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 27
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Vermillion Lodge, No 594, I. O. O. F., was organized in the room over the furniture store of David Hopkins, by Past Grand Hiram Shepard, of Dana Lodge, under a eharter granted May 18. 1882, on the petition of Robert E. Stephens, Lewis Shepard, Thomas Cushman, F. V. Wade, Julius Groves and J. M. Taylor. The following members were elected officers and duly in- stalled: Lewis Shepard, Noble Grand; Robert E. Stephens, Vice-Grand; Thomas Cushman, Secretary; J. M. Taylor, Treasurer. At the time of this organization there were thirteen members. There are now thirty-seven mem-
bers, and the present offieers are, M. G. Rhoades, Noble Grand; H. A. Conley, Viee- Grand; Matthew Lytle, Recording Secretary; Thomas Cushman, Permanent Secretary; W. P. IIenderson, Treasurer. The society is now in a very prosperous condition. The furni- ture, equipments and regalia cost about $600, and the room is an unusually nice one, 38 x 50 feet in dimensions, exclusive of the vestibules.
Hope Lodge, No. 268, Daughters of Re- bekah, was chartered November 18, 1886, and the first officers elected January 22, 1887, with ten members. Thomas Cushman, Noble Grand; Mrs. D. S. Hopkins, Vice- Grand; Mrs. Dessie Johnson, Secretary; Mrs. Mary Henson, Treasurer. The membership is now (June, 1887) thirteen, who are zealous, with a good exchequer. They com- - prise the best talent in the community.
Shiloh Post, No. 49, G. A. R., was organ- ized Mareh 22, 1882, with R. J. HIasty, Post Commander; J. H. Kerdolff, Senior Viee- Commander; J. A. Darby, Junior Vice- Commander; R. H. Nixon, Surgeon; Z. Thornton, Chaplain; A. C. Brokaw, Officer of the Day; T. A. MeKnight, Officer of the Guard; who were duly installed by Mustering Offieer R. B. Sears. The appointed officers were J. W. Harlan, Adjutant; J. C. Bailey, Quarter- master Sergeant; William C. Myers, Ser- geant-Major. The officers comprised the whole membership. The post has not been meeting lately, but the present officers are, Edward Brown, Post Commander; R. H. White, Junior Vice-Commander; John A. Darby, Officer of the Day; John Richard- son, Quartermaster; William Bennett, Sur- geon; II. II. Conley, Chaplain; C. S. Davis, Adjutant; W. P. Henson, Sergeant-Major; J. C. Dillow, Quartermaster-Sergeant. There are about thirty members in good standing. The time of meeting is every second and
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fourth Friday evening of the month, in Place's Hall.
A company of Sons of Veterans was or- ganized March 20, 1884, with Frank Hasty for Captain. Commencing with ten mem- bers, they reached sixteen, but they soon lost their zeal, holding their last meeting Deeem- ber 19, 1884. They contemplate reorganiz- ing. Their last Captain was William F. Thornton.
The A. O. U. W. organized a lodge at Newport March 4, 1879, with a membership of sixteen, and Dr. M. L. Hall as Past Mas- ter Workman; R. B. Sears, Master Work- man; W. P. Henson, Grand Foreman; Joseph Dillow, Overseer; C. S. Davis, Recorder; George W. Odell, Financier; L. J. Place, Re- ceiver; L. D. Dillow, Guard; Henry Dil- low, Inside Warden; Lou Coil, Outside Warden. The charter was surrendered Feb- ruary 24, 1883. At one time they had as many as twenty-five or thirty members.
The Newport Light Guards were organ- ized under the military law of the State, with over forty members, and J. A. Souders, Cap- tain. They obtained from the State an equip- ment of fifty guns and the necessary accontrements. But in a year or two they got to quarreling over the captaincy, some favoring J. A. Souders, but a majority R. H. Nixon, and consequently let their inter- est in the drill die.
