USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 17
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41
Jackson-Beginning on the township line dividing townships 14 and 15 at the northeast corner of section 4, township 14, range 10; thence west along said township line to the northwest corner of section 3, township 14, range 9; thence south to the southwest corner of section 22 in said last named township and range ; thence east to the southeast corner of section 21, township 14, range 10; thence north on a line to the beginning.
Anderson-Beginning on the southern line of the county of Rush where the line dividing sections 27 and 28, township 12, range 10 south, intersects the same; thence west with the county line to the line dividing sec- tions 27 and 28, township 12, range 9; thence north with said line to the northwest corner of section 3, in the same township and range,; thence west to the southwest corner of section 34 in township 13, range 9; thence north with
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the west line to the northwest corner of said section 34; thence due east to a point where the section line intersects the halfway line dividing range 10, at the northeast corner of section 33, township 13, range 9, north: thence south along said halfway line dividing range 10 to the place of beginning.
Union-Beginning on the line dividing the counties of Rush and Fayette at a point where the congressional township line dividing townships 14 and 15 intersects said line: thence west along the southern line of Wash- ington township to the northwest corner of section 3, township 14, range 10: thence due south to the southeast corner of section 22. township 14, range 10; thence east to the center of said section : thence south to the congres- sional township line dividing congressional townships 13 and 14: thence east along said township line to where the same intersects the line dividing the counties of Rush and Fayette: thence along the county line to the place of beginning.
Orange-Beginning at the southwest corner of the county on the boundary line between Rush and Shelby counties : thence north along the said line to the northwest corner of section 34, township 13, range 8; thence east to the range line dividing ranges S and 9; thence south with said range line to the northwest corner of section 31, township 13, range 9; thence cast along the northern line of sections 31, 32 and 33 to where said line intersects the western line of Anderson township: thence south along the western line of Anderson township to the southern line of said county of Rush ; thence west along the county line to the place of beginning.
Posey-Beginning on the western line of said county at the southwest corner of section 34, township 14, range 8: thence north along the county line to where the said line intersects the township line dividing townships 14 and 15: thence cast along said township line to the northeast corner of section 4. township 14, range 9; thence south to
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the southeast corner of section 33, same township and range, thence west to where the line intersects the bound- ary line of said county at the place of beginning.
To those familiar with the township map of the county the "jogs" in the line separating Jackson and Union townships and the lines separating Rushville town- ship from Union and Noble townships may appear inex- plicable at this date and no doubt many have been the inquiries as to the reasons which actuated the commis- sioners in thus apportioning the townships in question. These "jogs" were created for purely personal reasons to gratify the wishes of certain landowners in Union township to have their lands listed in Jackson township and of certain landowners in Rushville township to be similarly listed in Noble township and it was thus that the labors of the mapmakers were increased after the apportionment of 1859.
RUSH COUNTY'S FIRST ELECTION
The first election held in the county was on April 27, 1822, the commissioners having ordered an election to be held in each of the six original townships for the pur- pose of electing two justices of the peace from each town- ship. The polling places were designated, as well as inspector for each, as follows: Noble township, at the house of Thomas Sailor, Richard Hackleman, inspector; Richland township, at the house of Manes Henderson, Jesse Morgan, inspector; Orange township, at the house of Reuben Farlow, Charles Fullin, inspector; Union township, at the house of Richard Blackledge, George Hittle, inspector: Washington township, at the house of Richard Thornbury, John Lower, inspector ; Ripley town- ship, at the house of John Montgomery, Montgomery McCalb, inspector. At their first meeting, the commis- sioners made further appointments and regulations. Superintendents for the school section (section 16) in each of the seven original townships, and the men
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appointed to act in their respective townships, were Sam- nel Danner, Henry Sadoras, George Taylor, Christian Clymer, P. H. Patterson, JJohn Parker, and Nathan Julian. James MeManis was appointed to be the first county treasurer, and the first allowance out of the treas- ury was made at the second meeting when Benjamin Sailors was allowed $25 for listing the property of the county for the year 1825, he being appointed lister of property. The question of roads also came np at the first meeting of the commissioners and three road review- ers were named, J. D. Conde, JJacob Oldinger, and John Cook.
