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 30
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The church edifice at Perrysville, a frame, 34 x 48 feet, erected twenty-five or thirty years ago, is a neat building, centrally located.
At Perrysville also resides the presiding elder, Rev. H. Ellwell.
The Cross-Roads United Brethren Church, two miles west of Perrysville, was organized over forty years ago, and a large frame church built also in early day. The membership there numbers about seventy-five, of whom the leader is Mrs. Sarah Park, and stewards, Jacob Brown and Richard Spandau. Sunday- school throughout the year, with an average attendance of about eighty, superintended by John Park.
Mound Chapel, United Brethren, 30 x 40 feet, erected ten or eleven years ago, is lo- cated three miles and a half north of Perrys- „ville. The class, now comprising about forty members, was organized eleven or twelve years ago: leader, Mrs. Jane Mitchell; stew- ard, Nathan Jacobs. Sunday-school during the summer, of about fifty pupils probably, superintended by the class-leader, Mrs. Mitchell.
A " Christian" church, with abont a half dozen members, was organized at Perrysville five or six years ago, by Elder Gilbert Lane Harney, of Indianapolis, but they kept up services only a few weeks. The leading mem- bers were C. S. Brummett and wife, John Emannel Sinks, Sarah Bailey, Mrs. Hettie Lacey, and others.
The Universalist Church at Perrysville was organized in 1842, and afterward erected a house of worship, a frame about 36 x 50 feet in size, but, being unable to pay for it, they finally, in 1850, sold it to the Presby- terians, and subsequently disbanded. They numbered as high as fifty or sixty members at one time. Among the ministers are promi- nently remembered Revs. E. Manford, the celebrated editor, a resident of Terre Haute at the time, B. F. Foster, of Indianapolis, George McClure, of Dayton, Ohio, but an itinerant, and Mr. Babcock, of some point east of Indianapolis. The minister organiz- ing the church was Rev. Marble, of Fountain County, who preached once a month for abont a year. The leading members were Robert J. Gessie (trustee and mortgagee!), Dr. Thornton S. Davidson, Dr. Porter, Messrs. Lawless, Watt, etc. They had a flourishing Sunday-school.
GESSIE.
The village of Gessie, on the railroad three miles northwest of Perrysville station, was
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
laid out in 1872 by Robert J. Gessie and named for him. (See sketch of Mr. Gessie elsewhere in this volume.) The population of the village is now 140.
The business men of the place are, J. C. Stutler, general store; L. A. MeKnight, gen- eral store and grain; D. M. Hughes, drugs and groceries; Jolin Cade, postmaster, drugs and groceries; A. Van Sickle, blacksmith; Silas IInghes, wagon and repair shop and wood-work; C. L. Randall, painter and job- ber; John Haworth, station agent; David IInghes, William Saltsgaver and David Metz- ger, stock dealers; H. C. Smith & Co., pro- prietors of tile factory. This mill was built by Smith, Stransser & Stutler in 1884, who made in one year about 86,000 worth of tile. In 1885 the firm name became II. C. Smith & Co.
Dr. William Isaiah Hall, who purchased the first lot in Gessie and built the first house, is still a practicing physician of the place. Dr. James Barnes, who was for a time in partnership with Dr. Hall, is also practicing here.
The United Brethren Church at Gessie was organized about 1879, by Rev. F. E. Penny, of Danville, Illinois, who moved to this place the following year. The trustees were L. A. MeKnight, Charles Hay and Har- vey Hughes; and Isaiah Thompson the class- leader. There are now seventeen members; class-leader, J. C. Stutler; stewards, J. C. Stutler and Katie Goudy. The Sunday-school is maintained most of the year, with an at- tendance of forty pupils; superintendent, John Haworth. The pastors have been Revs. J. A. Smith, of Gessie, J. Knowles, of State Line, Kaufman, of Perrysville, S. C. Zook, who lived below Newport, J. R. Horner, who lived here, and Van Allen, who lived a mile south of Cayuga. The church building was erected by the Christians, about 1877, a frame
24 x 40 feet, at a cost of $1,000, and in 1879 they sold it to the United Brethren.