The Newport Cornet Bund was organized a number of years ago, went down, and reor- ganized, or a new organization effected. John A. Darby and J. W. Hartman are the only present members who were members of the original organization. The present members are, John A. Darby and Quincy Myers, E flat; Ernest Darby and Albert Wheeler, B flat; J. W. Hartman, solo alto; William Sharp, second alto; W. C. Arrasmith and Joseph Hopkins, B flat tenor; L. M. Wheeler,
B flat baritone; Fred Duzan, E flat tuba; William Brown, snare drum; Henry Garrett, base drum. This accommodating band " dis- courses sweet musie " every Sunday afternoon at the court-house. The players are skillful, and have often rendered satisfactory service on public occasions.
TEMPERANCE.
Newport has had the usual figlits over the temperanee question, and the usual temper- anee societies. Skipping over the long pe- riod before the war, we notice that since the war about the first publie movement was the organization of a lodge of Good Templars, in 1868, with the following officers: Rev. J. E. Wright (Methodist traveling minister here at the time), Betsy Griffin, Joseph Hopkins, Benjamin Carter, Ivy A. Astor, Sally Can- ady, Jolin Wigley, Rebecca Huff and Joseph B. Cheadle. The lodge has long sinee eeascd to exist.
The next movement was the tidal wave of the " woman's crusade " in 1874, which struck Newport with some violence and persisteney. Meetings were held at the churches, speeches mnade, and a committee appointed to wait upon the two saloonists of the place, who soon closed their dram shops and signed a pledge not to open again in Newport. A firm of druggists, however, comprising William M. and William L. Triplett (father and son), refused to sign the same pledge, offering one of their own drafting, which allowed them to sell liquor for " medieal, mechanical, chemieal and sacramental pur- poses." They were publicly charged, in a set of formal resolutions, with selling liquor by wholesale for drinking purposes, but they de- nied having done so for a long time. The controversy over their case was long and bit- ter, but they held their ground. Since then
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
the senior member of the firm has died, and the junior has moved away.
In December following an enraged woman from the country came into town and smashed in the windows of a saloon where her hus- band was spending too much of his time, made a general " scatterment" among the in- mates and soon persuaded her loafing husband to take a straight line for home.
In 1877 the Murphy, or blue-ribbon move- ment struck Newport like a cyclone. At the very first meeting 153 signed the pledge, and in a few days afterward probably as many more. But the red-ribbon movement, inan- gurated by Tyler Mason in 1879, proved to have more vitality. Of this, Thomas Cush- man, William Gibson and Robert B. Sears were in succession presidents.
A Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized in Newport, in which the lead- ers were Mrs. Zachariah Thornton, Mrs. Ram- sey, Mrs. Ervin Lamb, Mrs. Sears and others. At one time they had forty or fifty members or more, but their meetings have been discon- tinned. In connection with the Perrysville union, they for a time edited a temperance column in the Hoosier State.
Order of Eclampsus Vitus !- Thi sis the high-sounding title, apparently Greek or Latin, of an imaginary secret society, taking its rise at Newport and other points in this county probably about fifteen years ago, whose entertainment consists in blindfolding the candidate for initiation and playing a variety of make-believe tricks upon him.
CHURCHES.
The Presbyterians organized a church here many years ago, ran down and reorganized in the spring of 1875, by Rev. Mitchell, of Clinton, with only seven members. The ruling elders were M. G. Rhoads and I. B. Fusselman, now of Danville, Illinois. Mr.
Rhoads and his wife are the only members now, and there is no regular preaching. The church building, a frame abont 40x50 feet, on Market street a little east of the public square, was crected probably about forty years ago, soon after the first organization was effected, and is now occupied by the United Brethren. There has never been a resident pastor at Newport. Among thie earlier pastors were Rev. J. Hawks, of Per- rysville, some thirty years ago, who died about ten years afterward; Rev. Henry Ba- con, now of Toledo, Ohio, then of Covington, Indiana; after a vacancy, Rev. Mitchell preached once a month for a part of a year, 1875-'76.
