years. Joseph Jackson, from England, de- ceased. Ezra Clark, born in Ohio in 1811, lives in Highland. John G. Gibbon, born in Ohio, 1819, remained liere till his decease. Julius Bogart, born in Tennessee in 1811. still living here. William B. Hall, who died here in 1863, aged forty-two; his wife died in 1872. (See sketch of Samuel J. IIall.) James A. Elder, born in Brown County, Ohio; de- ceased. James Remley, born in Ohio in 1823, who finally committed suicide.
1833 .- Eli Newlin came from North Caro- lina to Montezuma, Indiana, in 1828, and to this county in 1833, where he died in 1872, aged seventy years. ITis wife, née Mary Edwards, died in 1886, at the age of eighty years. (See sketch of Alfred R. Newlin.) Alexander Dunlap, born in Maryland in 1813, is still living in this township.
1834 .- John C. Johnson, born May 16, 1807, in Belmont County, Ohio, married February 24, 1833, Miss Elizabeth Shaver, a lady of superior education, and the next year located in this county, arriving at the mouthi of the Little Vermillion, April 8. IIere he entered a small tract of land, built a cabin and began life on what is known as the " first bottoni." In 1854 he built, a new house, which he occupied until 1880, when he moved to Newport, where he died February 22, 1883, after having brought up an exem- plary family of children. In 1834 came also Benjamin Davis, who died in 1834, at the age of sixty-four years. His wife, whos. maiden name was Rusha Sears, died in 1869, at the age of sixty-two years.
1835 .- Jolm S. Bush, born in this State in 1828, still living here, blind. William Huff,
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
born in Kentucky in 1812, and James Duzan, born in the same State six years later, both now residing in Newport.
1836 .- David Aldridge, born in North Carolina in 1790, and died September 11, 1877, being at the time about the oldest citi- zen in the county. Ile was a soldier in the war of 1812.
1837 .- Isaac Tropts, long a resident of this township, was nine years old when he came to the county in 1837.
1838 .- Hiram Hastey, born in Indiana in 1818, was a harness-maker at Newport, where he died. J. F. Weller, merchant at Newport, now at. Petersburg, Indiana, was born in Kentucky in 1818.
1839 .- T. W. Jackson, born in Ohio in 1816, still living here.
1840 .- Hugh Dallas, born in Ohio in 1813, still living. (See sketch.)
Mr. Dillow came some time prior to 1840, from Virginia. Abel Sexton, still one of the most prominent citizens of Newport, was born in New York in 1820, and settled in this county in 1843. (See sketch.) Other prominent citizens of Vermillion Township, who either settled here or were born here in pioneer times, are Alvah Arrasmith, living; Thomas G. Arrasmith, wagon-maker at New- port, now in Terre Haute; Samuel and G. W. Clark, living; David Fry, living; James Kaufman, who now lives in Dana; Leonard Sanders, deceased; his sons, Samuel, Daniel and William, are living; John Rice, who died in 1880, at the age of seventy years; his son, William Z., is sketched in the biographical department of this work; Daniel E. Jones, who became a wealthy citizen of Chicago and died there; Major Jolin Gardner, Henry Betson, etc.
Colonel William Craig was born in New- port in 1831, graduated at West Point in 1853, having for his class-mates Generals
McPherson, Philip Sheridan and Schofield; crossed the western plains in 1854 as Lieuten- ant and Aid-de-Camp on General Garland's staff; served in the regular army ten years, being one of the best Indian fighters, and greatly admired by Kit Carson and others; and finally died in the Southwest, in 1886.
O. P. D.
The above are the initials of one of the most prominent citizens of Vermillion Coun- ty; namely, Oliver P. Davis, and have also become the name of the 1,300 acre farm which he owns three to four iniles below Newport, and of the railroad station at that point, when it is generally spelled Opedee.
Hon. O. P. Davis was born in New Hamp- shire in 1814; learned the art of paper- making; came to Indiana in 1838, traveling by coach, steamboat, canal and horseback, through the States of New York, Ohio, Michigan and the province of Canada. In New York he rode behind the first locomo- tive built in that State, then running out of Albany. At Toronto, Canada, he was em- ployed in a book bindery and mill, doing the work more rapidly and efficiently than any of the native hands. In Ohio he fell in with a jolly dentist, of whom he began to learn the art of dentistry, afterward practicing his new trade at Fort Wayne. After residing at Logansport and Delphi, this State, for a time, he went to Greencastle and commenced the study of law in the office of Edward W. MeGonghey, read two years, and then in 1840, moved to this county and began the practice of his profession, continuing for five years. Since then he has been a tradesinan and agriculturist. At first he purchased forty acres, to which he has since made additions until he has 1,300 acres of rich Wabash bot- tom, whereon he sometimes raises immense crops of corn, occasionally 50,000 busliels or
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VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.
