USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 8
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Most of the bridges throughout the county were of wood, many of them of the old covered type, and about this time many of them began to give trouble, being inad- equate to the demands of traffic placed upon them. In November, 1896. the county commissioners contracted with the Bellefontaine Bridge Company, of Bellefon- taine, Ohio, for a single span steel bridge, 120 feet long, over the Blue river, near Carthage-the cost to be $3,500. Four years later, the commissioners submitted to the county council an estimate of $15,665 for sixteen new bridges in the county.
Thus, in the passing of a century, the county has pro- gressed from having only a few necessary trails cut through the wilderness to a point where most of the farm- ers of the county have highly improved hard surfaced roads passing their doors. The roads are kept in perfect repair, as are the bridges and culverts, and the life of the county's commerce and trade pulses unrestricted along the arteries of traffic. The Indiana "Year Book" for 1919 presents the following statistics with reference to Rush county, bearing on public highways, bridges and ditches: Highway Expenses-viewer's and damages, $293.89; preliminary road construction, $367.75; gravel road construction, $117,568.34; gravel road bonds re- deemed, $151,680.83; gravel road, $43,832.32; township gravel road bonds, $513,027.40 ; miles gravel roads com- pleted in 1918, fifteen ; total miles gravel roads, 328; miles
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unimproved roads, seventy-five. Bridges-expenditures. on new bridges, $11,013.20; bridge repairs, $5,924.12. Ditches-expenditures, $958.90.
Under the provisions of the new state highway law a great deal of preliminary work is being done in the way of establishing state highways, making surveys and pre- paring specifications, and under the direction of the state highway commission a tentative system of highways has been planned to reach every county seat and city of five thousand in Indiana, making a network of highways which will connect every market center of the state. Much discussion has been created by the workings of the present highway laws and revisions of the laws are likely to be made from time to time, but eventually Indiana seems destined to have a fine system of trunk highways, and in the working out of this system Rush county inevit- ably will profit. The state highway commission has taken over approximately forty-four miles of the county's highways to be maintained by the state under what is known as the state highway commission law. This county is widely accorded the reputation of having as excellent a system of gravel roads as that of any county in the state, and it also has the equally gratifying reputa- tion of maintaining these roads in as admirable a fashion as any.
The office of road supervisor has been one of im- portance in the development of the county. At first these officers were appointed by the township trustees, then they were elected on the county ticket every two years, but beginning Jannary 14, 1905, a new state law provided that only the voters in the road distriet electing the supervisor could vote for him.
THE OLD WHITEWATER CANAL
Although it never materialized as an important avenue of transportation on account of the advent of the railroad, and while it did not quite touch this county, so
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important was it in the public discussions of the time and would have been in the practical phase of transportation as affecting Rush county, that the Whitewater canal is worthy of some extended mention. Logan Esaray, in his "History of Indiana," gives us an accurate account of the canal :
"The Whitewater canal was the starting point of all these discussions [in the General Assembly]. The set- tlers in the valley, the most populous district of the state. as early as 1832 had petitioned for a canal. The assembly of 1833 ordered a preliminary survey, a report of which, by Surveyor Gooding, was laid before the assembly De- cember 23, 1834. The valley was reported to be shallow and the fall excessive, requiring a great number of locks. There were many washed banks where the canal would have to be built over the river. The survey began at Nettle creek, near Cambridge City, in Wayne county, close to the crossing of the old National road. Thence it passed down the west bank to Somerset, at the Franklin county line, where it crossed, recrossing again at Brook- ville, and following the west bank to the Ohio at Law- renceburg. The length was seventy-six miles ; seven dams were necessary, fifty-six locks, and 491 feet of lockage. The estimated cost was $1,142,126.