The Methodists organized a class at New- port in primitive days. In time they built a church. When this became old, and the con- gregation too large for it, it was sold and some time afterward torn down. The pres- ent large edifice was erected about 1851, ex- cept that eighteen feet have since been added. The present membership is 175, including a few probationers. The class-leaders are Rev. John A. Parrett, a local preacher, and Abel Sexton. Exhorter, John Henson. Stewards- II. H. Conley, C. S. Davis, David Hopkins, James Hasty and Joslina N. Davis. Sunday- school all the year, with an average attend- ance of 125, superintended by Abel Sexton for the last twenty years. Rev. Richard S. Martin, pastor, occupying the very fine par- sonage on East Market street, built in 1882. The greatest revivals, or periods of special interest, were under the ministrations of Revs. Richard Robinson, about 1860, W. A. Smith and J. H. Hollingsworth.
The United Brethren Church at Newport was organized in 1870, by Rev. Samuel Gar- rigus, who was then a resident of Bellmore, Parke County, but is now at Crawfordsville, this State. The society at first comprised but
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twelve or fourteen members, but it has in- ereased to ninety, principally under the labors of the present pastor, Rev. B. F. Dungan, within the last few months. The first elass- leader was C. M. Parkes; the present elass- leader is Rettie R. Smith; assistant elass-leader, Mrs. Belle Thornton. These ladies have a very large field of spiritual work, compared with elass-leaders generally. A lively Sunday-school of about seventy pu- pils is maintained throughout the year, super- intended by Mrs. Thornton. The steward of the church at this point is Z. P. Thornton. The society at present worships in the Pres- byterian chnreh, on Market street, one block east of the public square, but they eontem- plate building a house of worship this year. A pleasant house is rented for a parsonage in the west part of the village.
Rev. B. F. Dungan, minister in charge of the United Brethren churches of the Newport Cirenit, Upper Wabash Conference, was born
in Fountain County, Indiana, in 1863. His parents, Benjamin T. and Hannah (Camp- bell, nee Shonp) Dungan, are both living in Parke County. Both the parents are natives of Ohio; father of Seoteh, German and Irish ancestry, and the mother of German. Mr. Dungan was brought up on a farm, and has always been an industrious, hard-working laborer, both with mind and body. Was or- dained a loeal preaeher in the church of his choice June 28, 1883, and since September. 1885, he has been a member of the annual conference. Having a strong physical foun- dation and a high ambition, he is a " man of destiny " in its noblest sense. June 13, 1883, he married Miss Mary Taulby, dangliter of C. Columbus and Emeline Taulby, and a na- tive of Boone County, Indiana. Both her parents are deceased. Since September, 1886, Mr. and Mrs. Dungan have been residents of Newport.
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
EUGENE TOWNSHIP.
SETTLEMENT.
N this township, more than any other in the county, where the In- dian villages, the In- dian battlefields, tlie first trading posts and the first settlements. While the first settler in the county was John Vannest, in Clinton Town- ship, in 1816, Eugene Township was more rapidly settled at the beginning than was Clinton. It
was in Engene Township that the Groenendykes, Thompsons, Por- ters, Armours, Colletts, Hepburns, Colemans, Małones, Naylor, Shelbys, etc., settled, all on the Big Vermill- ion River. Most of these have numerous and prominent descendants. Although the first mill in the county is claimed for Clinton Township,-built by John Beard in 1819 or '20,- probably the first large and reliable mill in the county was built by John Groenen- dyke, about the saine time or shortly after, on
the Big Vermillion, at the point in the northern portion of the village of Engene still occupied by the largest and best mill in the county.
The following list of early settlers is not designed to be a complete catalogue; it is only a chronological classification of some of the most important arrivals, from the data available.