The second meeting of the commissioners was held at the house of John Lower on May 10, 1822, and property assessments were the most important business transacted. These were fixed for the year as follows: On each male over twenty-one years of age, 50 cents: for every horse. mare, mule or ass, over three years old, 371/2 cents ; every yoke of oxen, over three years old, 25 cents per head; every four-wheel pleasure carriage, etc., $1.25 ; every two- wheel carriage, $1.00; every gold watch, 50 cents; every silver watch, 20 cents. At this meeting tavern rates were fixed at what now seem to have been comparatively low figures, for example, whisky, half pint. 1212 cents ; meals, 25 cents : bed 614 cents : corn or oats, 1215 cents a gallon ; horse standing at hay over night, 1834 cents.
At a special meeting of the board of commissioners held on June 17, 1822, at the house of Dr. William B. Langhlin, the commissioners appointed by the enabling act fixed the seat of justice at Rushville, and Conrad Sailors was appointed county agent. He was instructed to lay the land donated off into town lots, and to advertise their sale in the Indianapolis and Brookville papers for July 29, 1822. The town was named Rushville in honor of Dr. Benjamin Rush, as was the county, and the plan of the plat was to be the same as that of Connersville, in the neighboring county of Fayette, but with one addi-
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RUSH COUNTY'S SECOND COURT HOUSE
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tional street to pass the public square; this latter clause, by the way, ever having been regarded as quite an improvement over the plan of Connersville and as a decided advantage in thus giving access to the court house from four sides instead of but three. The public square was to be placed on or near the line dividing sections 5 and 6, township 13, range 10 east. The commissioners were allowed $97 for their services. The order for the clearing of the public square and the adjacent streets is as follows :
"Conrad Sailors, Agent, Rush county. Order to clear Public Square and adjoining streets.
"State of Indiana, Rush County, ss.
"To the Agent of Rush county, greeting: You are hereby commanded to sell out to the lowest bidder the public square in Rushville and the adjoining streets, for the purpose of clearing and removing all timber, under- wood and brush of whatsoever nature. You shall also bind the undertaker in a bond, with security for the faith- ful performance of his contract; the same to be completed before the last day of January next. You will give two weeks notice of said sale-the sale to commence on the first Saturday in December next. By order of the Board of Rush County Commissioners.
R. THOMPSON, Clerk.
Witness : ROBERT THOMPSON, this 20th day of November, 1822."
JAIL PRECEDES COURT HOUSE
While court and commissioners' meetings were for a few years held in the houses of private citizens, which could readily accommodate them at first, there was immediate necessity for a jail in which to confine male- factors and debtors, and steps were accordingly taken to build one. This first jail was built by Richard Hackle- man and was accepted by the commissioners at their November meeting in 1823. It was a two-story structure,
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
eight feet between the floors, and was built of hewed timbers. one foot square. It stood 14x18 feet on the ground, was lined on the first floor with two-inch planks, and the entrance was closed with iron shutters made of half-inch iron bars.
In the year 1824. the state legislature abolished the office of county commissioner. and in its stead created a board of justices, composed of one justice from each township. In accordance with this law, a board of justices was elected. as follows: William P. Priest, E. Leach, Amos Baldwin, Baton Halloway. Elisha Scoville. Daniel Cox. Richard Blackledge. Thomas Sailor, and Stephen Sims. But it was soon seen that this system of county government was not as practical as the board of county commissioners, and after it had operated for four years, was abolished by law in 1828, the counties going back to their old management.
In November, 1826, after having been three years in the process of construction, the first court house was completed. It was a two-story brick building with twenty- two inch walls. The first story was eighteen feet high, and the second, fourteen feet, the lower being divided into court and jury rooms, while the upper floor was divided into three rooms used for the county offices. The whole building was surmounted by a cupola, and was built by Reynold Cory at a cost of about $2,500.
The first court house and the first jail served the needs of the county for about twenty years, but at the end of that time neither was adequate. and steps were taken to build new ones. The jail was declared unsafe at the June term of the circuit court, 1845, and Royal P. Cobb was given a contract for the creation of a new prison and jailer's residence for the sum of $3,250. It was built on the east side of the public square. was made of stone, and was 20x20 feet and two stories high. The floors were laid of ent stone ten inches thick, and in addition the lower room was covered with sheet iron and the windows closed
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by heavy iron bars. The third jail, completed in 1862, is still in use but has undergone considerable expensive remodeling since its erection. Its original cost was $10,800.