"It would give an outlet for Franklin, Rush, Fay- ette, Henry, Randolph and Hancock counties, as well as a large part of Wayne, Union, Decatur and Delaware-a district aggregating 3,150 square miles. Produce could be transported by this means at an average cost of $3.65 per ton as against $10, the present cost. This would save $221,000 for the section each year. The water power would turn 318 pairs of millstones. * *
"A big celebration at Brookville September 13, 1836, at which David Wallace, Governor Noble and ex-Gover- nor Ray were the orators, ushered in the undertaking. The work was always pushed more than any other on ac- count of the great bulk of the population of the state being
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in that valley. * * December 20, 1838, Superin- tendent Long reported the canal well-nigh completed to Brookville. This line was practically finished when the failure of the State Bank required a cessation of work, notice of which was given by Noah Noble, president of the board. August 18, 1839.
"The Whitewater canal was turned over in 1842 to a company organized to complete it. It was finished to Brookville in 1843; to Connersville in 1845, and to Cam- bridge City in 1846. A flood in 1847 did $100.000 damage, and the repairs for a single flood in the next year cost $80,000. The Whitewater Valley railroad paralleled it in 1865, and forever put it out of business."
COMING OF THE RAILROADS
As the population increased and the production in all lines of business, but especially in agriculture, in- creased, it became apparent that ready foreign markets would have to be sought. The only feasible way to reach them was by means of the steam railroad, and agitation accordingly was commenced in favor of attracting to Rushville and Rush county this means of transportation. Since no outside capital could be influenced to construct a line through the county, the citizens decided to raise the money themselves by stock subscriptions, and accord- ingly the Rushville & Shelbyville railroad was built, the first cars coming into Rushville over its tracks on Sep- tember 10, 1850. Another railroad touched the north- western part of the county, but was of no great import- ance to the larger part of the county. This was the Shel- byville & Knightstown railroad. At Shelbyville these roads connected with the Indianapolis and Cincinnati roads, and at Knightstown with the Indiana Central, serving to give some outlet to the county.
The Shelbyville road from Rushville was a flat-bar affair, and while it supplied the wants of the people to some extent, it was in general quite inadequate. Passen-
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ger trains made a round trip from Rushville to Edinburg once a day, and many were the curious who sought a novel experience by taking the trip. In 1857 sentiment in favor of a $30,000 subscription to improve the road by laying an iron rail was aroused, and gradually the road, now a part of the Pennsylvania system, was improved until it compared favorably with other roads. In 1860, the new rails were laid, and after the track was ballasted, the trip from Shelbyville to Manilla could be made in thirty minutes, and in April of the same year, an excursion to Madison was run over this road and the Madison & In- dianapolis. Two months later a return excursion was held, the young people of Rushville entertaining those of Madison with a grand ball and supper at Odd Fellow hall.
In 1857, the Sandusky, Indiana & Louisville railroad was projected. Its course was to be from Sandusky to Winchester, Ind., there making a connection with the Pittsburgh, Indianapolis & Bellefontaine railroad, and with two important roads at Cambridge City, the Cincin- nati & Chicago, and the Dayton & Indianapolis, or Cen- tral. This was considered to be one of the best routes in the state, connecting the Ohio river with the Great Lakes. The merchants who bought their goods in New York and Philadelphia were at that time compelled to ship via the Lake Shore route, but after leaving that road the goods took such a circuitous route that freight amounted to an enormous figure when the destination was reached. The same was true for the cattle raisers and drovers, who shipped to Eastern markets. It was pointed out that this new road would obviate these difficulties by giving a di- rect road to the best markets of the world. As it was there was no prospect of real estate rising in value until there was an outlet for trade. The county was cramped-grain and other surplus products frequently had to be carried miles in wagons and often the price declined before it could be shipped. Lewis Maddux, of Rushville, was elected president of the road, and although it was favor- ably thought of, it never materialized.
