USA > Indiana > Washington County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Harrison County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Crawford County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Clark County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Scott County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Floyd County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Jennings County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
USA > Indiana > Jefferson County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 20
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The Committee reports that publica- tion was made for bids in the Repub- lican, a newspaper of Madison, and that the bid of James H. Wallace was the lowest and best bid.
Thereupon the court awarded to him the contract to build a court house of briek, according to the plan fur- nished, at the cost of 82,700, to be finished by January 1, 1830.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
January 7th, 1833, Wm. G. Wharton, Sheriff, filed a protest against the jail of the county, stating that it was "insufficient to keep prisoners," and " that there was no place fit for prison- ers for debt." The result of this pro- test was the building of jail No. 4, by Peck & Temperly. C. P. J. Arion was appointed superintendent of the con- structions.
The present jail was built by MeKinn & Falconer, at a cost of $8,900, and was received by the County Commissioners, on October 27th, 1849.
The first, second, fourth and fifth of these jails were built on the same lot of ground, varying but little as to the precise spot occupied by the different buildings.
The third, which was called the " brick jail," was located upon the back end of the lot now occupied by the Upper Seminary. The first prisoner put into this bastile, was an old negro by the name of Bob Hopkins. He was a celebrity of the town for many years. He was brought here by his master, Richard Hopkins, and freed. He worked at anything he could put his hand to when here, but was usually employed on the early keel and flat- boats as a cook and hand. He was a great drunkard, but scarcely ever out of humor. He was put into this jail and in a few hours had made a large enough hole through the wall to crawl out of, and thus liberated himself, making the first jail escape in the county.
Court House .- A log court house
was built in 1811. It stood on the south half of the court house square. Mr. Simeon Hunt says : " That it was a two-story building of buckeye logs, with stairs on the outside (south side) going up to the jury rooms." He also says, " that when the brick court honse was built (1823), the old log house was removed to the " Shannon lot," on the south side of Main, west of Jeffer- son, where Hagedon's saddlery shop now is (1889). There it was used for many years as store-rooms and dwel- ling houses."
In 1823 the first brick conrt house was built on the site of the present one. During the building of this, as they were raising the large girders for the roof, Mr. Kirk, a shoemaker (the father of our former well-known citi- zen, Capt. John Kirk), was killed. Mr. Kirk was assisting in pulling up the rope for hoisting, when it; broke, and the timber fell upon him, crushing him.
The old brick court house was an octagon in form, with the Judge's seat on the east side of the room, raised considerably above the floor. A large window was immediately behind the chair of the Presiding Judge ; ou either side of him was a chair for the Asso- ciate Judges. About one-half of the room was failed off for the use of the bar, their clients, the witnesses, and the officers of the court. On the south side of the room a stairway led to the upper floor, where were the jury rooms. The foot of this stairway was on a line with the railing and entered
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
on the inside of the "bar," and the banister of the stairway acted as a continuous barrier with the railing, shutting the mere spectator out of the immediate presence of, and contact with, the court. The entire lower floor was occupied as a court room.
The old court house was destroyed by fire Sept. 12th, 1853, and the pres- ent house was erected upon the same ground. This house was partially destroyed by fire in 1859. This house is built of stone up to the second floor. The ground floor is occupied by the county offices, and the Com- missioners' court room. To all of the offices except that of the Sheriff there are large fire-proof rooms attached, used for keeping the records con- nected with the different offices. These rooms are large and dry, and of sufficient size to contain all of the records of the county at present. In the center of the building there is a wide hall extending the entire length of the building, from the front vesti- bule at the entrance on Jefferson street. There is another hall of the same width leading from an entrance door at the middle of the house on Main street. This hall intersects the main hall. In the eastern part of the main hall a stairway leads to the sec- ond floor. Above the second floor the building is of brick. The second floor is used for the court room and offices. Like ancient Gaul, it is divided into three parts. At the front or west end is a hall, or rather, a land- ing, for the main stairway from below,
which starts on either hand from the main entrance on the ground floor. From this hall or landing, stairways lead on either side to the gallery of the court room. In the center is the court room, which occupies three- fourths of the entire floor; on the east, in the rear of the court room, on the south is a room occupied during term time as the Clerk's office. In the center is a small hall at the head of the stairway before spoken of. On the north is the Judge's room. Alongside of the Judge's room, to the west is a stairway leading to jury rooms, and up to the attie. On top of the roof is a large cupola, in which is a clock and bell. On the west front is the main entrance to the building, which is an arcade of about thirty feet in length, and ten feet wide, consisting of three arches, sup- ported in the front by stone pillars and masonry, the ends being closed. The approach to this is by five steps of stone, extending entirely across the building. Surrounding this arcade, and entered from the second floor of the building, is a beautiful open stone porch, the roof of which is supported by four huge pillars of stone of the Ionic order.