The Union Sunday-school in Gessie is maintained independently of denominational supervision, and its existence of course diminishes the attendance at the United Brethren Sunday-school. It has been running since January, 1887, and L. A. McKnight is superintendent.
Howard Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church, two miles north of Gessie, is a brick building 30 x 50 feet or more in dimensions, built over thirty years ago. The society has been in existence since pioneer days. There are now about thirty members, with Joseph Nichols as class-leader. Stewards, James J. Lewis, Meredith Lewis, Henry Saltsgaver, David Bennett and Dr. W. I. IIall. Mr. Saltsgaver is also Sunday-school superinten- dent. Pastor, Rev. Warren, of State Line, where the parsonage is. Among the minis- ters of the past the most prominent in mem- ory are Revs. Cooley IIall (father of Dr. IIall), Wilson Beckner, Samuel Beck, White- field Hall, etc.
The chapel is named after Joseph Howard, who donated the ground and led the enter- prise of building the church, and was after- ward trustee, etc. He resided there until 1866, and moved West, and finally died in Nebraska. His wife has since died. Mr. Howard was buried in Nebraska, although his monument is in the graveyard here. None of his people reside at present in this county. On coming here from Ohio, about 1825, he settled on the farm now occupied by John Fox; was very poor, a cooper and farmer by occupation, but by economy he at length became wealthy, maintaining all the while an unsettled reputation.
A few years ago a portion of the above society organized a small class in Gessie and began the erection of a small church; but,
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before it was completed, it was blown down and the little band returned to Howard Chapel.
Hopewell Baptist Church, a frame building about two miles north of Gessie, is the place of meeting of a society which was organized many years ago by the Rabourns. Among the prominent early members were Wesley and Reese Rabourn, Fielden Rabourn, Mr. Blankenship and others, and of the ministers the most prominently remembered are Revs. James Smith, John Orr, Mr. Whitlock, Mr. Stipp and Samuel Johnson. Mr. Stipp was a Freemason, and some of the' members of the church, not believing that freemasonry was consistent with Christianity, seceded, under the leadership of Elder Johnson, so that since that time two small societies are weakly sustained at the same place of meet- ing, called respectively the "Stippites " and the " Johnsonites." Elder Stipp is now dead.
Elder Johnson eame from Fountain County in 1871, purchasing the old Joseph Howard residence. Ehud Hughes, Philander Goff, Samuel Johnson and Ephraim Shute are official members.
In 1877 Byron Stevens, a " Christian" residing near Lowe Chapel, about three and a half miles southwest of Gessie, with the assistance of his friends built the church in Gessie which two years afterward they sold to the United Brethren, as before stated. IIe was a minister, and he and James Prather were trustees. They organized a small church society at Gessie, which soon ran down. Elder Myers preached regularly for them for a time.
Rileysburg, formerly called Riley, is a flag station two miles northwest of Gessie, where there are a postoffice, a store and a tile- mill.
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
PIONEERS.
O
HE surviving old set- tlers have from time to time held reunions, pienies, etc., refreshing one another's memories of pioneer experiences. At the elose of the 4th of July celebration at Clinton in 1881, an association, for the purposes of mutual entertain- ment and preservation of his- tory, was organized by the election of the following offi- cers: James A. White, Sr., of IIelt Township, President; Decatur Downing, of Clinton, Secretary; W. G. Crabb, of Clinton, Treas- urer; Viee-Presidents, for the respective townships-John Hamilton, Clinton; Abel Sexton, Vermillion; S. W. Malone, Eugene; and R. J. Gessie, Highland; and Exeentive Committee-J. H. Bogart, John Wright and B. F. Morey, of Clinton; William Wishard, of IIelt; and George H. MeNeill, of Perrys-
ville. This committee was given the anthor- ity to eall a meeting of the society, but it is said that they never even met, for any pur- pose, and thus the association died.
It happens, however, that the chief poet of Vermillion County, Dr. E. T. Spotswood, of Perrysville, knows how to celebrate pioneer times, in true Hoosier dialect, and we here insert two specimens from his happy mind.
The first was published in a newspaper of an adjoining county, over the nom de plume of ". Daniel Dundell."
