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 93
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
old records as to how much time and effort were given to dealing with offenders. Following are some samples of complaints:
"For departing from plainness, endeavoring to justify Theself therem, and for neglecting the attendance of om religions meine. " For violently striking his father, and for leaving his father , holt. in an abrupt manner. " "Drinking liquor to excess, and makine ux of unbecoming language." " Violating the order of society so far as to be guilty of making use of the plural language to a single person and endeavoring to justify himself therein. " Endeavormg to defrand Ins neighbor, and for making contradictory statements. Using profane langnage, and For dancing." " Withholding just debts and refusing to settle with his creditors." "Using innmoral and scandalous conversa tion." which was amended to read Using inmoral and unbecoming conversation." "Going with others to a neighbor's house in the mohl. and endeavoring to kill his dog by shooting at him." " Taking an illegal method to procure a piece of land from the government, for making misrepresentations concerning it, and for casting unbecoming reflections on his friends." " For marrying her first cousin." " For reading to give a correct statement of lis taxable property, and for making musrep Presentations concerning the same." " For furnishing hands in his employ with spiritnous liquors as an article of drink." For being areused of telling an untruth and refusing to face hor aceusers. " For not observing justice in dealing," was the complaint filed against a prominent and worthy minister. He made a written offering to the next meeting, which was not satisfied with it and did not accept it. A month later he condemned his conduct, and was restored to fellon ship and the full confidence of his brethren.
A very large number of complaints were made for violating the rules of the church concerning marriage. The writer had the privilege recently of looking through the records of West Branch Monthly Meet ing at West Milton. Ohio, dating back to 1807. At the close of one of the volumes the recorder, Luke Smith Mote, now in his grave after a long and useful life, wrote the following for future generations to read: " Forty disownments recorded in this volume for outgoing mar riages as it was termed, marrying contrary to Friends order part of them connected with some other items of complaint Frequently looking over these old records, we discover many disownments for unimportant things-not attending meetings regularly, marrying outside the church, not dressing plain, nsing unBible language, ungranmatical as it was. efe. These Quakers did not look ahead and see the future prosperity of the church."
Most people now would agree with Luke Smith Mote, and it sino, strange that the Friends of those days did not see some of the mis takes that look so plain today. While this denomination leads all others today in this county as to the number of members and the number of churches, it is easy to believe the number would have been twice as large had the items of marriage and dress and address not been car ried to such an extreme. But while there may have been mistakes on these lines, there is revealed a high standard of character held aloft as a Christian ideal to which the membership made earnest efforts to attain. There were high and noble purposes to have a church mem- bership that is honest, upright, honorable, pure, and singh-hearted, wholly free from hypocrisy and double dealing, and which would make the highest order of citizenship for any country, and This is the character of the Friends who became such a large and important factor in the settlement of Grant county. It best becomes us to pass over their mis- takes with charity, remembering that we too are making mistakes, and
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future generations may need to exercise even more thanly tomed dy for blunders that we do not see in ourselves.
In order to show more clearly the method used in Ho which ment of new meetings, a few examples are given. A request was put sented to Mississinewa Monthly Meeting December 12, 1532. from the Friends at Back Creek "for their indulged meeting to be established, also the privilege of holding a Preparative Meeting among themselves." John Thomas, Ephraim Overman, Jesse Small. William Ballinger, Lydia Lamb, Polly Overman, Charity Benbow and Giney Ballinger Were ap pointed as a committee to visit the indulged meeting at Back Creek and report their judgment as to whether the Friends " were capable of hold ing such meeting to the honor of truth." This committee made a favor able report to the next Monthdy Meeting, which forwarded the request to New Garden Quarterly Meeting. In the following Jine that meeting reported " that it had granted the request of the Friends of Back Creek
OLD BACK CREEK FRIENDS MEETING HOT-1.
for an establishment of their meeting, and the privilege of holding a Preparative Meeting amongst themselves."