The original cost of this structure was $36,000. Mr. David Dubach, now of Hannibal, Mo., was the archi- tect. The builders were David Dubach, Henry C. Kyle and J. W. Hinds.
The County Asylum-Is a farm of one hundred and twenty acres of land,
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
having large buildings of stone, situ- ated about two and one-half miles west of Madison. The place is ample to sustain and keep all the paupers of the county. Under the early system of the country, the paupers were farmed out to the lowest bidder, but in the course of time this class had increased so much in numbers as to require a different arrangement for their care and keep. A Poor Farm was established by the county about three miles northwest of Madison. This was used for many years. Next, property was purchased upon Ryker's Ridge, about two miles northeast of town, and a large brick edifice was erected. This was used for some years. The house having burned, the commissioners sold that site and bought the one west of the city.
Early Religion .- Copy of a letter from Rev. Love HI. Jameson :
INDIANAPOLIS, 5th Feb'y, 1889. W. P. HENDRICKS, EsQ.,
Madison, Ind.
Dear Sir :- Your letter of 25th ult. received; contents carefully noted. My very imperfect vision, and the difficulty with which I write, will account for my delay in answering. Any statements which I make will be confined to the first and second decades of the century.
Any incidents occurring during the first decade, that I may mention will be as reported to me by my father and others who took part in them. The incidents of the second decade
will consist mainly of personal recol- lection.
What is now called Jefferson county began to be settled by settlers from Kentucky during the first years of the century ; a settlement on Indian Ken- tucky creek gave it its present name.
In the year 1806 George Richey, my uncle, from Garrard county, Ken- tucky, settled on Clifty, three miles west of the present city of Madison, and one-half mile north of Edwards' Mill, on Clifty. He was followed by my father in 1810, who settled on lands owned by Alexander McNutt, immediately opposite Clifty Falls, on the south side of the creek. This was my birthplace. I was born on the 17th day of May, 1811.
I always understood, from my father and others, that the city of Madison was laid out by Col. John Paul, Jona- than Lyons, and another whose name I have forgotten, in the fall of the year 1810, and the lots began to be disposed of in the spring of the following year.
The country was being rapidly settled, and in consequence the town grew up quickly.
During the last years of the first decade, Jesse Vawter and his brother Philemon, both of them Baptist preach- ers, settled in the vicinity of the site of Madison. Jesse settled on the top of what is now known as the Michigan Hill, and Philemon at the foot, in the valley of Crooked Creek, in the edge of what is now the old cemetery."
My impression is that these men * Springdale cemetery is meant.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
were the first men in the vicinity who established a church. They subse- quently build their meeting-house on the top of the hill immediately west of Irish Hollow, and called it Mount Pleasant. The preachers of the Baptist denomination who succeeded the Vawters, it will be impossible for me to name in order of sueces- sion, nor can I, with any certainty. give the date of their service or employment. Col. John Vawter and his brother James-sons of Jesse Vawter-and James Glover, a son- in-law, were largely instrumental in extending the church throughout the county.
Col. John Vawter (if my memory serves me) kept the first store in Madison ; his place of business being on the southwest corner of Mulberry and Main Cross streets."