more, and sometimes, by flood or frost, he also loses immense crops. The sediment de- posited by the Wabash floods keeps the soil very rich. During the year of the famine in Ireland, Mr. Davis took to New Orleans by flat-boat 25,000 bushels of corn, some of which he bought at 18 eents a bushel, and sold it at 45 cents to $1 per bushel. He is said to have sold in one season $18,000 worth of corn raised by his own hands.
Mr. Davis is familiar with legislation, being a member of the Constitutional Con- vention of 1850, a member of the General Assembly three terms, a delegate to various important conventions, etc. In his politics he has been a Democrat, Republican, Nation- al, etc., and in his religion he is a " free- thinker." He is a man of firm principles and a high sense of justice.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
One night some years ago, Mr. II. F. Jack- son, residing about three and a half miles south of Newport, heard his dog making a terrible noise. About midnight he arose, went out, and discovering the smoke-house door open, concluded it had been inadvert- ently left open by the family, closed it, and returned to bed, thinking all was safe. But by closing the smoke-house door he unawares locked up a thief within. Next morning Mr. Jackson reconnoitering around to see what he could diseover, noticed a hole in the ground dug out under the wall of the smoke-house. The thief had to work his way through a large puddle of water in order to get out, thinking doubtless that he was lucky to get off as well as he did.
In September, 1873, Mr. and Mrs. Brennan, living a mile west of Newport, received a visit from their daughter, whom they thought they had lost twenty-one years previously, when they left her temporarily in the care of
some one at New Orleans during a fearful siege of cholera. She had been found during the preceding summer by a relative in Ohio, advertising in the Irish Republic, a Boston newspaper. She was then a resident of New Orleans and the mother of four children. Mr. and Mrs. Brennan, on learning their daughter was still alive and residing in New Orleans, immediately coneluded to visit her; but before starting they received a letter from her stating that she was coming to see them. Accordingly she soon arrived at Newport, late at night, on her way; and such was her anxiety to see her parents that night, although it was dark and raining, that she engaged a team and was immediately taken out to the desired goal, where a meeting occurred too exeiting to describe. The daughter remained until spring. Her mother died a few weeks after the visit.
Of anecdotes of the chase, perhaps the latest is the account of the " fox drive " had February 26, 1886, in this township, when 200 men, women and children succeeded in eatching one fox.
A great human curiosity exists in Vermil- lion Township. Ludia J. Clark, about three and a half miles southwest of Newport, was born in Mareli, 1882, and at the age of five years weighed 105 pounds, and was apparent- ly as mature in her intelleet and physical development as a girl in her 'teens. At the date of writing, July, 1887, she is still gaining in weight as rapidly as ever. Her parents do not seem to be characterized by anything abnormal.
Quaker Hill, sometimes called Quaker Point, is the name of a fine neighborhood in a romantic section of country on Jonathan Creek near the western boundary of Vermill- ion Township. The place takes its name from the fact that an unusual proportion of the settlement consists of " Quakers." The
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
postoffice is at a cross road on low ground in the woods, but in a beautiful situation, and is called " Quaker Hill."
Dr. Joseph C. Cooke, of the Willow Brook farm near Quaker Hill, was an influential physician here for a number of years. He was born in Piqua County, Ohio, in 1819, emigrated to this county in 1845, died Janu- ary 22, 1875, and was buried under the honors of the order of l'atrons of Insbandry, his funeral being attended by probably a thousand persons.
Drs. John Gilmore, Hiram and Lewis Shepard and P. II. Swaim are or have been practitioners of medicine at Quaker Ilill or in the vicinity.
CHURCHIES.
The Hopewell Friend's Church was or- ganized many years ago, and is of the same " monthly meeting " with Friends' Chapel and Pilot Grove in Illinois. The present membership here is 230. Ministers, James P. Haworth, William F. Henderson and Ruth R. Ellis. The minister at Friend's Chapel is Noah Dixon, and at Pilot Grove, John Folger, and meetings are held at each of these places in turn. The overseers at Hopewell (or Quaker Hill) are Jonathan E. and Kate E. Ellis, and Albert and Jane Hen- derson. Dinah T. Henderson is recorder. The church building, a frame, was erected in 1873, at a cost of $1,250.
