USA > Indiana > Grant County > Centennial history of Grant County, Indiana, 1812 to 1912 : compiled from records of the Grant county historical society, archives of the county, data of personal interviews, and other authentic sources of local information > Part 31
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At a meeting of township trustees, held April 11, 1853, the bond of William Hall, as township treasurer was accepted as sufficient and filed. The trustees at that time were Jesse Brooks, Nixon Rush, Sr., and Joseph Hollingsworth. Ezra Foster was the township clerk. At this session of the trustees 75 cents was allowed as compensation for one full day's service. This is the record of the first meeting of the trustees now in possession of Township Trustee John R. Little, present incumbent of the office.
In April, 1854, there were six road districts in the township. The list of road hands eligible for service was classified as follows: Dis-
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triet No. 1, James M. Ellis, supervisor-Joseph Hill, Jesse Harvey, John Carey, Thomas Harvey, Jr., Henry Winslow, Linden Osborn, Joseph Carey, Robert Carey, Robert Corder, Samuel Radley, Allen Wright, George Rich, Samuel Dillon and Seth Winslow. District No. 2, William Pierce, supervisor-Clarkson Pierre, Thomas Newby, James Harrison, Andrew Lytle, John Phillips, Joel Phillips, Jesse Pemberton, Mordecai Davidson, Moses Larkin, James Davidson, Milton Winslow, Jesse Dillon and Jolm Knox. District No. 3, Hopkins Richardson, supervisor-William Winslow, Isaac Wright, Henry Leavell, Aaron Kaufman, Charles Stantield, George Lewis, John Benbow, Isam Portice, Walker Winslow, Daniel T. Lindsey, Henry Winslow, Jonathan D. Richardson, Zimri Richardson, Simon Kaufman, Isaac Roberts and James Quinn. Distriet No. 4, Phillip Patterson, supervisor -Andrew Buller, Carter Hastings, James Nixon, Judiah Smithson, Daniel Thomas, John Seale, Nathan D. Wilson, Jesse E. Wilson, Jonathan Baldwin, Nathan Little, Isaac Hawkins, David Baldwin, Mahlon Cook, John Henley, Joseph W. Baldwin, Isaac Stantield, James Canmack, William Hundley, William Wright, Nixon Rush, Sr., Nathan Vinson, Seberry Lyons, William HFall, Solomon Parsons, Joshna Foster, Andrew Leverton, Calvin Dillon and Iredell Rush. District No. 5, Lindsey Wilson, supervisor-Hanley Broyles, Henry Wilson, Eli Neal, Micajah Wilson, Henry J. Reel, Andrew J. Mann, Albert Dillon, James Lytle, Calvin Bookout, Clayton L. Stanfield and Alfred Waldon. District No. 6, William Fear, supervisor-John Smith, John W. Ridge, Aaron Cosand, James Williams, Isaac Thomas, William Parsons, Isaac John- son, Clark A. Johnson Jr., Henry Osborn, Jonathan Osborn, Charles A. Johnson and Nelson Thomas.
On April 7, 1856, Phineas Henley was elected justice of the peace, William llall. treasurer, A. R. Williams, clerk, and Samuel Dillon, Daniel Thomas and Micajah Wilson were elected to the board of town- ship trustees. In 1858 Thomas D. Duling, Samuel Dillon and Seth Winslow were elected to the board of township trustees John S. Carey, township elerk, and William Hall, township treasurer. This was the last year that a board of township trustees was elected.
In 1859 the law was amended so as to provide for the election of one township trustee to serve one year. On April 4, 1859, Henry Harvey was elected, being the first man to serve under the new law. The following township trustees have served the township: 1560 10 1865. J. P. Winslow: 1865, M. C. Wilson; 1866, J. P. Winslow; 1867, Samuel Dillon ; 1868, J. P. Winslow ; 1869, J. F. Jones; 1870, Morgan O. Lewis; 1871, JJ. Nixon Elliott ; 1872, J. Nixon Elliott: 1573. Joseph Wilson ; 1874. Joseph Wilson; 1875, Eli Neal; 1876, Eli Neal; 1877, Eli Neal; 1880, Lemuel Pearson; 1884. Joseph Ratliff; 1888. Lemuel Pearson ; 1890. John Kelsay: 1894. Joseph Ratliff: 1900, Joel O. Dul ing; 1904, Alvin J. Wilson; 1908, John R. Little.