ADDITIONAL COURT HOUSE HISTORY
Rush county's present prideful court house, widely recognized as one of the most adequate and beautiful public buildings in Indiana, was completed in 1898 and has in many ways confirmed the judgment of the commis- sioners who contracted for its erection. But in the interim between the erection of this fine modern edifice and the first modest court house, erected at a cost of $2,- 500, as noted above, there was a second court house which long served the needs of the county; for nearly half a century the life and the affairs of Rush county centered in it, a real community civic center.
The little old court house in which the county's busi- ness first was transacted stood the test of the times for about twenty years, at the end of which time the need of a new court house began to be agitated throughout the county. At a special term of the commissioners' court held on January 15, 1846, the board listened to arguments by county officials and leading citizens and arrived at a decision to erect a new court house. John L. Robinson, then county clerk, was authorized to secure plans and specifications from John Elder, an Indianapolis archi- tect, for a brick court house 50x80 feet, two stories in height, and at the succeeding March term Mr. Elder was given the contract at a stipulated figure of $12,000. The edifice was completed in March, 1848, and as noted above this building constituted for nearly fifty years the county's civic center. No better tribute of memory to this historic old building can be paid than that paid by the late John F. Moses, of excellent memory, who years ago wrote concerning it: "The old court room has echoed the voices of many eminent men and numerous notable trials
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were fought out there. It was the assembly room of the county and meetings of all kinds-religions, political, social, literary, musical, agricultural-were held in it. Questions of public interest were debated there. It wit- nessed many of the touching scenes of the war time, and after the war, at many a campfire,' stories of camp and battle moved the gathered crowds by turns to laughter and tears." The old court house, standing in the midst of a cluster of trees and surrounded by its iron fence and hitchrack, was a feature of the town until the spring of 1896, when it was torn down to make room for the present magnificent building.
Quoting further from Mr. Moses's all too brief " His- torical Sketch of Rush County," it is noted that "the order for the present court house was made on December 2. 1895, by Calvin B. Jones, Allen Hinchman and William W. Innis, commissioners. They also contracted on the same date with A. W. Rush & Son for plans and specifica- tions. Their action was strongly opposed and on Janu- ary 15, 1896, the board met to consider remonstrances which had been filed and to hear argument in favor of postponing the building of a court house until the hard times had passed. These they rejected and on March 5 let the contract to P. H. MeCormack & Co., at $157.143. A. L. Stewart was appointed engineer and superintendent. The old court house was at once torn down and work begum. During its progress the old Christian church at southwest corner of Second and Morgan streets, owned by the Knights of Pythias, was occupied by the county offices and for court purposes. The completed building was accepted by the commissioners on February 2, 1898. At night the splendid building was illuminated, all the electric lights being turned on. and crowds of citizens inspected its beauties. The next afternoon the county officers began moving in, County Treasurer H. C. Thomp- son being the first to occupy his new quarters. To pay for the building a temporary bond issue was made and paid
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off. Then followed two issues of court house bonds, one for $70,000, the other for $160,000, at 5 per cent. * * *
* The final cost, including extras, furniture, electric wiring, cement walks, sewer, power house, tunnel and connections, fees and remodeling the jail, was $257,385.38. After its completion, the board building it being com- posed of Republicans, the Democrats, made it an issue in the next two political campaigns, but without effecting any change in the usual result."