THE NOOSIER HOEDOWN, OR BACKWOODS DANCE OF THE OLDEN TIME.
To the Edytur: Sur: These lines is most respeekfullee dedykatuted to all uv the yung fellers who run around here when the Coal Braneh wuz small an' the water wuz fust turned into the Wabash,-sieh yung chaps as Jolm Collett, Tom Cushman, O. P. Davis, Abe Sexton, John W. Parrett, R. J. Gessie, R. D. Moffatt, Lem Chenoweth, Smith Rabb an' all uv the boys uv that erowd
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PIONEERS.
who cum tu this kentry when it wuz new an' mostly in a state ov natur, an' likewise peple; also thereof before it wuz so improved that all natur is druv out nv it. In the good old times, when workin wuz more respektable than loafin', when stealin wuzent ealled spekilashun, when honesty wuz konsidered the best policy, when brass didn't count for brains, an' cheek for moral principul, when mnuney wuzent allus the measure uv the man, when sham and shoddy wuznt on top, an' modest worth an' manhood on the under side in the fite, but when brains, pluck, honesty an' mussel wud win agin the world,-to these yung chaps uv olden time I dedykate the poem, an' subscribe myself in the Coal Branch Hollow, whar they will allus find the latch- string out, a smokin' hot corn pone, a bow! nv eold buttermilk, a elean gord in sparklin' water, a rousin' hickory log fire, an a warm wellcum from thar friend,
DANIEL DUNDELL.
Coal Branch Hollow, Vermillion Co., Indianny.
THE COAL BRANCHI DANCE.
Down upon the Coal Branch, in the Indianny State,
Whar things go movin' slow along at the good old- fashioned gait,
Thar men an' wimmen good belong, an' gals that ar the sweetest,
An' boys that's hansum, tuff an' strong, an' jes bilt up the neatest,-
Whar the people all ar' sociable, an' thar aint no falls pretenses
Dividin' uv the nabors up with pride an' folly's fences,-
Whar work an' frolic, hand in hand, goes movin' on like friends ;
An' when one gits in trouble all to him their help extends ;
An' when a feller gits behind an' lags along the road, You'll find 'em all together jined to help him lift his load,-
That is to say, if he's "all squar," an' aint no ornery cuss
That won't at workin' take his share, but goes from bad to wuss,-
Then every nabor will turn out at any kind uv work, An' help the chap, an' not a man among them all will shirk.
They make a frolic uv their work, an' call in every nabor,
An' wind it all up with a dance, to liten up thar labor. Late in the fall when craps is ripe, an' the grass around is wiltin',
The gals they go a-slippin' round a gittin' up a-quiltin', An' the boys all round they understand
Will cum an' lend a helpin' haud, In shuckin' corn or clearin' land ;
Then, when the corn is gathered in,
An safely stowed up in the hin,
The fodder piled up in the shock,
Enough to feed the winter stock,-
The quilt is tuck from out the frame, a-lookin' new and neat ;
It's stitched an' tacked an' hemd an' sode an' finished up complete.
Then, when the long day's work is dun,
An' night cums with the settin' sun,
An' all have had a glorious treat,
At supper time, uv things to eat,- Uv hog an' hominy, pork an' beans,
Uv corn an' cabbage an' sich greens,-
Uv nicnacks sweet which you will find The wimmin have been mixin',- Besides 'most every other kind Uv first-rate chicken fixin',-
Jes now, when every one about Is full uv fun all over,
Is when the Coal Branch blossoms out, An' feels herself in clover.
From corn-cob pipes the old ones smokes, An' chats and laffs an' cracks thar jokes, An' smiles an' winks an' slyly pokes Thar fun at the younger bashful fokes.
From bright tin cups their cider sips, An' stands with hands upon thar hips, A-lookin' pleased between thar nips,
To see thar sturdy boys an' gals so rapid growin', Expectin soon that each thar own row will be hoein',
An' all the while with biznes eyes they are sum items takin',
Which shortly in the by an' by they'll use in sly match makin'.
Then, when uv jucy punkin pie they all have eat a lunchen,
Each feller hunts his pardner up an' steps out on his punchen,
The gals are standin' round in rows,
Tricked out in spankin' calicoes, All waitin' to be chosen.