As early as the year 1806, Bazaleel Maxwell settled in the vicinity of Hanover: he was followed by rela- tives bearing the names of Maxwell, MeCullouzh and Tilford, who brought with them from Kentucky a preacher by the name of John McClung. McClung was a licentiate of the Presbyterian Church, but had left that church before leaving Kentucky. and associated himself with Barton W. Stone. As soon as they reached the territory, McClung began to evangelize through the country and establish preaching places, from the mouth of Saluda to the east fork of Indian Kentucky, in the north part of
what is now call d Shelby township. He preached in the neighborhood of the residence of a Mrs. Snodgrass, on Saluda Creek ; at Samuel Maxwell's, four miles west of Hanover, on White River; at Jimes Crawford's, on the north bank of Clifty, three miles west of Madison ; at William Richey's, on the middle fork, just above where the' railroad now crosses that stream ; at Thomas Jameson's (my father's), on the Michigan road, nine miles north of Madison, and at George Myers' five miles north-east of Thomas Jameson's, on the east fork of Indian Kentucky, and three miles north of C'anaan. He continued to minister in these several localities till the year 1820, when he removed to Indian- apolis, where he died shortly after- ward. He preached the first sermon ever preached in Indianapolis, and died the week after. (See Nolan's History of Indianapolis. )
The second of these preaching places ( Kent on White River), and the last two (Liberty, on the Michi- gan road, and Shelby, on east fork of Indian Kentucky ) became and stil remain churches.
During the second decade the fol- lowing traveling preachers visited and preached in these several places, viz. : Henry Brown, Joshua Lindsay, Freeman Walden, Harrison Osborne, Benj. F. Hall, John Mavity, Fletcher Mavity, Francis D. Palmer, John Rogers, Samuel Rogers, Barton W. Stone, Joseph Trowbridge, Daniel Combs, William Kinkaid, Reuben
* Main and Main Cross was the place.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Dooley, James Hughes, and others whose names I do not now remember. These three churches, subsequently, came into what we now eall the Reformation.
At a very early period the Metho- dists began to establish themselves in Madison; this was during the first half of the second deeade.
The first preachers, to the best of my recollection, were Dr. John Heath, who used to visit and preach at Lib- erty, William Wallace, the father of James Wallace, and Dr. Oglesby. They soon became the leading religions denomination in town, and from that point spread over the country.
The Presbyterians appeared during the first half of the second decade and were ministered to by the Rev. Mr. Johnson, with whom I was personally acquainted. There was a congregation of Seceders some two or three miles southwest of Hanover, ministered to by a gentleman whose name was Ful- ton.
Any other items (in regard to the early history of Madison and vicinity that I am able to furnish ) it will afford me great pleasure to lay before you, if you desire.
Very truly yours, L. H. JAMESON.
CHURCHES.
The first church organized in the county was the Mount Pleasant Bap- tist church, in March, 1807, on the hill near North Madison. It was first called Crooked Creek church, but was
afterwards changed in name. As will be seen by the biographical sketches, in this work, the Baptist Christians were zealous in organizing churches wherever " two or three " were met together. They grew up with the county and now occupy a front rank. They have a large congregation in Madison and worship in a fine brick building on Vine street, between Main and Third. At present they are with- out a minister. Throughout the county are Wirt, Hebron, Hopewell, Dupont, Flatbottom, Ryker's Ridge and Saluda churches.
There is a " colored " Baptist church in Madison.
Methodist .- The Methodist church was first organized in Madison by the Rev. Walter Griffith, who was on the Lawrenceburg circuit in the year 1811. One account says it was in July, and another that it was in October of that year that he " formed a class at George Burton's house," which was at about the point where the city water-works engine-house now stands. Elijah Sparks, an attorney and afterwards a judge, was a zealous local M. E. preacher, probably the first man who preached regularly in the town. Col. Patrick Brown, of Kentucky, preached frequently before 1811. Col. Brown removed to this county, and lived and died on a farm two miles from town, on what is now known as the Tele- graph Hill. The first Methodist church building was made in Madison in 1816. It was a small brick house, situated on
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
the lot at the northeast corner of Main and East streets.
The church grew and multiplied in the county until it is now the strong- est Protestant church ; their buildings are scattered all over the county and their names are many. In the city of Madison is Trinity church : pastor. J. W. Turner, with a membership of some six hundred. They have a fine, com- modious brick building on Broadway ; North Madison, Mt. Zion, Olive Branch churches in Madison township; Morris Chapel and Pleasant Ridge in Milton : Big Creek and Mud Lick in Monroe ; Canaan in Shelby ; Dupont in Lancaster. Churches in all of the townships.