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COMPLIMENTS TO "SMOOTH-TONGUED SCOUNDRELS"
Another road. the Fremont & Indiana railroad, which was seeking a connection with the falls of the Ohio. was urged to construct its track through Rushville, but was never built. In June, 1860, arrangements were made so that the daily train over the Rushville & Shelbyville connected with the Lawrenceburg train from Indianapo- lis. the train from Rushville arriving at Madison in some seven or eight hours, the fare being $2.50 from Rushville to Madison. Later in the same year an impromptu meet- ing was called in Rushville to find out the sentiment of the people in regard to the Lake Erie & Pacific railroad, another projected road. Stock to the amount of $4,000 was at once subscribed, and plans were made for the con- struction of the road through Rushville. The road was to be built in three divisions, one hundred miles each. and Rushville was to be at the end of the second division. which would mean a machine shop and at least two hun- dred inhabitants to the town. The enthusiasm of the people was great, and nearly $100,000 of stock was sub- scribed in Rush county alone by the end of the year, 1860. It was figured that a saving of from five to ten cents per bushel would be made in the shipping of grain, which would very soon pay for the investment, and that the rise in value of real estate would more than cover the cost of the road. A stockholders' meeting was held at Cambridge City, and G. B. Rush, of Rush county, was elected chair- man. Plans for raising the rest of the stock were made, and a resolution passed in favor of running the road from Union City to Rushville, making Cambridge City a point. However, so slow was the work on this road. that the people rapidly lost confidence in it, and when $12,000 ad- ditional stock was asked to be subscribed in Rush county, it was refused, and the work for a time abandoned. The sentiment of the people was reflected in the Rushville Republican in 1865. when the Fort Wayne & Southern railroad tried to interest them: "If we are not the
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worst deceived and most systematically trifled with peo- ple in the world, we are, at least, very fortunate in always having a peg to hang hope upon. It is not so long since that the memory of our citizens runneth to the contrary that we were very certain, indeed we felt that it was a dead sure thing, that the Lake Erie & Pacific railroad would be built, but alas, all our hopes vanished into thin air and our money into the pockets of the smooth-tongued scoundrels that had the management of the institution. But we bear our disappointment and losses with fortitude and resignation, hoping for better luck next time. Next came the Junction Railroad with fair promises of speedy completion and we got on our 'high hosses' thinking of the wonderful benefits we were soon to realize from the building of this road, but judge of our feelings when we found that we had again been sold. Now comes the Fort Wayne & Southern railroad and our hopes arise like the fabled bird from its ashes, but we are not going to make fools of ourselves. * * * All we know about the con- struction of the Fort Wayne road is that a party of engineers, said to represent an English company, lately passed through here examining the proposed route."
In September, 1865, at a meeting at the court house, a proposition was laid before the people of the county by the agents of the Indiana, Central and Jeffersonville roads, pledging that if the citizens along the line of the Lake Erie & Pacific road, between here and Cambridge City would raise $60,000, $20,000 of which had already been subscribed, the company would have the road done and the cars running by June 1, 1866. No action was taken at the meeting, some attending being in favor of the company getting a release of subscription notes to the Junction railroad, and that then perhaps they would subscribe the amount needed.
However the Junction railroad was not defunct. Work on it was rapidly pushed in 1867, by the first of January it was completed to Morristown, fifteen miles west of Rushville, and trains were run daily from Cincin-
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nati to that place, and by the middle of the following year it was completed to Indianapolis, and the citizens of Rush county could make the trip to the capital and back without taking a week for the trip. On July 4, 1868, the first train was operated through the town on the Jeffersonville. Madison & Indianapolis. This gave Rushville two good railroad facilities, and there was a rapid improvement in almost every branch of trade, while in population and building there was an equally rapid advancement. Clark's addition became dotted over with new dwelling houses, and in the early spring of the next year several fine brick and frame dwellings were erected. Rent was very high, and there were not sufficient houses or business buildings to supply the demand. Trade of every kind, taking into consideration the times and conditions follow- ing the war, was lively. With as rich a farming county as Rush, the means of transportation now in existence could not but improve Rushville rapidly. People began to improve the appearance of the town, and altogether there was a general trend upward.
NOT GOING TO BE "DONE" AGAIN
On January 25, 1870, on petition of more than one hundred frecholders of the county, the board of commis- sioners ordered an election on whether or not the county should be taxed $90,000 to be given for the construction of the Toledo & Louisville railroad, through Rushville, and the measure was lost by an overwhelming majority. The people had been "done" too often to favor a tax of this kind.
In 1872, shipping was further facilitated by the estab- lishment of through freight rates by the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis to all points cast and south, and at the same time through passenger tickets were sold for all eastern cities. Passenger traffic increased with the years, and in 1877 it was reported that the receipts from this traffic alone on the C. H. & I. (the old JJunction) amounted to $1,000 per month.