1816 .-- Noah Hubbard, with a wife and a large number of children. After residing liere many years he became a Mormon and went to Missouri, to join his people, then to Nauvoo, Illinois, remaining with them until they were driven away from there, about 1847, when he returned to this county and began preaching the peculiar doctrine. Re- joining the Mormon colony at Council Bluffs, Iowa, he died there. IIis wife, Catharine, then returned to this section of the country, and finally died near this county, in Illinois. Their daughter, Pamelia, married a inan named Curtis.
1818 .- Isaac Coleman settled three miles
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south of Eugene, on the little prairie since known by his name. Judge J. M. Coleman came to the township a subsequent year, from Virginia, settling on section 16, 17 north, 9 west, and was long intimately associated with the Colletts. He had helped [to lay out the city of Indianapolis, and also the town of Terre Hante, where he also built the old court-house. In this county he was one of the first grand jurors and associate judges. Hle afterward moved to Iowa City, where he built the State house, died and was buried.
This year came Major James Blair, who settled on the northeast quarter of section 16, 17 north, 9 west; and at his cabin on this place was held the first court in the county. Mr. Blair had been a sharp-shooter on Lake Erie, under Commodore Perry, in the war of 1812, when he was detailed to shoot at the Indians in the rigging of the British war vessels; but at the very first fire of Perry's artillery the Indians were so frightened that they hastily " scuttled " down into the hold, and there were no Indians for Mr. Blair to do his duty upon. As his vessel sailed past the British men-of-war, he could see the glittering tin canisters down through the muzzles of their guns. For his faithful ser- vices, Mr. Blair received a medal from the Government. On one occasion, after he became a resident of this county, he was a candidate for the Legislature, he attended a shooting-match, participated, and aimed so well that every man present voted for him at the ensuing election! On still another occa- sion he played an amusing trick upon the simple-minded pioneers and Indians, in the settlement of a controversy between them. See section on Indians.
Blair married a daughter of Judge Coleman, resided for a time on Coleman's Prairie, and then moved up the river and founded Perrys- ville, which place he named in honor of his
brave commander, Commodore O. II. Perry, remaining there until his death.
Both Blair and Coleman had an intimate acquaintance with the Indians, and lived in friendship with them for a number of years. It frequently fell to their lot to act as peace- makers between the Indians and what were termed the "border ruffians," who were much the worse class of the two. These two pio- neers always spoke in the highest terms of Se-Seep, the last chief who lived in the vicinity, who was said to be 110 years old when he was foully murdered by a renegade Indian of his own tribe. Like the fading autumn leaves, the aborigines of the forest died away. The guns and dogs of the white man frightened away the game from their hunting grounds, or destroyed it, and the virtue of a dire necessity called upon them to emigrate, to make room for the ax and plow, the cabin and the school-house, of the incom- ing white man.
1819 .- John Groenendyke came from near Ovid, Cayuga County, New York, first to Terre Haute in 1818, and the next year to this county, settling on the Big Vermillion where Eugene now stands. IIe was the father of James-who built the " Big Vermillion," the first large grist-mill in the county already referred to-and Samuel, and the grandfather of Hon. John Groenendyke and his cousin Samuel, and also the grandfather of the pres- ent Colletts. The name was originally Van Groenendycke, which the express agent at Eu- gene, Samuel, has abbreviated still further to Grondyke-a word of two syllables, the first syllable being pronounced groan. The first family of this line came to America from Holland with the Knickerbockers in 1617, settling in New Amsterdam (New York).
1821 .- James Armour settled here soon after Mr. Groenendyke, and assisted in build- ing the mill; he moved to Illinois over twenty
19
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
years ago. Alexander Arrasmith, born in Kentucky, in 1795, emigrated to Sullivan County, Indiana, in 1818, and in 1821 (or 1824 according to one authority) to this county. He died at his residence two and a half miles south of Eugene, January 15, 1875, having been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty years. He was the father of Riehard Arrasmith, born in Sullivan County in 1818, and of Thomas Ar- rasmith, a wagon-maker at Newport.