There are several churches of col- ored persons, of Methodist belief, in the county. Two of them in the city of Madison.
Presbyterian .- In December, 1814, the Rev. Win. Robinson, a Presby- terian minister, came to Madison and took up his residence there. There was no Presbyterian church at Madi- son, or nearer to it than Charlestown, in Clark county. Mr. Robinson taught school and preached. Late in 1815 he organized the Presbyterian church in Madison, with a membership of fifteen or twenty. Ile preached at first in the house of D. Blackmore, on Walnut and High streets.
Ile was followed in July, 1819, by Thomas C. Searle, who organized the church at Hanover, on March 4th, 1820, with twenty - three members, who had previously belonged to Mad-
ison church. He was installed pastor of the churches at Madison and IIan- over, August 13th, 1820. He died October 15th, 1821, "a minister greatly beloved and very useful."
A Mr. Trimble succeeded him for a short time and after him Rev. James Johnson. During the pastorate of Mr. Johnson, the great seission in the Presbyterian church, in 1833, occurred, and he cast his lot with the new school and formed Madison Second, of which he was pastor for some years. Ile was followed by Rev. Henry Little, Harvey Curtis, Atter- bury, Keigwin, Fisher and others. Their present minister is Rev. J. HI. Barnard, D. D. After the split in the church, the Old School church continued as the First Presbyterian church of Madison, under the care of Rev. W. Matthews, Dr. Owen, Mr. Leavenworth, F. T. Brown, Rev. Sinans, Rev. Hawes, Prof. Ryors, Dr. Archibald E. Barr, Win. C. Young and Dr. Simpson. Their present pastor is Rev. W. R. Brown, D. D.
These are now united in one A-sen- bly and under one faith. The Second Church building, a neatly finished brick, is on the northeast corner of Third and West streets. The house of the First Church is on the north- east corner of Broadway and First streets.
Jefferson church, in Shelby town- ship, was organized October 17th, 1818, by Rev. Orrin Fowler, of the "Connecticut Missionary Society, " with fourteen members. Lancaster
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
church, in Lancaster township-after- wards in Monroe township-was the Presbyterian church for that portion of the county. In 1833, Monroe church was formed, in the scission of the church. At the healing of the difficulty these two churches came together under the name of Monroe, and exist as the Monroe church to-day. There is a neat stone church belong- ing to this congregation eight miles north from Madison.
Smyrna Presbyterian church is situated in Smyrna township, eight miles from Madison. Rev. A. Z. Moore is in charge of this, Hanover and Sharon Hill. Sharon Hill is about four miles west of Ilanover, in Republican township.
At this time, January, 1889, Han- over has a membership of 173 ; Sharon Hill, 57 ; Smyrna, 34; Ma lison First, 190; Madison Second, 143; Monroe, 37 : Jefferson, 39.
The United Presbyterian .- There are two congregations of this church in this county. One at Madison, under the care of Rev. J. L. Aten, and one at Carmel, in Hanover township, under Rev. Jackson. The membership of this branch of the church is principally among the farming community.
The Episcopal Church .- There is but one regularly organized church of this denomination in the county ; that is "Christ Church" of Madison. The membership is about 100. Rev. Heer- mans is the preacher.
The Church in Jesus Christ .- This denomination has a congregation in
Madison, which was organized May 29th, 1836, with twenty-three members. J. M. Tilford was made bishop pro tem. There is one of their churches in Monroe township, called "Liberty," the oldest in the county; there are several others through the county. The edifice in Madison is a very nice brick, beautifully finished. They have no pastor at present.
The United Brethren have several organizations in the county, but at present there is no regular services held in any of their churches.
The Roman Catholic .- This church has two fine edifices in the city of Madison : St. Michael's, at the head of Church street, on the north of Third, Father Gueguen, priest; and St. Mary's, on Second street, east of Wal- nut, Father Seepe, priest. St. Mich- ael's is the older building, and was for many years the only one in the city. It is of stone, and quite a large and good house. It is the church of the English-speaking members. St. Mary's is a beautiful house of brick, and is the German Catholic church. At North Madison is another church, St. Patrick's, Father Wiederin, priest. The house is a substantial brick. At China is another Catholic church.