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There had been various meetings from time to time in the county to construct a road on the line of the old Ft. Wayne & Southern-one of these in 1872 held by the citizens of Rush and Decatur counties, was so strongly in favor of it that steps were taken to construct such a road. Large donations were made by the people in the way of stock subscriptions, and in September, 1881, the V. G. & R. railroad was completed. opening for better trade facilities a large portion of Rush county, benefiting not only the county seat, but the town of Milroy. The year before its completion a surveying party had been over proposed lines for the Rushville & Newcastle railroad, and in 1882 this road, known first as the N. & R. railroad, was fin- ished. In 1889 the C. W. & M. railroad was built north from Rushville, touching Carthage and continuing through Knightstown to Anderson, Ind. This gave Rush- ville its four railroads. In 1890 the J. M. & I. railroad, formerly the Rushville & Shelbyville railroad, was changed to the P. C. C. & St. L., or Pennsylvania railroad; the name of the old Junction was changed first to the C. H. & I., and now operates as the Cincinnati, Indianapo- lis & Western; the N. & R. is now the Lake Erie & West- ern. The V. G. & R. railroad is now a part of the C. C. C. & St. L. railroad or Big Four system.
Aside from the large amount of freight business done by these roads, there are exceptionally good passenger accommodations afforded. The C. I. & W. operates five trains daily east and an equal number west; the Pennsyl- vania, two each day south and north, a total of four; the Big Four operates four passenger trains, two each way; and the L. E. & W., though primarily a freight road, operates one each way every day.
COMING OF THE TRACTION LINES
A later development in rail transportation was the electric railroad, or traction. In 1898, the C. H. & D. railroad organized the C. H. & D. Traction Company, and
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after two years of inactivity it began to consider building an electric line from Indianapolis to Rushville. In June of the same year, 1900, the Rushville & Brookville electric railway was promoted with a capital stock of $50,000 in 500 shares, 310 of which were subscribed in Rushville. However, more than one traction company was not deemed necessary at the time, and the work done in push- ing through the Indianapolis line caused the other to be abandoned. In 1901, in May, fresh impetus was added to the building of the electric line from the capital when the Rushville city council granted the right of way for the line through the city. This company was known as the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction Company, and every effort was put forth to construct the line as quickly as possible. In 1903, it was announced that the power plant for the line would be located either at Connersville or Rushville, and there was consequently keen competition between the two cities for this addition to the business of the town. In June, 1903, it was located at Rushville, the terms of the agreement guaranteeing a site for the plant at a cost of $5,000. At the beginning of the year 1905, although the line was not completed all the way to India- napolis from Connersville, its present terminus, cars were run through Rushville every two hours, attracting great attention from the people, many of whom rode for the novelty. When the road was completed to Indianapolis a short time later, and through cars run over the entire route, the people realized what an advantage it was to the town, although at first it had been opposed by many merchants on the ground that much of their trade would go to the larger city when the trip was made so easy for them. The I. & C. traction was the first to use the single phase alternating current system in the operation of its cars, and its success attracted the attention of electric railway men all over the country.
A considerable amount of freight, principally light, is carried over this line in addition to the twenty-eight
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passenger cars which are operated daily, fourteen each way from Connersville to Indianapolis, giving excellent service and satisfaction to all who can avail themselves of it. A right-of-way has been secured by the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction Company for a line southeast of Rushville and at this time (1921) there is a strong proba- bility that the project for the construction of the line will be accomplished. One phase of the traction systems is the accommodation of towns along the lines which are able to secure ample current from the traction wires for local lighting purposes, and the Indianapolis & Cincinnati is now furnishing lighting current for Shelbyville, as well as to some of the villages through which it passes.
Before passing from the subject of railroads it is proper to note that there still is visible in places the eleva- tion thrown up in the '50s for the creation of a roadbed for a railroad that was operated through this county from Knightstown to Shelbyville. The road seems never to have been properly financed and was abandoned after a few years of unsuccessful operation.