On November 20, 1537, was received a request from Back Creek Preparative requesting "the privilege of holding a Monthly Meeting amongst themselves on the third Seventh day in each month to be known by the name of Back Creek Monthly Meeting, " and the record adds "which this meeting takes nofier of and appoints Isaac Elliott, David Hiatt, George Shugart, Thomas Symons, John Thomas, Barnaba Bogue, Susannah Schooley, Susannah Shugart, Giney Ballinger and Polly Overman to visit said meeting and inspect into their capability of holding such a meeting to the honor of truth." The committee re- ported favorably, the request was forwarded to New Garden Quarterly Meeting and that body reported in June that Back Creek Monthly Meeting should be opened on "the third Seventh Day in Seventh Month." According to the minutes of Back Creek Monthly Meeting. the first volume of which is still well preserved, that meeting was opened on Saturday, July 21, 1838. On the minutes of Mississinewa Monthly Meeting, held two days later, is a record of some significance which informs us that " This meeting being deprived of a clerk by the setting off of Back Creek Monthly Meeting. Eli Overman is appointed clerk
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for the day." The person referred to is Thomas Winslow, Father of the late Nixon and David Winslow. He had been serving some time as clerk of Mississmowa, and was appointed the first clerk of Back Crock Monthly Meeting.
It was about this time that the Friends at Jonesboro thought they ought to have a meeting, or rather a little before, for we read in clan nary, 1537, that " Friends living near the mouth of Back Creek request the privilege of an indulged meeting, by the name of Hopewell, and to be attached to Back Creek Preparative Meeting." The committee ap- pointed to consider the request reported two months later, and the meeting approved their "judgment that the time has not yet come to grant their request." Another request was made November 19, 1838, of both Mississinewa and Back Creek Monthly Meetings, and the record of the former is given to show the quaintness of its style. "Some of our members near Jonesburgh in conjunction with some of the members of Back Creek Monthly Meeting request the privilege of holding a meeting of indulgence on First and Fourth days except on Fourth day of Preparative Meeting week on a lot of land in the fork of the road wear Jonesburgh, said meeting to be known by the name of Centre. " On the records of Back Creek the name is spelled Jonesborough. The request was granted and the meeting was opened December 26, 1838, and almost exactly three years later Centre Preparative Meeting was established. It seems that it must have been about this time that a postoffice was established at Jonesboro by the name of Centre, for in 1538 Aaron till is reported as the correspondent of Back Creek Monthly Meeting, his postoffice being Marion. In 1811 it is reported that his postoffice has been changed to Centre. In 1852 Jesse E. Wilson Is reported as the correspondent of Back Crock Monthly Meeting and that his address is Grant P. O., Grant county, Indiana. afterwards changed to Fairmount. About this time Back Creek Monthly Meeting began holding its sessions alternately at Jonesboro and Back Creek, and has so continued to the present time.
It has been shown how rapidly emigrating friends arrived and made settlement. A prominent citizen of Marion, not a Friend, speaking publicly in a meeting not long since, said: " At one time the Friends owned all the farms from Marion by way of Jonesboro to Fairmount, and they had the best improved farms, orchards, houses, barns horses, and cattle in the county. If anybody wanted apples or peaches, or any other good thing of farm production, it could always be obtained of the Friends. The townships in which the Friends settled were always in advance of the others. " A similar testimony was given by a colored man who was born in this county in 1857 -. They had big red barns, fat horses and plenty of apples and peaches. We could always get meat and other provisions of them without money. They would say: "There can work some time and pay for it that way.' They looked after the poor and needs. They came often and visited our school, and they would take notice as to whether we needed clothing or shoes, and then they would ask the teacher, 'Whose boy is that ?' In a few days they would come to our home and bring us some needed article, such as shoes, or some piece of clothing that always came bandy and made us happy. Those were days when we didn't have Inxuries, and we ate corn bread all the week days, and had wheat bread only on Sundays and when visitors came. The Friends were a great and good people. My oldest brother and I were both named for Friends, and that shows what my parents thought of them."
The late Asa T. Baldwin, assisted by his wife, Mary T. Baldwin, and Mrs. Elizabeth Overman, in confirmation of what has been said that
IHISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
Friends occupied all the land From Mation to | .. from a prounbent citizen of Marion (E. L, Golfball the Following names of persons just as this 11 lived on both sides of the river and a one the tu .. 1 ,11
to Jonesboro, and then on to Patroon
man, Joab Wright, John Schooley, Joseph the 1. Joel Overman, sob O. Davis, John Them. 1 Jesse Smith, Isame day Isaac Elliott, Sr. I.s.
Arnold, Bailey, Pearson, Simon Thomas, Jesse Spadl
Reuben Elliott. Exam Slott William Miatt Dann day. .