Prior to 1854 there had been but little, if any, agitation for the im- provement of the roads. Such highways as had up to that year been opened for travel had been built along the ridges, where the land was high and dry. This accounts, to a large extent, for the angling. crooked roads of the early day. It was not until several years after work was started on a more extensive scale that efforts were made to build roads on range and township lines, making travel easier and the highways straighter. The Jonesboro and Fairmount turnpike was projected in 1860. being the first gravel road constructed. Jesse E. Wilson and Jonathan P. Winslow were among the promoters and organizers of the company which built this pike. The work progressed rapidly after these pikes were built, and has ever since occupied much of the atten-
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tion of all classes of citizens. The Liberty and Fairmount pike was promoted in 1869 by William S. Elliott, Jesse E. Wilson and Elwood Arnett. These men sold $4,000 worth of stock, and the work proceeded rapidly.
The first temperance meeting of which there is any knowledge was held at old Sugar Grove meeting-house, in the Lewis settlement, about five miles southeast of Fairmount, in 1848.
It was at this meeting that William G. Lewis made his first effort to speak in publie. His address created quite a stir in the neighborhood, and almost broke up the peace and harmony that had for so long existed among the early settlers. Some of the neighbors claimed that Lewis was advocating a plan that would take away the liberty that their fathers had fought for and bled for and died for. The movement spread rapidly, however, and ended in the formation of a division of the Sons of Temperance. The agitation grew, and the sentiment thus ere- ated at that first meeting bore fruit. All denominations united on this question and stood ont aggressively against the liquor traffic. For many years there was a general feeling of hostility against the sale and use of intoxicating beverages. This sentiment manifested itself on more than one occasion in the years that followed.
In the late summer of 1874 Andy Morris, who lived at Summit- ville, encouraged by the representations of an acquaintance that Fair- mount might be a profitable location for a saloon, thought by a ruse to test the matter of putting in a stock of liquors. It was first neces- sary to ascertain the sentiment of the Quakers with regard to his pro- posed enterprise. Induced by Fred Cartwright, a well-known char- arter of that day, to make a well conceived feint, Morris put some articles of furniture resembling saloon fixtures into a wagon and brought them to Fairmount. No sooner did Morris reach the town with his conveyance than he was surrounded by a crowd of determined. but angry men, led by Dennis Montgomery and Alex Pickard, and notified that he had better take his traps and move out at once. Morris was reluctant to do so. He hesitated too long. Ile was placed astride a rail, Alex Pickard holding one end and Dennis Montgomery the other, and was carried for a considerable distance along Main street. Ile was told, after a pause in the proceedings, that he might have his choice, get out of town immediately or be tarred and feathered. Morris promptly acceded to the terms laid down, and promised to leave at once if released. Ile was taken off the rail and with his wagon and other appurtenanees he started south. Morris never returned to Fairmount after that.
In 1875, Dave Capper, of Harrisburg, attempted to open a saloon in a one-story frame building erected by Capper for that purpose east of the Big Four Railroad. There was a door in the west end of the building. and another door opening out on the north side. When the structure was being erected Capper claimed that it was designed for a blacksmith shop. Jonathan P. Winslow suspicioned the motives of Capper, and kept vigilant oversight of the structure as the work was being completed and the building made ready for occupancy. A circus was billed for the town, and it was on the night before that Capper brought his liquors by wagon from Harrisburg. Failing in his efforts to persnade Capper to desist from his purpose, Winslow went to the home of Frank Norton. Norton immediately left his bed and plans were formulated. It was agreed that the ringing of the Wesleyan church bell would be the signal for the ringing of every other bell in the neighborhood. When this bell started to ring others who had been notified rang their bells and a great deal of commotion was the result.
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Nixon Rush was among the first to respond. The people were thor- oughly aroused, and several hundred men assembled to ascertain the cause of the excitement. As each man appeared upon the scene the matter was fully explained. In a short while the crowd had assembled in front of Norton's home, on the lot where James Phillips' residence now stands. Norton was promptly elected leader of the crowd. le formed the men in line, and at their head marched east on Second street, crossed the Big Four tracks, and were soon at the building, where they halted. Capper, who was a Civil war soldier and a courageous man, appeared at the west door with a cocked revolver in cach hand. He swore that he would shoot the first man who came near or molested him in any way. Norton was acquainted with Capper. He knew that Capper meant what he said, and that he would shoot. However, Nor- ton, who himself was a soldier in the Civil war, and just as courageous and just as determined as Capper, quietly notified. Capper that the erowd meant business, that they did not propose to allow a saloon to be run in the town, and that he would advise Capper, on behalf of the crowd, to pack up his goods and get out immediately. Capper stepped back, again notified the crowd that he would shoot the first man who interfered with him, and closed the door. After a short consultation with Jesse Bogue, J. P. Winslow and Nixon Rush, Norton shouldered a fence rail, took a running shoot and knocked the west door about half way through the building. Jesse Bogue was at the the right at the side of Norton and remained with him through the mix-up. When Capper discovered that further resistance was useless, and that the crowd would not be bluffed or bull-dozed, he capitulated. The citizens loaded up his stock of liquors on a wagon, forced Capper to sit on one of the whisky barrels, and in charge of a committee was hastily started back to Harrisburg, while the bells tolled amidst the jeers and hoots of the hilarious throng.