The Lebanon Methodist Episcopal Church, east of Quaker Ilill, was organized in pioneer days. The present membership is about thirty. Class-leader, Robert Holliday; stewards, R. P. Little, J. L. Thomas, Frank Carmack and Sammel R. White. Pastor, Rev. R. S. Martin, of Newport. The church building, a frame, 30 x 36 feet in dimensions, was built over thirty years ago. Sunday-school is main- tained all the year, with an average attendance
of fifty pupils and superintended by Miss Ella Little.
Vermillion Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church, three and a half miles south and a little west of Newport, has a membership of abont twenty. Class-leader, W. P. Carmack; steward, Allen Clearwaters; Pastor, Rev. R. S. Martin, of Newport. The Sunday-school was recently organized. The old church building, erected abont forty years ago, has recently been sold, to give place to a fine brick church, costing $1,500 or $1,800,
Bethel Church, United Brethren, two miles southwest of Newport, was organized many years ago. Present number of mem- bers, forty-seven or forty-eight. Class-leader, Levi Brindley; steward, Thomas White. No Sunday-school at present. The house of worship, abont 28 x 36 feet in ground area, was built twenty-four or twenty-five years ago.
Opedee Church, United Brethren, organ- ized about 1880, has increased in membership from eight to sixteen. No class-leader at present. Steward, Miss Ella Wimsett. A good Sunday-school has recently been estab- lished, of which E. D. Brown is superintendent. Meetings are held in a school-house.
Ira Mater, of Hillsdale, is a local preacher of this denomination.
A few United Brethren are meeting at the Eggleston school-house, preparatory to organ- ization. They have a Sunday-school, of which Mr. Dixon is superintendent.
Rev. B. F. Dungan, of Newport, is pastor of all the United Brethren churches in Ver- million Township.
NEWPORT.
The location of the county seat of govern- ment at this point has already been sketched.
The first dry-goods store here was opened by Daniel E. Jones, with a lot of goods so small that it seemed one could carry them all
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in an arm-full or two. He obtained his start thus: He was shipping some hogs, a part of which died. These were rendered into soap, which was sold for the goods. Mr. Jones afterward became wealthy, and went to Chicago, where he became a millionaire and finally died.
The first good residence built at Newport was the building north of the present Meth- odist Episcopal church, recently occupied by Mrs. Hiram Hasty and now by Frank Turner.
Conspicnous in this town are several very old, large planted trees. A number of locust trees were planted here in 1832, which are now over two feet in diameter, and one apple tree, near the southwest corner of the public square, appears to be over three feet in diame- ter four feet from the ground, though at this point the tree bifurcates and is hollow. Decay will soon overtake the growth and bring the venerable old tree down.
The old court-houses and jails are noticed in a previous chapter. The present fine court-house was built in 1866, at a cost of over $30,000. County offices below, large and neatly kept, court-room above. The old log jail was many years ago superseded by a brick building on the hill, which is now used as a residence. The present jail, and sheriff's residence, built in 1868, is a good, substantial brick structure on East Market street.
Newport was incorporated as a town early in the spring of 1870. By the records of March 28, that year, we find that the first trustees were-William E. Livengood, Presi- dent, Clark Leavitt, Benjamin K. Dicken and E. Y. Jackson; J. A. Souders, Clerk. The presidents and clerks serving since that time have been: Presidents-E. Y. Jackson, 1871; James A. Bell, 1872-'73; F. M. Bishop, 1874; S. H. Dallas, 1875; James A. Foland, 1876-'78; William P. Henson, 1879; Oliver Knight, 1880; James IIasty, 1881-'82;
Robert Landon. 1883; Calvin Arrasmith, 1884; Robert B. Sears, 1885; John W. Cross, 1886-'87. Mr. Landon died in 1885; all the rest are living. The clerks have been- Robert B. Sears, 1871; J. Jump, 1872-'74; J. A. Souders, 1875-'78; J. C. Sawyer, 1879; John N. Hartman, 1880; Oliver H. Knight, 1881; J. C. Sawyer, 1882; O. B. Gibson, 1883-'86; William F. Thornton, 1887.
Newport is divided into four wards, with one trustee from each ward.
Three attempts have been made to dissolve the corporation. The last one was made June 21, 1877, when the question was put to vote, and a majority of nineteen was given in favor of continuing the corporate capacity of the town.