1822 .-- William Thompson, father of James, John and Andrew, and of Mrs. Jane Shelby, from Pennsylvania, settling near the big spring a mile south of Eugene, since known by his name. Their descendants have been economi- cal, industrious and fortunate, accumulating a large amount of property. This year also came Benjamin Shaw, from Vigo County, bnt originally from Kentucky, and settled near Eugene, and afterward on the Little Vermillion, about five miles west of New- port, where he died nearly half a century afterward. The widow, nee Elizabeth Elli- ott, who was born in Shelby County, Ken- tucky, October 21, 1802, survived until November 19, 1884, when she died in Terre Ilaute, a member of the Baptist church. After the death of her husband she moved to Eugene and lived there until 1879. They were the parents of ten children, three of whom survived their mother, namely, Mrs. Wilson Naylor, Mrs. John Groenendyke and Robert E. Shaw, who was born here in 1829; they all reside in Terre Haute. Andrew Tip- ton, born in Kentucky in 1800, eame here in 1822, and remained until his death, and J. W. Tipton, from Ohio, settled on the Wabash River. His daughter Polly married Mr. Johnson, and died April 2, 1876, in the eighty-second year of her age, a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
I823 .- Lewis Jones located here probably
about 1823, and died many years ago. J. A. Jones, born in 1821, was brought here in 1823.
1824 .- Jones Lindsey, born in Ohio in 1818, came here this year. The next year there arrived Oliver Lindsey, born in the same State in 1807. Both are still living in this county. Judge Rezin Shelby, who be- came very wealthy, died many years ago. His wife, nee Jane Thompson, who came two years previously, was born in Pennsylvania in 1798, and died but a few years ago. Their son, Major David Shelby, died in the last war.
1825 .- The parents of James Sheward, who was born this year. Ezekiel Sheward died fifteen or eigliteen years ago.
1826 .- William Fultz, Sr., born in Penn- sylvania in 1805, with his wife Naney, came to Eugene Township either this year or in 1828, loeating on Sand Prairie. They had thirteen children, and are not now living. The parents of Joseph Holtz, who was born in Ohio in 1822, came to the county this year. Jolın Holtz, born in the same State the same year, settled here in 1834.
1827 .-- Samuel W. Malone, born in Ohio in 1810, came to Ifelt Township, this county, in 1824, and to Eugene in 1827, where he is still living, running a hotel. W. M. New- man, born in Virginia in 1811, still living here. Mariin Patrick came some time prior to 1827. Hiram Patrick, born here in 1829, is still here, and William Patriek, born in this county in 1831, lived here many years and went to Missouri. Thomas Patrick is yet another old resident. This year or pre- viously came the father of John Ross, who was born in Ohio in 1829, and brought here the same year.
1828 .- Ignatius Sollars, who died in June, 1833. Naney, wife of Truman Sollars, died September 15, 1869, aged fifty-seven and a
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half years. Mrs. Jane Case, widow of Philo Case, was born in Pennsylvania in 1809, and died here long ago. Matthew Cole, born in Ohio in 1824, was brought to this county in 1828, as was also Jesse Smith, from Tennes- see, the year of his birth. The latter died long ago. This year came also W. L. Nay- lor, and the next year Lewis T. Naylor, who is living here. Both were born in Ohio, W. L. in 1821, and Lewis T. in 1826. Benja- min Naylor, another old resident, was born also in 1826. Jacob Iles, who died inany years ago, was the father of James B., born in 1829, and Jacob H., born in 1833, both in this county.
1829. - John Hepburn, Sr., who was born in Virginia in 1800, died here about 1880. John Hepburn Jr., was born in this county in 1833. William Hepburn was born in Ohio in 1823, and was brought here in 1829. (The above name is pronounced he- burn.) Enoch W. Lane, born in Ohio in 1798, died over thirty years ago.