In 1886 Ira M. Smith, of Marion, was making plans to open a saloon on the west side of North Main street, between Washington and First, in a two-story frame building which stood where Fritz's meat market is now located. Smith had secured his license. One night in the sum- iner of that year the building was destroyed by dynamite. Smith abandoned his project and returned to Marion.
Luther Morris secured a liquor license in 1892 and opened a saloon in a one-story frame residence at the northeast corner of First and Main streets. Prior to this year, for about fourteen months, Morris had been engaged in taking orders for liquors and beer, delivering his goods by wagon from Marion, In the latter part of 1892 Morris erected a two-story frame building on East Eight street, and was pre- paring to move bis stock of liquors to this new location. Before the structure was quite ready for occupancy it was destroyed by dynamite one night and a few days later the fragments were burned. In 1900 Morris erected the two-story brick building now occupied by the Marion Light & Heating Company, on North Main street. He continued to run his saloon in this buikling until 1906, when the citizens of the town- ship remonstrated the business out of existence, Morris being the first, as he was the last, man to run a licensed saloon in Fairmount.
Before the Civil war O. H. P. Carey owned and operated a stage coach for passengers and freight between Marion and Anderson. His drivers were Coon Slagle and Caleb May. These men were occasionally relieved by Thomas Hobbs and Henley Winslow. They changed horses at Johnny Moore's, just north of Summitville, at a point called Wrinkle. Upon the outbreak of the Civil war Carey enlisted, becoming in a short time the colonel of a regiment. Ile sold his stage coach to Rode
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Hammill. About the same year a stage line was established and in operation on the state road from Marion to Muncie. This line changed horses at Wheeling. About 1860 Walker Winslow bought the stage coach of Rode Hannoill and continued the business. It was not a great while before Winslow owned two Concords. One he named "Artemus Ward, " after the famous humorist, the other he called the "Lincoln." In those days it required four horses to pull the load, and occasionally, in bad weather, it required six.
In 1861 Winslow secured a contract from the government to carry the mail. The compensation agreed upon for this service was $300 a year, and his route was from Marion to Anderson. While the work of carrying the mail was important, Winslow soon discovered that the profitable part of his business was the transportation of passengers and express between these points. The coach left Marion every Monday morning, and he made three trips to Anderson every week. The stage would comfortably accommodate twelve passengers, but he has hauled as high as twenty-four when travel was heavy. Winslow handled thou- sands of dollars by express and never lost a dollar. Upon one orra- sion he had charge of $35,000 in gold and silver which was billed to Jason Willson's bank, at Marion.
At that time but nine miles of the thirty-four lying between Ander- son and Marion was piked, and it frequently required eight hours to . cover the distance between the two towns. with six horses pulling every pound they could carry. In the summer months the distance could be covered in much less time. The old corduroy roads became at times almost impassable. In such an emergency as this he would be com- pelled to leave his stage coach behind and use a lighter wagon to pro- ceed with the mail, riding horse-back.
In an interview given to the newspapers shortly before his death, in 1911, Mr. Winslow relates this interesting story :
"In addition to being carrier of the mail I invariably carried all important news northward from Anderson. and my ronte was lined with people daily asking for the latest news from the war. I carried the news of President Lincoln's assassination into Marion, and I can tell you it was a sorry task for me. People along the route became so excited that frequently men mounted horses and rode ahead of me for miles spreading the news to their neighbors.
"In coming through Alexandria that day a big soldier was oreu- pying the seat by my side. Upon reaching the main part of town } called out to the waiting erowd that I had sad news for them, impart- ing the information of the President's death. The words were scarcely uttered before a man in the crowd shouted, 'It should have been done long ago.'
"The Union soldier by my side looked at the man a minute, then crawled down from his seat, and, grabbing the citizen, fairly hissed into his car that he and several other passengers in the stage had just come from the South, where they had been very busy shooting such reptiles as he was, and that if he did not get down on his knees and apologize and give a loud yell for the dead president he would kill him in his tracks. The man fairly groveled in the dirt at the soldier's feet and gave a lusty hurrah, as instructed. This action undoubtedly saved his life."