The Universalist .- There is a church of this order in Madison ; the house, a pleasant little frame, is situated on Poplar Lane, near Third. There is also an organization in Saluda town- ship.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Adventists .- There is a society of Seventh Day Adventists in Monroe township, but there is no report of the organization furnished for publi- cation.
Morgan Raid .- In July, 1863, dur- ing the late civil war, John Morgan, a General in the rebel army, passed through this county on his raid through Indiana and Ohio. His troops destroyed a great amount of property, but as their visit was somewhat restricted as to time, their opportunity for plunder was straitened also, to the advantage of the citizens of the county.
Morgan seemed to be heading for Madison for the purpose of plunder, and of escape back into Kentucky, but the city was so well garrisoned by troops of the Indiana Legion, that he made a detour northward from Lexing- ton, Scott county, towards Vernon, Jennings county ; so that the main body of his troops went only through the western and northern portions of the county. The route of his men was marked by wanton destruction of property, the roads being strewn with all kinds of portable property, taken from the houses and farms of the citi- zens, and when found to be in the way of the soldiers, or from panic of the pursuing troops under Gen. Hobson, were cast away in order to lighten their horses. The road from Dupont across to the Michigan road was covered with hams, shoulders and side meat and merchandise of all kinds taken from Mayfield's pork house and the stores of Dupont. The fields of wheat
alongside of the road, were, in many instances, entirely destroyed by the cavalry riding through them, and allowing the horses to forage upon the shocks, and by trampling them under the feet of the horses. The railroad bridges for miles on either side of the line of their march were burned, and the track of the railroad was torn up wherever any party of the rebels crossed it. The railroad track at Dupont was of such a construction as to resist their attempts at tearing it up and destroying it at that place, to the great astonishment of the rebels who had never seen any combination rails before. Five miles of the road (two and one-half miles on either side of Dupont ) was laid with rails which lapped and were bolted together, so that the track for this distance was one continuous rail.
The farmers of the county suffered considerable loss from both of the armies-the army of Gen. Morgan taking the best of the horses that they could find, and the pursuing army, under Gen. Hobson, taking the greater part of the remnant. In this case, the prayers of farmers were as hearty to be delivered from their friends as they had been before to be delivered from their enemies. For these losses, by the two armies, many of the citi- zens have not been reimbursed to this day. Although it was but a light touch of the hand of war, the people did not recover from its effects for years. May we not experience another, especially of the character of
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
that, where brother was arrayed against brother for the destruction of each other. This was not true only as to the nation, but was a literal fact as to families; in one instance, a brother with the rebels sending a mes- sage to one of the towns to his brother that he would kill him on sight. Happily they did not meet.
MADISON .- The city of Madison is the county seat of the county, and the oldest town in the county. It was named for James Madison, President of the United States. There is no record of the date at which it was made the seat of government of the county. It had a population of 8,945 in 1880, and is supposed at this time (1889) to have about 10,000.
History of Madison .- The town of Madison was originally laid out in the year 1810. The first sale of lots was made in February, 1811.
The original town was laid off in a parallelogram of four blocks, contain- ing sixteen squares of eight lots each. It was laid out on the magnetic merid- ian, so that the streets ran directly east and west and north and south. The first plat contained five streets running east and west. High, Sec- ond, Main Cross, Third, and Back- now Fourth Street. High street was the southern boundary of the town, and Back, the northern boundary. There were also five streets running north and south at right angles with these, viz: East-the eastern bound- ary-Walnut, Main, Mulberry and
West, which was the western limit of the town.
The original town was embraced in section two, town III. north, range X east. The ground was originally purchased by John Paul, in the spring sale of lands at Jeffersonville, in the year 1809. He and Lewis Davis and Jonathan Lyons entered into a part- nership in the lands and laid out the town.
The second sale of lots was held June 12th, 1812.
Additions were afterwards made to the town to the east, west and north, extending the area of the town into section three, town III north, range X east, and into sections thirty- four and thirty-five, town IV north, range X east.
All of the river front south of High -now First-was afterwards platted as river blocks. These have been since subdivided, and thus the descriptions of city property are various 'and to a stranger seemingly complicated. In making the additions west to the original town, the trend of the river was followed, making a bend in the streets.
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