.1 1 aday, Timothy Kelly. Obadiah Jones, Jonn Coppod. Evan Tien Pemberton, John Benbow, Joseph Ill. Abira Ballo in
Thần
Daniel Winslow. Aaron Hill Henry Harvey Je gr Wi, Winslow, Matthew Winslow, William R. Parce. R.o hal .r. M. : d. 0 1-15-1891 Winslow, Jesse Dillon. Nathan Morris, and Samuel Rach, . nul to men tion others who lived at Mation, Deer Creek, Jo choro Bach ( fel ABC. a. B.walkaOak Ridge and Fairmount. . The Two exceptions wrote falch Smith and John Russell, south of Joneshoras.
In the year 1539, when the Friends of Back Urek vet about 1. build the big brick meeting house, this old church & shown in a photo graph, that stood till recent years they made a ratio of apportion ment, which is interesting as showing who were the pring member al that time, and their financial ratings. Under an assessment of four and a half per cent were placed, Salomon Knight. Mattina Wm low, Asom Newby. Nathan Morris and Jaron Will. The per cent. Jan than Wileutts, Joseph Winslow. Charles Baldwin, Danien Baldwin Timothy Kelly, Fredell Rush David Stanteld, Thatis Hares Amaziah Beeson. Two and a half per cent, Lewis low - and Sele Wa . low. Two per cent, Evan Hinshaw, Thomas Winslow
Henry Winslow, and And Peacock. One and three fourths per oort James Scott and Dougan Rush. Om and one leif pere nt. Mira an Newby, Lindsey Baldwin, William Oshorn, Charles Himthat. Thomas Hall, William Peacock, Dannel Frazier, Benjamin Bonbons Mation r. and Job Jackson. One per cent, Peter Rich. Wilham Stanfield, . Wilson, David S. Stanfield, Henry Winslow, John Harley. It Hai h; Jonathan Jones. Nathan Hammer, Ehas Baldwin Joseph Baldwin Henry Harvey and Isaac Stanfield. One half per cent, John Rich. Allen Wright, Nathan Wilson, John Lee, Charles Stanfald and John Peacock. Let it be remembered in connection with all these Hamis a heads of families, that this is only fourteen years after the best while family had settled in Grant county
As we have been trying to show who were some of the Friends in addition to many named at the beginning who settled in Grant county a Few of very many whose church membership was received by frans fer as the years passed will now be given. In the year IND were received the following: Thomas Harris and Mary. his wife with their children John S .. Noah, George Davis, Obadiah, Zachariah, Saris and Mary. David and Newton Harris were born into this family after their arrival Joseph and Sarah Ratliff, and their children, John, Cornelius. Millicent and Mary. Obadiah Jones (commonly spoken of as the Founder of Jonesboro) and An, his wife, and their children, David Winston, Al jah Foster, Robert Barclay, Enoch Pearson, Jonathan Harris, Martha Ann and Jemima. James day and Lydia, his wife and their children. Jesse, Richard, John, Isaiah, Wilham, Lavina, Mary and Susannah, and Mrs. Sarah Jay Gordon of das City has been born since then. John " and Rachel Coppork, and their daughters Mary and Susannah, and two sons, Joel and Clarkson, of Jonesboro, have been born siner. In 19.30.