Winslow continued his stage line until the Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan Railroad was built in 1875.
While the Society of Friends do not encourage war as a denomi- nation, but stand, instead, for peace and arbitration among nations. this strong Quaker locality contributed as many volunteers to the Union
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army as any other community in Indiana of similar population. Among the men who enlisted for the service during the Civil war were John B. Hollingsworth, Roland Smith, William Smith, Gilmore Hollingsworth, Wesley Hollingsworth, Leander Smith, Cyrus Hollingsworth, Robert Hastings, Samuel Puckett, Newton Lytle, Bird Lytle, Miles Lytle, Luke Lytle, Stanton Lytle, Henry Lytle, Thomas Lytle, Enoch Lytle, Elias Hliatt, Nelson Thomas, Thomas Payne, Ephraim Payne, John M. Payne, James J. Payne, George Thorn, John D. Lewis, Bailey S. Payne, Isaac Moore, William Newby, Thomas Wilson, Daniel Wilson, Foster Davis, Ilarvey Davis, Ar., Isaac Smithson, Lindsey Wilson, John Smithson, Jonathan Smithson, Judiah Smithson, Seth Smithson, Alexander Little; Thomas Little, Absolom Moore, Ichabod Smith, Newton Beals, Enoch Beals, Azel Little, Joseph Little, Zachariah Little, Frank Norton, George Norton, Harry Norton, Arthur Norton, Andrew Jackson Mann, Isom Mann, Elijah Moorman, Moses Ratliff, Zachariah Moorman, Isaac Moore, Hubbard Stanley, Elias Vaneammon, Cyrus Winslow, Hart Kauf- man, John Selby, John Newby, Thomas Heavenridge, Lewis Turner, George Turner, James Turner, Andrew Rhoades, Milion Crowell, Pom Crowell, Walker Crowell, William Simons, Hiram Simons, Edmund Duling, Wesley Payne, Walker Winslow, Alpheus Henley, Hiram A. Jones, J. F. Jones, Henry Winslow, Tobias Winslow, Leander Ballwin, Ilarrison Simons, Alfred Waldon, John Helton, Jacob McCoy, James l'ox, Tom Cox, Paul Williams, Blanche Hockett, Lee Schooley, Scott Brandon, William G. Lam, Nathan D. Cox, William S. Elliott, William Duling, John Duling, George Jones and Mike Mittank.
The following Fairmount township men enlisted during the Span ish-American war: Captain Allen D. Parker, Frank Deshon, Dr. Murt Woollen, Charles T. Payne, Burt W. Cox and Edgar M. Baldwin. John Hubert served in the war with Mexico.
In 1846 William Hall built and operated a tammery south of town on the land where J. W. Parrill's residence now stands. In 1853 Daniel Ridgeway started a tannery at the northeast corner of Second and Main streets. In 1856 Micah Baldwin purchased an interest of Ridgway, they operating the tammery until 1860, when Rariden Smith took over the interest of Ridgway. Baldwin and Smith conducted the business until 1576. In this year William Thomas bought Smith's interest and the enterprise was thereafter managed by Baldwin and Thomas. After dis- posing of his interests to his partners Ridgway started a tannery south- east of Fairmount, where John Caskey now lives. Nathan Little, who had been employed by Ridgway, in 1861 opened a tammery on East Washington street, where the wholesale poultry house now stands. Little displayed a lynx over his door as a sign. It had been killed by Billy Brewer on land now owned by Charley Allred, situated one mile and a half southeast of Fairmount. The Jynx was skinned and the hide stuffed with such skill and such attention to detail as to deceive the most experienced taxidermist. It attracted mich attention and com- ment in that day.
It required about a year of time to properly tan a cowhide. The skin was first placed in a lime vat. After it had remained in this vat for many weeks it was taken out and the hair removed with a scraping knife ; then to a vat of clean water, where the lime was thoroughly soaked ont, and then through a succession of vats containing hen manure, weak oak ooze, strong oak ooze, this process being continued until the hide was thoroughly tanned and turned over to the finishing room where an application of "dubbin" was put on, one side blacked and dressed and made ready for the market. The hair was saved and sold to put in mortar for plastering.