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
Each feller in his blue-jeans close Is lookin' round him as he goes A-huntin', as we may suppose Fur his own Mary Susan.
The fiddler cums an' with him brings His pockets full uv fiddle-strings, An' in he cums a-saunterin' soon,
An' thrums the strings,-the sly old coon,
An' gives the notes a twang or two Which sets a-pattin' every shoe, A-timin' to the tune. An' now the dance no longer lingers. The fiddle's neck he tickles fast with nimble fingers, An' quick as lightnin' to an' fro, With all his might he swings the bow.
Ile draws it twice across the strings, Which on the floor the dancers brings ;
He gives the bow another draw, When they all call for the " Arkinsaw." With a loud voice he yells the call, " Honers ter yar pardners, all !"
An' then the fun gits goin'. Thar's steppin' high an' steppin' low As round an' round the dancers go, Jes like it wuz a circus show Whilst the music cums a-flowin'.
Sometimes they cut the pigin wing, An' then they try the Highland Fling, They jump an' slide an' skip an' hop, A-gittin higher every pop.
it's a fact which 'taint no use denyin',
That soon from off that floor the splinters gits a-flyin', To the fiddle's time they music beat With clatterin', patterin' busy feet, As in an' out they wind an' wheel Thro' old Virginia's lively reel, Or, like the flyin' corn they husk, They capper in the Money Musk, Or Fisher's Hornpipe contra dance With springin' steps they danglin' glance, With ringin' laff an' jestin' jeer, An' checks aglow with merry cheer.
The gals they giggle, laff and smile An' wud a very saint beguile. Whilst round an' round a-spinnin', The boys ketch up the roarin' fun, Each feller thinkin' he's the one,- From ear to ear is grinnin'. When bang! thar goes a fiddle string, Which to an eend this set will bring.
With hankichers all drippin' wet, The gals wipe off the surplus sweat, A-fixin' fur another set
Which soon they'll have a-goin'; Whilst the boys, all tuckered out of wind, Are a-settin' round a-blowin'.
If you are fond uv nat'ral ways,-uv old-time country dancin',
Cum out upon the Coal Branch an' see our gals an' boys a-prancin';
An' I'm sure that if you do
That you will larn a thing or two;
For you will see with your own eyes
The human hart without disguise,
An' larn sum lessons if you're wise,
Which thro' life's journey you will prize; That happiness an' sweet content
Are oft with simplest pleasures hlent;
That graspin' greed an' pride will bring
To akin' harts the keenest sting;
Whilst nature's plain an' simple ways Will light with joy your sunset days.
The following was composed for, and read at, the Independence celebration and old set- tlers' reunion held July 4, 1887, at Newport:
FOURTH OF JULY POEM.
BY DR. E. T. SPOTSWOOD, OF PERRYSVILLE, INDIANA.
Old friends an' neighbors, bowdy do! I give you hearty greetin',
An' welcome warm to all uv you to this Old Settlers' meetin',
I think 'tis good to meet agin, an' peepin' through our glasses,
Be tellin' how we used to do, when we wuz lads an lassies.
An' since we hev together come, in love which never tires,
With friendship's torch, we'll kindle up the long, long smoulderin' flres
Uv memories that hev long grown dim ; an' faded like a dream.
From the shaddowy past we will recall an' make with life to gleam.
Old Time, that cruel, heartless thief, whilst we hev bin on duty,
Each year hez hin a robbin' us uv some bright line uv beauty ;
Fur our faces, all so bloomin' once, ar' now dried up an' wrinkled, An' our hair thet was so bonnie brown is now with gray besprinkled ;
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PIONEERS.
Our eyes thet once wer' bright ez stars, hev now grown dim an' hazy ;
An' the dimples thet wuz on our cheeks hev faded like the daisy.
Our limbs wer' strong an' active once, but now you see it is
Thet they ar' weak an' tottery, an' stiff with rheu- matiz;
But never mind, we ar' young agin, in heart, if not in body;
An' we'll jest hunt up a shady place wher' the grass is green an' soddy,
An' set right down to spinnin' yarns, an' old stories we'll untwine,
Uv how the old things used to be, in days o' Auld Lang Syne.