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
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Jolm and Rachel Allen and daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Thomas and Martha Winslow and children, Milton, Nixon, John, Nancy. Millicent and Lydia. Evan and Margaret Benbow, then daughter, Ann and their apprentice, Anderson Hoggatt. John Pentaton and Susann d. h> wife, and their children, Lemmel, Joel and Sophia ; other chalch a barn since are Elihm W .. Cyrus, Jesse K . Anna and Mary, the latter being at present a prominent minister known as Mary Moon Meredith In 1837. James and Any Scott, the parents of Mrs. Amos Boogers Henry Rittenhouse, Addison and O. R. Scott, all at Fairmount, and Rev. Stephen Scott, now in Oklahoma. Lewis Thomas and Lydia his wife, and children, Amos. Lewis, Rachel, Sarah and Agnes, David Stan field and Elizabeth, his wife, and then children. David S .. Chanhs. Isaac, Samuel, Vernon. Elijah and Lydia Jane. Mary Wilson and har minor children. Jesse, Nathan, Cyrus, Henry. Micajah, John, Malin, Lindsey. Samuel (. Namey, Elizabeth, Eliza and Angail. In IS Wells and An Davis, and their children, Clarkson, BUbrood and Lattey In Isi, Jesse and Martha Smith. and their eloldren. Ephraim, Mary, Isaac R. and Wilham 1. In 1850, Isaac Jay, a minister, and Rhoda his wife, and their mmor children. Allen. Milton, Walter Danny, Abijah Cooper, and Mary Elizabeth. In 1553, Richard and Susannah Gordon and their children, Mahala, Nathan and Phone M. loim atal Rebecca Ferrer and their son Alvin. Evan, Lydia, Wilham E .. Charles and John D. Ferree were all born in Grant county. Mary Hockett and minor children, Heury N. and Barclay. Sarah Hockett, Esther Hester and son Amos Leroy. In 1851. Seth Gordon. In Is ... Maldon and Zalpha . . ... Harvey and children, Emmeline. Milton and Enos. les e Wright and Charity, his wife and their children. Phele Ann, Janina Ruth Petr 8- - 5-13:00 Harmon, Matilda Margaret, John M., Mary Evaline and Racha ) \ b line.
What a long biography would be written if the descendants of all these should be mentioned with a brief account of their eventful lives. Among them are eminent doctors, lawyers, editors, preachers, county officers and farmers, and representative of the best people to lu found anywhere. Many things could be said of them that would make inter esting reading, but time forbids. One incident, however, will be men tioned. Of those mentioned as coming in 1853, Esther Hester, Sarah Hockett, Henry N. Hockett and Barclay Hockett were all the children of Mary Hockett, whose husband Jonathan Hockett, came also, but he was not a member at that time, but later became a member. Below the coming of this family, Jonathan Hoekett and his son in-law. AAmo, Ies ter (husband of Esther came to see about the purchase of land to which they might move their families from Clinton county, Ohio. While here. Amos Hester became very ill and died, and was buried at Back Creek As there were no railroads or tel graphs, nor any mode of travel except by the slow methods of horse and wagon, Esther Hester receival no word that she was a widow till her father returned home after the burial of her husband, and gave her the sad news. She and her only sou. Amos Leroy, accompanied her father's family, and they settled about two miles west of Jonesboro, where after a short time her son also was taken and she was doubly bereaved. After some time her sister, Sarah Hockett, married Robert Wimpy, and after she had become the mother of two sons, died, and Esther Hester, who had been bereaved of both husband and son, became a mother to her sister's sons and raised them to man- hood. One of them was taken by a sad accident a few years ago, and the other is well known by the name of Asa N. Wimpy, who has been one of the efficient clerical forer at the First National Bank of Marion sey- eral years.
The first house of worship has already been described. All houses
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
that were built before 1870 were constructed on the same por, sembed built of logs, Frame or brick. This plan provided for Urilorelle of the Building to be approximately twice its width with a proyou in (b middle dividing it into two square roots of equal sto door of entrance at the middle of each room, so, that as ump would 00 the building From the side, there would be two doors in vai, Some things there would be doors exactly opposite on the other side. Nearly always there were doors, also, one at each end, so the building had either four or six doors of entrance, either two or three doors of outside auffahr . into each room. Windows were put in both sides and ends, generally small in size and placed at considerable height from the floor In the State arrangements the two rooms were exact duplicates of each other. The main aisle extended from the door of entrance in the side of the build ing through to the wall, or door, it one had been provided then. of the opposite side, and so was in the middle of the room. On each side of this aisle beaches of equal length were played, the opposite wind of our sel extending clear to the end wall of the building without an aisle ney to the wall: and the opposite end of the other set extending cheat to the partition without an aisle next to the partition. There was also an aish extending from the door at the end through a door in the partition to the door at the other end. This aisle was between the ' Having sats." usually two or three, but sometimes four in number, and the arts for the congregation, so the ministers, elders, overseers of others who sat in the "facing seats," or gallery as it was also called could look across this aisle into the faces of the congregation whos handle , faire the gallery. The gallery benches were elevated rach about right to twelve inches above the one in front, so that as the congregation I. skal into the gallery. it could see three