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Oak bark, called tan-bark, was plentiful in those days. Farmers would peel this bark off of trees and cord it up to dry. When thoroughly dried out it was hauled in and found a ready cash market, the price ranging from $3 to $+ per cord. At the tanyard it was corded up under sheds so as to be kept perfectly dry, when it was taken to the bark mill located in the upper floor, known as the grinding room. In the center of this room was a large iron hopper, something near three feet in diameter at the top and eighteen or twenty inches at the bot- tom, and three feet deep. Inside was a succession of iron teeth, and there was fitted in the hopper another iron small in proportional size and iron teeth titted on it. This hopper was used to grind the tan- bark into a fine powder. It was operated by a large beam, to which was attached one horse going about in a circle. This mill was usually run by a boy, generally the proprietor's son. His work was to get the bark up into the mill and with a wooden mallet break the bark over the edge of the hopper in small pieces, two or three inches in size. After being ground the powder fell below in another room and from there was wheeled out in a wheelbarrow to the yard and placed in the vats. The tannery was for that day an important institution. It was head- quarters in war times for men who were interested in the issues of the day. Abolitionists especially would meet here and discuss the slavery question, and the possibilities of freeing the slaves. It was a stopping place for refugees, both white and colored, and for a time was the center of interest for people from miles around it. It was in 1863 that Thomas Harvey, one of the prominent abolitionists of his day, suddenly died in the finishing room while discussing the importance and magnitude of the slavery question, and the probable outeomne of the Civil war.
James Cammack in 1848 built a saw mill on the ground now owned by W. P. Van Arsdall, southeast corner of Washington and Mill streets. Cammack had been induced by Iredell and Elizabeth Rush to come 10 Fairmount. They had been neighbors in Wayne county, Indiana. In 1857 the saw mill was owned by Albert and Allen Dillon, Jonathan P. Winslow later purchased the mill of the Dillons, and a grist mill was started in connection. The two occupied a Frame building, the grist mill using the lower floor and the saw mill the upper one. In 1870 .I. N. Wheeler & Company purchased the property of Winslow, and it was for many years successfully operated by J. N. Wheeler and George W. Butler, his father-in-law, under the firm name of J. N. Wheeler & ( ompany.
In August, 1860, occurred the first real excitement that the people of the sparsely settled community had known. The boiler in a grist mill exploded, scattering fragments of iron, brick and timbers in every direction. The mill, which was located on the west side of Mill street, in the rear of where Pet Lemon's house now stands, had been built a few years before by Clayton and Isaac Stanfield and Thomas bythe. Ward MeNeir, of Anderson, known in that day as a trader, owned the mill. A man named Frank Brindle was the miller. John Brandon was the engineer and Hugh Finley was in charge of the mill. It appears that Brandon had neglected to keep the proper amount of water in the boiler, and the result of his carelessness was disastrous. The balance pea, weighing perhaps fifty pounds, was sent by the force of the ex- plosion to the creek bottom on Jonathan Baldwin's farm, a distance of a quarter of a mile. A piece of the boiler was blown west of the creek bottom on Daniel Thomas' farm. John Smith; who was passing by at the time in a wagon with his son, William Smith, was struck in the head by a piece of briek. and the sight of one eye was temporarily destroyed. Dr. Elliott was summoned to take care of Smith, the physician extract-
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ing partieles of bone and brick from Smith's face. George Doyle con- dneted a grocery store in a frame building located at the northeast corner of Mill and Adams streets. A fragment of the debris passed through the building, leaving a hole in its path eighteen by twenty-four inches square. The mill was so completely demolished that it was never rebuilt.
In 1865 there were 495 children in Fairmount township of school age. The amount of tuition fund drawn during the year was $908.98. In 1875 the number of chiklren of school age was 445. Amount of tuition fund drawn during this year was $1,353.68. The tuition fund increased in ten years $444.70. In 1876 there were 447 children en- rolled in the Fairmount township schools, 264 males and 183 females. The average daily attendance was 283. In this year there were eight school districts and nine teachers, six male and three female. The salary of the teachers, per day, was $2.18 for male teachers and $2.02 for female teachers. The mimber of days taught during the year was 75. There were two brick and six Frame schoolhouses, having an estimated value of $5,000 and $100 worth of apparatus.
The census of 1860 shows that Fairmount township had a popula- tion of 1,306, two colored. In 1870 the census shows a population of 1,573, 1,543 natives, 30 foreigners; 1,520 white and 53 colored.
The taxable property of the township in 1876 amounted to $563,325 In 1876 140 votes were cast in the township for the different can- didates for president, of which mumber Rutherford B. Hayes received 296; Samuel J. Tilden, 121, and Peter Cooper, 23.
Mike Beck and Benny Adams hauled freight Trom Anderson in the early day, this being their occupation in 1860 to 1865. Beek brought the remains of the first Union soldier home from the war on the cold New Year in 1864. The body was left at the residence of John Smith. As some indication of the severe weather it is stated that this was the first time in his career that Walker Winslow left his harness on his horses all night, for fear that they would be so stiff From freezing as to make it impossible to harness the horses the next day.
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