Our hopes an' fears, our joys an' tears, an' old loves we will recall,
An' jog each failing memory 'till we clearly bring back all.
An' from the long forgotten past, old treasures we will bring
Uv memories sweet of the "olden time " thet still around us cling ;
Frum the hazy mist uv vanished years, the burried past again appears,
An' the echoes uv long ago will break upon our listen- ing ears,
While visions uv our early days like shadows throng around us,
An' tighten up the loosening cords thet to the past hez bound us,
An' then ouce more the magic spells, thet glided life's young mornin',
Will gently steal on every heart, an again bring back the dawnin',
As memory brings frum by-gone years on fancy's fly- ing wings,
The sunny scenes uv the far off time, frum whence our rapture springs.
We boys an' gals uv other days our lives will now live over,
An' dream agin uv the happy time when we wandered through the clover,
An' over hills, through woodlands green, down shady glens we strayed,
An' waded in the babblin' brook, an' in its waters played,
An' gathered flowers on the bank, an' in the grape- vine swing,
We tossed our sweethearts high in the air, an' made the grove to ring
With joyous laughter, free from care, an' spent the live long day
'Till wearied out, with tired feet, we homeward wound our way ;
When our days wer' bright ez the morning light an' our futer hed no shadder,
To cast its darkness on our paths, an make our hearts feel sadder;
When the hours all blithe an' golden sped quickly in ther flight
An' our hearts wer' filled with bounding hope an' the onlook glowed with light;
When with truth an' dauntless courage our hearts would overflow,
Au' hope's bright rainbow spanned the sky an' bid us forward go.
Our schoolmates uv the long ago, who 'neath the oak tree's shade
Around the old log schoolhouse hev often with us played,
Ar' scattered like the autumn leaves frum ocean's shore to shore.
Some hev to fame an' fortune grown, an' in life's battle sore
Some hev failed, while strugglin' on, but brave their part they bore.
But the many who wer with us then, hev left an' gone before.
To-day we'll call all back agin, once more be gals an' boys,
An' try to feel as we did then, when filled with youth- ful joys.
Our long forgotten jokes an' scrapes, we'll now tell on each other,
Until the laughing tears run down, an' not a thing we'll smother.
With the sweet old songs we used to sing
Once more we'll make these old woods ring,
An' show these young folks settin' 'round thet the music uv that day,
Wuz better than the German waltz, or furrin trills that now they sing an' play.
The music thet we loved uv old, wuz the spinnin- wheels' sweet hummin';
The flax-break's thud, as with steady beat all day it kep a drummin';
The rattlin' uv the shuttle, to the loom-beam's meas- ured thumpin',
But on pianies an' organs they now grind music out by poundin' an a pumpin'.
You will perhaps quite easy see, without any kind uv trouble,
Thet the old way did'ent cost so much, but wuz fur more profitable.
O! ther' hez bin a mighty change; but I think 'twill be confessed
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
That it hezent bin in every case, not allus for the best. Don't you mind the old log schoolhouse wher' we learned so many things,
As reading, writing, spelling and other useful ings ? All this is changed, an' fur the wuss, fur in ape-in arter colleges,
They don't teach nuthin' very much, except what ends in ologies;
They skip clean over common things au' don't seem much inclined
To lay good, strong foundations for the trainin', uv the mind,
They try to teach too many things, an' ther teachin's kinder scatterin';
An' that's the reason why you see we now hev so much smatterin'.
'Tis true they make a mighty show, an' uv everything they prattle ;
But 'tis not exactly what they need, in fitein' life's stern battle.
An' so it is in other things. Jist see your politics :
The best men all must stand aside fur the tuffest kind uv bricks.
In by-gone days the people asked, Is he honest ? Is he capable ?
But now the only question is, Is the candidate available ? Which simply means, Can the fellow win ? an' if so is he saleable ?
We old folks can, I think, complain that among the ugly things
Thet now exist, that this great land is run by rotten rings;
An' moral worth an' brilliant brains hev very little chance
Agin the chap with a bank account, who makes a large advance.