or four ruas of elderly people with a little higher than the other. The partition had sliding "shutters" in pairs, one moving upward from below, and the other moving down ward from above, and meeting at the middle of the opening in the par tition, ropes and pulleys being so arranged that both move I at oner to pulling npon the upper one. At the beginning of a Monthly, or Quarterly Meeting, these shutters were always open, and looked like windows portholes in the partition. The men were seated in one room and the Women in the other. The ministers, elders and other elderly people sat in the galleries, and the ordinary members and young people occupied the benches that faced the other way. First there was the merting for worship, which continued about an hour, in which in the earlier days there were long periods of silence, and, at intervals, there would he a prayer, a sermon or alt exportation. While these came offener from those who sat in the galleries, they were also given by others down in the congregation. A certain man who was assigned a kind of semi official position called "head of the meeting." always sat on the upper gallery bench next to the partition, unless visiting ministers were present. With they would be given the seats tres to the partition, and the "hond" would take his place farther down. It has sometimes occurred at Quart orly Meetings that enough visiting ministers were present to fill the entire upper bench, but this did not occur often. There was also a "head" to the women's meeting, and she sat on the upper bench Best to the partition on the women's side, so the two "heads" sat at the mid die of the building with the partition between them. But when the shul- fers were open and the two meetings were as one, then the man was the head, and the woman did not assume such a place, only when the women were separated from the men. When he thought the time of worship had continued long enough, he would arise and say something like the following: " If Friends' minds are now free, perhaps it is now
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HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
time to proceed with the business of the meeting." After a comment of waiting. a man for each pair of shutters eight or ten in number as happened to be seated along the partition in a convenient place. would arise, all at the same time, cach pulling an upper shutter down. and automatically the lower would come up, and the partition was com pletely closed between the men and women. It was always an inter esting operation to see, and the young people especially enjoyed the amusing separation that came so suddenly. As there were no ankes Best to the partition, the young men and women were separated only by the thickness of the partition, and there was many a peek a boo glaire es changed from the opposite sides, as the shutters closed and ent of the last look, which. with the looks that were given during the hour of wor ship, were not always free from a romantie flavor. And it can not well be doubted that often a "match" resulted from the significant looks that shot through the shutters.
When the old log meeting house used by Mississinewsa Meting and which has already been described, was thought to be no longer ade pdate to the needs, a committee appointed to make plans for a new holding made the following report, which was approved by the Monthly V . ing in December, 1886: "The committee appointed to procure a sile for a meeting house and to devise a plan for said house, have contracted with Eli Overman for four acres of land in the southeast corner of the tract on which he resides, at the price of ils per avere, and we propose that the trustees be directed to sell so much of the present tract as lies south and east of the graveyard, which we suppose to be almut Jour aeres. for which we have ascertained that the price of slo per acre can be had.
"We propose building a house of hewn logs fifty two by twenty six fert, raised twelve feet in the wall, covered with walnut shingles, the gallery constructed with two rising seats. the floor so inclined as to raise the seats from the middle of the hous . back, the interstices m the wall to be well stopped with lime-mortar, finished off with good doors and back benches. We further propose that the greeting of said house be referred to Mississinewa Preparative Meeting.
"Signed in behalf of the committer, John Shugart."
In July, 1837, a change in the plan was adopted, as shown in the following minute: "Mississinewa Preparative Meeting proposes that the plan proposed for building a meeting house he changed from a log building to a frame, with which this meeting unites."
In November, 1837, it is recorded that Mississinewa Preparative Meeting "informs that the house referred to its care to build is in such a state of forwardness that our best Monthly Meeting may be held therein, on which this meeting concludes to meet in said house at the time of holding next meeting." By this it appears that this house. which still stands as a part of the Snodgrass sanitarium, was first used in December, 1537, and the log meeting house by the cemetery was no longer needed.
In July, 1839, Joseph Winslow, Axum Newby, Iredel Rush. Jonathan Wileutis. David Hiatt, David Stanfield, Obadiah Jones, Charles Bald- win, Thomas Hill and Aaron Hill, as a committee appointed for the purpose, reported the plan for what seemed to be a mammoth meet- ing house, the old brick building erected by Back Creek Monthly Meet ing, for which the ratio of apportionment already given, was made. It is as follows: "The house forty by eighty to be built of brick, the wall eighteen inches thick, twelve feet From floor to door, to sink eighteen inches below the level of the ground and to be set on a stone founda- tion ; three gallery seats to raise nine inches each : the back part start-
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