A WORD IN PASSING ON POLITICS
This reference to the injection of partisan politics into the question of erecting the court house recalls another paragraph of Mr. Moses's admirable "Sketch" in which it is noted that "Rush county people have always been strong partisans. County organization followed soon after the 'Missouri compromise' had been adopted in the vain hope of quieting the bitter controversy between slavery and anti-slavery factions. Locally, parties were pretty evenly divided at the next presidential election, that of 1824, between Jackson and Clay-the former polling 119 votes and the latter 108; fifteen were cast for Adams. During a period of sixteen years follow- ing the total vote increased to 1,914 and the Democratic majority to 420. But the memorable campaign of 1840 carried the county into the Whig column, Harrison receiv- ing a majority of 356 over VanBuren out of a total of 2,696 votes. It remained there for twelve years, until 1856, the birthyear of the Republican party, when Buch- anan had forty-one plurality over Fremont, the total vote being 3,414. The people of Rush county studied national politics with special reference to the slavery question dur- ing the four years' Kansas-Nebraska struggle which ensued, and, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. anxiously watched the country drift toward civil war. The quarrel was between North and South and probably a decisive majority of the men of Rush county had South-
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ern blood in their veins-a fact which adds to the interest in the vote which reflected their political sentiments. In 1860 Breckenridge and Johnson, ultra Southern candi- dates. received only 476 votes: Douglas and Johnson. 1,119; Lincoln and Hamlin. 1.757. and Bell and Everett. 35. In public meetings held after the secession movement had clearly revealed its purposes, resolutions were adopted by both parties. The Republicans pointed to 'the constitution as it is and the laws now in force' as a remedy for existing conditions and expressed a willing- ness 'to support any arrangement of compromise that may be acceptable to the country, which may be com- patible with our honor, our principles and integrity.' The Democrats 'deprecated a government maintained by the sword, or Union held together by the bayonet.' and regarded all persons 'in favor of coercion as dangerous persons to be entrusted with power, as unfriendly to the Union and disloyal to her best interests.' As the war progressed Mr. Lincoln's principles and methods were more and more bitterly denounced. In 1876 the Demo- erats elected their county ticket, although Haves received a plurality of 266 votes over Tilden. Rush county did not change in the campaign of 1884, when Cleveland and Hen- dricks were elected, but gave Blaine and Logan a plural- ity of 384. This county was profoundly moved by the 'free silver campaign' of 1896. With one accord all the people became ardent students of dry and abstract qnes- tions relating to money and finance and the crowds of debaters fiercely threshing them over were a street feature day and night. Pluralities have been more or less affected by local issues, but during the past thirty years [written in 1907] the Republicans have elected their can -. didates with few exceptions."
Supplemental to the above it may be added that the Progressive movement of 1912 modified the vote in Rush county as follows: Wilson, 2,312 votes; Taft, 1.931 ; Roosevelt, 1,075. In 1920 the vote was Harding, 6,113:
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Cox, 4,513. In this latter year the normal vote of the county was increased approximately 100 per cent by the accession of the women to the ballot, this being the first year of Federal female suffrage by constitutional amend- ment, the total vote for presidental electors being 10,804.
COUNTY OFFICERS
In a preceding chapter relating to the bench and bar of Rush county mention has been made of those county officers who are classed as officers of the court, including the judges, prosecuting attorneys, clerks and sheriffs and further mention along these lines here is not required. The other officers of the county in the order of their service, from the beginning, are as follows :
Commissioners-Amaziah Morgan, Jehu Perkins, John Julian, George Hittle, Adam Conde, Daniel Stiers, Daniel Smith, Samuel Jackson, Samuel Culbertson, Peter Looney, John Walker, George Mull, John W. Barber, Martin Hood, O. H. Neff, T. M. Thompson, H. B. Hill, James R. Patton, John Carr, Richard J. Hubbard, Dan- iel Wilson, Joseph Peck, W. Markey, Elisha Prevo, John A. Boyd, William Roberts, David Sutton, John Black- lidge, David Q. Spahn, I. W. Irvin, Joseph Amos, John Hinchman, Jabez Reeve, Perry Boys, Joseph Florea, Hiram A. Tribbey, James Innis, Joseph Overman, James Hinchman, James A. Rankin, John T. Gregg, Horace H. Elwell, Eli Buell. Augustus Miller, Robert A. Hudelson, James B. Kirkpatrick. Robert N. Hinchman, John W. Ferree, Andrew B. English, Henry Hungerford, William L. Walker, Benjamin L. McFarlan, Samuel R. Patton. William A. Posey, James M. Wikoff, Allen Hinchman, Calvin B. Jones, William W. Innis, Marquis L. Sisson, John H. Frazee, Winfield S. Thompson, Willard H. Amos, Charles H. Lyons, Charles H. Kelso, Thomas H. Humes, Merrill S. Ball, John E. Harrison, George H. Bell, William T. Moore, Edson L. Aiken, John T. Bowles, Pleasant A. Newhouse, Harry Gosnell, Samuel Young.
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Recorders-William Junken. Charles H. Veeder. Job Pugh, Finley Bigger, Isaac Conde. A. Stone. Daniel M. Kinney. John H. Brown. John H. Osborne. Charles O. Nixon. Ernest B. Thomas, Edmund B. Lowden. Clell Maple. Charles J. Brooks, Chester Peck. Howard Camp- bell.