But we cannot mend these matters,-by frettin' ner by howlin' ,
An' these young folks say we old folks keep an ever- lastin' growlin';
So we'll jist quit an' let them try ; fur we hev bad our day.
We've fought our fight, we've made our marks, an' we hev sed our say.
An' the evening shadows round us close, an' we must soon away
An' leave these young folks on ther' guard to find a better way.
It is a fact we ar' growin' old, 'an old Time, who never lingers,
Will soon place on our beating hearts his cold an' icy fingers;
An' then we'll strike our movin' tents, an' soon we'll get our orders
To quickly take our line uv march beyond life's changeful borders,
Where we'll find another campin' ground, in a place beyond the river;
Where all old settlers' meet agin, an' all shall camp together,
In a camp where all ar' young agin, an' no ties we there shall sever,
But to our names, when roll is called, we'll answer Aye forever.
That meetin' will be comin' soon, an' if we but live accordin',
T'will be the grandest meetin' yet, away beyond the Jordin.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
OIIN COLLETT (second), State Geolo- gist, 1879-'84, is a resident of the old homestead near Eugene, though he spends most of his time at Indianapolis. He was born at Eugene January 6, 1828, the eldest son of Stephen S. and Sarah (Groenendyke) Collett. (A sketch of his parents is given elsewhere in this volume). He was only fif- teen years old when his father died, and upon him devolved much of the care of his father's estate of 5,000 acres, and also the interests of his younger brothers and sisters, of whom there were seven. In the discharge of these duties he exhibited extraordinary ability, and was also faithful in carrying out the policy of his father. The most important feature of this policy was good education for all his children. The plans for this were success- fully executed. Mr. Collett pursued his higher studies at Wabash College, where he graduated in 1847 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and where five years later he received the degree of Master of Arts. In 1879 that institution conferred upon him the additional distinction of Doctor of Philosophy. For a number of years after arriving at the age of
manhood his time was devoted to farming and miscellaneous business connected with it; and he also frequently had charge of impor- tant estates. In these matters he was re- markably shrewd. prompt and honest. He never permitted his own private affairs to interfere with the responsibilities he had undertaken for the interests of others; and amid all these cares he also found time for scientific studies, and participated in public affairs. His ability and integrity were both so conspicnous that his fellow citizens recog- nized these qualities in him, and sought op- portunities to give testimonials to the fact by honoring him with office. Accordingly, in 1870, he was elected to represent the counties of Parke and Vermillion in the State Senate, where he served through two regular sessions and one called session. While a Senator he originated the clause in the Baxter Bill which has since become a part of the general law of the State, ranking public drunkenness with crime. Another of his propositions, which has since been generally accepted, was, that the owners and not the public, should be held responsible for the live stock running at
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
large. Ile was prominent in advocating the law providing for the construction of gravel roads, under which State gravel roads have been made throughout Indiana; but he was most forward in advocating compulsory edu- cation, at a time when very few dared to favor such a measure. Also, he rendered great service to the cause of education by assisting Hon. James D. Williams, then a Senator from Knox County, and since Governor, to obtain the passage of a law requiring that the sur- plus bank funds be distributed among the counties to be loaned at interest for the bene- fit of common schools, instead of leaving it, as before that was the case, only in charge of the State officers to inure to their benefit ex- clusively. Also, he saved from defeat the bill providing for county superintendents of schools, and he was the first to advocate the establishment of a State home for the feeble- minded. Mr. Collett was a Whig in early life, and became a Republican upon the or- ganization of that party; but, notwithstanding his zeal in the cause of Republicanism, he was the choice of Governor Williams in 1879, for the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics and Geology, then just established. In assuming the position, he found himself under the necessity of devising the methods for gather- ing statistics, and although embarrassed for the want of sufficient appropriations of money, he succeeded in collecting much valuable in- formation on a great variety of important subjects. This was compiled in two volumes of over 500 pages each, on a plan which has not since been materially departed from. While serving in this office, his influence led the State House Board to institute a series of scientifie tests, which resulted in perma- nently establishing the superiority of Indiana building stone over the other kinds that before had been in use; and thus was devel- oped in his State an industry which every year
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