CHAPTER VI
BENCH AND BAR
The act of the state legislature providing for the organization of Rush county outlined a plan by which justice should be administered in the new county. Section 4 of the enabling act provided that not only the circuit court but all other courts should be held in the house of Stephen Sims until suitable accommodations could be had at the seat of justice, Rushville, and that this act should become effective April 1, 1822. The house of Stephen Sims stood on the west "eighty" of the farm later owned by Aaron Frazee, south of and adjoining Rush- ville, and here it was, on Thursday, April 4, 1822, the circuit court was organized.
Hon. William W. Wick, judge of the Fifth circuit, was presiding judge, and Elias Poston and North Parker were associates. Robert Thompson held a commission from Governor JJonathan Jennings as clerk of the circuit court. and this he presented on the morning of April 4, together with a crude seal which, though somewhat lacking in artistic beauty, was adopted as the seal of the county, and an impression of it was put upon the records. Court having been organized and the matter of the seal disposed of, the court adjourned to meet at 2 p. m. at the house of Jehu Perkins, about five miles southeast of Rushville. At this afternoon session, Hiram M. Curry made application and was admitted to the bar as an attorney, was appointed prosecuting attorney. and immediately sworn into office. John Hays, the first sheriff of Rush county. then reported his panel of grand jurors, viz .. William Junken, foreman: Jehu Perkins. Ute Perkins, Christian Clymer, John Walker, Powell Priest, Garret Derlin, John Lower, Jacob Reed, John
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Hale, Richard Hackleman, Benjamin Sailors, and Peter H. Patterson-thirteen-who were sworn in and charged by the court. On the same afternoon, this grand jury returned into court and reported that they had found no bills of indictment or presentment, and they were then discharged and allowed 75 cents each for his day's services. The court then adjourned until the meeting at the regular term, which was held at the home of John Lower, on his farm some three miles southwest of Rush- ville, on Thursday, October 3, 1822. Judge Wick, the presiding judge was absent from this term of court, and the associate judges, Poston and Parker, held the court. In the interim between the first and second terms of court, the sheriff, John Hays, had lost his mind, and having wandered into Hancock county was placed in jail at Greenfield and perished when he set fire to the jail. It being necessary to have a sheriff, Richard Hackleman, the coroner of the county, was deputized to act for Hays. and he brought in a grand jury composed of the following men : Edward I. Swanson, foreman; Andrew Tharp, Michael Hittle, Henry Lyon, George Shappell, Samuel Gruell, Daniel Overlease, Joseph Owen, Peter Looney, William Pogue, Isaac Jessup, James Fordice, Thomas Nash, and George Hittle-fourteen-who were sworn and charged. It is to be noted that the foreman of this grand jury, Edward I. Swanson, was about seven years later tried for the coldblooded murder of Elisha Clark, found guilty and executed. Several attorneys were admitted to the bar at this term of court-Charles H. Test (later judge of the criminal court at Indianapolis), Martin M. Ray, Joseph A. Hopkins, James Noble (afterward United States senator), James Rariden (afterward representa- tive in Congress), and Charles H. Veeder, the first post- master at Rushville and second recorder of Rush county.
FIRST CAUSE A DIVORCE CASE
At this term the first cause for trial was placed on the docket-Thomas Colbert vs. Rachel Colbert, alias
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Jones, for divorce. The bill itself has disappeared so it is impossible to know on what grounds divorce was sought, but at the next term of court divorce was granted by Judges Poston and Parker, Rachel, a nonresident of the state, having failed to take notice of the publication of the case in the Brookville Enquirer, a weekly paper. On the second day of this second term, the grand jury brought in several bills of indictment, one of which was "The State of Indiana vs. John Ray," an indictment for lar- ceny and hog-marking.
In this case the defendant demanded a jury, having pleaded not guilty, the deputy sheriff called a jury of "good and lawful men, and discreet householders of his bailiwiek," and when all the evidence had been heard the defendant's counsel showed his legal shrewdness by moving the court to dismiss the case for want of jurisdic- tion. Judges Poston and Parker sustained the motion, "on the ground that the offense was committed before the law took effect organizing this county."
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