Treasurers-James McManis, Reu Pugh, William H. Martin. Samuel Davis. Thomas Wallace. George W. Brann. B. B. Talbott, Reu Pugh. Joel F. Smith. Jacob Beckner, E. H. M. Berry. John B. Reeve. William Beale, Francis Grav, John Fleehart, William F. Gordon. John C. Humes, Nathan Weeks. Thomas A. JJones, Henry C. Thompson. George H. Havens, John C. Blacklidge, George H. Caldwell. William MI. McBride, John O. Will- iams. Charles A. Frazee.
Auditors-Matthew Smith, Jesse D. Carmichael, Archibald Kennedy, Alexander Posey. James M. Hil- dreth. Benjamin F. Johnson. Edward H. Wolfe, Alexan- der Posey, John K. Gowdy, Martin Bohannon. C. F. Mullin, Owen L. Carr, Albert L. Winship. Jesse M. Stone, Allen R. Holden, William H. MeMillin. Phil Wilk.
Surveyors-W. B. Laughlin, who "ran the lines" for the government survey of this section of the state may thus, of course. be regarded as the first surveyor of Rush county and it is known that he continued in service as a surveyor bereabout for years after taking up his perman- ent residence here, but of his immediate successors there is some doubt. The present surveyor knows nothing of the original records of the office, the first book of surveys in his office dating from 1844, the first entry therein being over the signature of John Bell. county surveyor in that year. The names of the successive surveyors from that date down to that of the present incumbent of the office follow: S. G. Mendenhall, N. Shaddinger, John B. Mefullongh. R. R. Spencer. J. C. Gregg, Morton H. Downey. Alonzo Stewart. Francis M. Springer, Ora W. Harkless, George R. Kelly. A. R. Harkless, Adolphus
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Cameron. Charles C. Brown, Clyde Kennedy and Frank L. Catt (incumbent).
Assessors-Prior to the law of 1891 assessments for taxes were taken care of by the township assessors, form- erly called "listers." The law of 1891 provided for the election of a county assessor who also serves as a member and the president of the county board of review, instructs the township assessors in their duties and carries out the orders of the state board of tax commissioners. The first county assessor elected in Rush county was Rodney Spencer, whose unexpired term was filled by Alfred Swain, who was succeeded by William A. Powell and he, in turn, by Allen Newsom, William Gowdy, John F. Moses, Henry Schrader and Earl F. Priest (incumbent). In this connection it is worthy of note that Conrad Sailor, the county agent, who organized Rush county, was first "lister."
Coroner-The chief duty of the coroner is to deter- mine by inquest how any person in the county met his death by violence or casualty and return a verdict to the clerk of the county court. He serves as sheriff if the sheriff is absent and may arrest the sheriff if the occasion arises. There seems to be some confusion regarding the early incumbents of this office in Rush county, the records of the office in the possession of Dr. W. E. Barnum, of Manilla, covering a period of comparatively few years back, during which time D. E. Barnett, Samuel M. Green, Frank Green, John . Lee and W. E. Barnum (incum- bent) have served in this capacity. The coroner's inquest record on file in the county clerk's office opens with an entry as of January 30, 1893, being case No. 1: "Infant of Ella Kemp: Strangulation at the hands of Ella Kemp, Dora Crawford being an abbettor or accessory to the crime." There are but seven entries in the book, the last being in the case of James Herbert, a negro, who was drowned "in water just south of the county jail" during the memorable flood of March, 1913, when by reason of
HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
the unprecedented rising of the waters of Big Flat Rock river the downtown section of Rushville was under water. Strangely enough in none of these entries does the name of the coroner who files the report of inquest appear. It is considered doubtful that these seven cases, covering a period of twenty years, include all the cases that were subject to "erowner's quest" during that period. In an older chronicle reference is made to Richard Hackleman as having been the first coroner of the county. Dr. A. G. Shanck was coroner in 1913, when the above record closed. A search of the inquest fee book opened in 1SS9 shows that Frank G. Hackleman then was coroner and also reveals that others who have served in this office besides those mentioned above, were J. H. Spurrier, Edward I. Wooden and W. S. Coleman.
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