1830 .- John Sims, born in Virginia in 1808, lived a mile and a half south of Eugene a number of years ago. " Crate " Sims, his son, was born in Virginia the same year. Charles S. Little, from Virginia, located near Eugene in 1830, aad died in 1852, at the age of sixty-three years. His wife, whose maiden name was Rachel Moore, died, seven miles southwest of Newport, in 1881, aged eighty- one years. (See sketch of Rufus P. Little.)
Rev. Enoch Kinsbury came from Massa- chusetts to Eugene abont the year 1830, and organized the Presbyterian church which still survives at that place. His wife Fanny G. taught school there for a time. Their eldest son, James G. Kingsbury, one of the editors and publishers of the Indiana Farmer at Indianapolis, was born at the residence of Dr. Asa R. Palmer two miles north of Eugene. in 1832. The same year the family
removed to Danville. Illinois, where Mr. Kingsbury organized a church and preached for many years. Ife also acted as a home missionary, preaching in neighboring counties both in Indiana and Illinois, till the close of his life in 1868.
1831 .- Ilarrison Alderson, who died in early day. His wife Elizabeth, born in Vir- ginia in 1822, has also been long deceased.
1832 .- Philo and Milo Hosford, twins, born in New York in 1811. Milo died in January, 1880, a man having always been noted for equanimity, humility and trustworth- iness. Was long in the employ of Samuel Grondyke. Joseph Wigley, this year or previously; now dead. William was born in this county this year. Either this year or next came Joseph and Sarah Moore, from Ohio; the latter is still residing here. She was born in Maryland in 1803.
1833 .- Isaac A. Brown, Sr., born in Tennes- see in 1816, settled "Brown Town," and is still living. Has weighed in his life-time over 300 pounds. W. F. Shelato, a resident, was born in this county in 1833.
1834 .- John Rheuby, either this year or before, from Illinois, where he had settled in 1826. William Rheuby was born in this county in 1834. J. W. Boyd, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1828, died a number of years ago.
1837 .- The parents of Edward B. and Joseph Johnson; father died many years ago. Edward B. was born in Indiana in 1830, and Joseph in this county, in 1834. Goldman M. Hart, born in Tennessee in 1809, died in 1886; widow survives. James C.Tutt, born in Virginia in 1816, now living in the southern part of the county.
1839 .- Barney Vandevander, born in Illi- nois in 1827, is a resident of Engene.
Other pioneers, whose years of arrival are not given, are: Zeno Worth and Shubael
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
Gardner, from North Carolina, who settled Walnut Grove: Mr. Worth selected lands which have been held by his family to the fourth generation. Alexander Richardson and wife Mahala at Eugene, he died in In- dianapolis in 1864 (or '74), and she March 3, 1880, at the age of seventy years. She was born in Knox County, Kentucky, and was but eight years of age when her parents moved to this State, settling at Bloomington. Lewis Ilollingsworth was born in this county in 1835. On Coleman's Prairie settled families by the name of Wilson, Dicken, Hopkins, etc.
John R. Porter, A. M., circuit judge for many years, and an advanced farmer between Eugene and Newport, was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, February 22, 1796, of an "old English " family; graduated at Union College, Schenectady, New York, in 1815, taking the first honors of his class; studied law, and in 1818 became a partner of his pre- ceptor; about 1820 he came to Paoli, Orange County, Indiana, where he was county clerk, postmaster and circuit judge. While there he married Mary Worth. Receiving from the Legislature the appointment as President Judge of Western Indiana, he moved to this county, settling in Eugene Township. Ilis circuit extended from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan. Ilis termi expired in 1837. Here he was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the counties of Parke and Vermillion, which office he held until his death, about 1850. IIe was a prominent statesman in early day, in laying the founda- tion of Indiana jurisprudence. Was a close reader of Eastern agricultural papers, and also of the ancient classics, and foreign quar- terly reviews and magazines. His conversa- tional powers were accordingly very great, and his letters and contributions to the press were gems of eloquence. He was in cor- respondence, more or less, with such men as
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