The population of Newport is estimated at 600 to 700. The village is beautifully situ- ated but retired,-rather more so than the citizens wish. Its only railroad passes nearly a mile distant.
There was for a long time a good grist- mill at Newport, on Market street, named the " Eureka Mills," run by steam. It was built by James A. Bell, deceased, who sold to Curtis & White; who in turn sold to B. J. Abbott; and while it was in the pos- session of the latter, January 26, 1882, it was burned down, by a careless act of some en- ployee, and has never since been rebuilt. The loss was $3,500.
The First National Bank of Newport was organized in 1871, by Josephus and John Collett, Abel Sexton, Isaac Porter, R. H. Nixon and Clark Leavitt, and opened their place of business in a fine brick building, erected and fitted np for the purpose, at the northwest corner of the public square. Its " national" character was afterward surren- dered, and the bank changed, by the same board of directors, into the " Vermillion County Bank," with a paid up capital of
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
$60,000 and a surplus of over $6,000, con- tinuing to do a general banking business. In January, 1880, it was again changed, taking the name of "Collett & Co.'s Bank," and comprising Prof. John Collett, of Indianapo- lis, Stephen S. Collett, of Newport, Mrs. Mary H. Campbell, of Crawfordsville, and Joshua Jump of Newport. Since then Mrs. Campbell's stock has been transferred to Mrs. Lieutenant M. T. May, of Greencastle; and now S. S. Collett is general manager, and J. D. Collett, cashier. Capital, $27,000.
THE OLIVE BRANCH.
The predecessor of the Hoosier State was the Olive Branch, the first paper printed in Newport, and established by A. J. Adams, now of Danville, Illinois, and edited by A. D. Patten. The number for December 29, 1853, which we presume was the first number, shows the motto of the organ to have been,
" We hold the balance with an equal hand,
And weigh whatever justice doth demand." The paper was Whiggish in politics, becom- ing Republican on the organization of that party.
The number above referred to, like all the country papers of that day, has but little local news or original matter in it, the salu- tatory, a column in length, being about all the original matter in this number. The following gentlemen were advertised as con- tributors to the paper: Rev. David Taylor, Terre Haute; Robert Ross, Principal of the Terre Haute graded school; Samuel Taylor, Principal of the Newport Seminary; Dr. H. H. Patten, Princeton, Indiana; and Dr. J. S. Sawyer, Vincennes, Indiana.
The latest telegraph news in the paper was dated December 17, twelve days before the date of issue. A long letter from W. S. Turner, Bodega, California, dated October 31, 1853, is published. Charity Moss and Susan-
nah Dyke give notice that they will apply at the next term of the common-pleas court for a divorce; William Utter, the county treasurer, gives notice that he will be at Perrysville the 5th, Eugene the 6th, Indiana Furnace the 10th, and Clinton the 11th, days of January, 1854, for the purpose of collecting taxes due for the year 1853; Joseph Reeder, of Clinton Township, advertises an astray mare taken up by him, and appraised at $55 before Esquire Ben Harrison; Richard Potts, Sheriff, adver- tises a tract of land in Clinton Township for sale, belonging to Isaac Van Nest, and in favor of Benjamin R. and John Whitcomb. At that time James A. Bell was county clerk.
W. A. Henderson was the only merchant of Newport who had an advertisement in the paper. IIe occupied about one inch of space in notifying the people that he kept drugs, all kinds of patent medicines, groceries and flour. J. M. Hood gives notice that he is a notary public, and also keeps the telegraph office, on the east side of the public square, with W. A. IIenderson. Dr. J. R. Willitts flings his card to the breeze as a physician and surgeon. T. C. W. Sale, II. D. Wash- burn, S. G. Malone and D. M. Jones have cards in this number advertising themselves as attorneys at law.
Most of the advertisements are of Terre Hante business. There is an item of news stating that the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad was completed between those two points.
The price of the Olive Branch was placed at $1.50 a year if paid in advance, $2 at the end of six months and $2.50 at the end of a year.
THE HOOSIER STATE.
The Olive Branch was changed to the Hoosier State in 1855, and published at
S.B. Davis
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Clinton for a time, but brought back to New-
port, where it has since remained. The proprietors and editors have been Pratt & Adams, James M. Hood, Samnel II. Huston (1855, at Clinton), Mr. Campbell, Mitchell, Vanl (1858), a company, William E. Liven- good, George W. English (1862-'63), Colonel H. D. Washburn, S. B. Davis, Joseph B. Cheadle and S. B. Davis again. It is almost impossible now to give all the above names in exact chronological order.
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