USA > Indiana > Shelby County > Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, Vol. 1 > Part 29
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house of the town, and was occupied by many of the pioneer dealers, one after . another. Seth M. Cole and son. W. B. Cole, were among the early men to handle merchandise there. Others were Joseph Stafford. Isaac Miles, Mex- ander Hargrove and James Osborne, who were among the class justly known now as pioneer factors of Morristown. In fact, the business there was quite limited until the building of the Edinburg & Knightstown Railroad, co- structed in 1848. Again in 1866, when the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad was finished, a new life and vigor set in at Morristown which has never been retarded much. By 188; almost every branch of trade and industry was there found in a prosperous condition. Even so early it was the third shipping point in importance on the entire line and its population was "about seven hundred souls", says documents of the date of 1880. Masonic, Knights of Pythias. and Odd Fellows lodges were then flourishing at that point. 2s they are today. ( See history of indige- elsewhere. )
Of Morristown in 1909 it may be recorded that from the best obtainable information it consists of one thousand people. of the hustling, bustling, wide- awake type. who always make things move to the fore-front. The current telephone directory gives the number of patrons at Morristown as three hundre i and eighty, which shows that the people there have frequem communications with themselves and side towns, to a degree second only to Shelbyville.
The first pottery in Shelby county was located one mile east of Morris- town, as early as 1830. Here Lewis Johnson made crecks, jars, etc., for some time.
In April. 1909, the following business firms, churches, lodges, schools, etc .. were in a prosperous condition at Morristown :
The Union State Bank, with a capital of $25,000. The cashier is C. T. Williams.
Hotel, by Mrs. Ehina Porter.
Grain dealers. C. S. Patten and Joseph Zike in one firm and M. C. Burk operates the other elevator business.
Lumber. Green-Wilkinson Lumber Company.
General dealers in merchandise. W. A. Bodine, who has traded there over forty-two years. W. T. Smith, a dealer over twenty years in Morristown.
Grocers. S. V. Hinds, who also handles hardware and farm implements : Workman & Myers, and they also handle meats: C. P. Zike, exclusive grc- ceries : Reece & Means, groceries and meat market.
Furniture dealers. O. O. Frazier, als) handles stoves and hardware ; J. F. Hargrove also handles implements.
Hardware stores. People's Supply Company-hardware, buggies, etc. : Matt Hendricks, hardware, implements and automobiles.
Livery barn, L. M. Talbert & Son.
Embalmer and funeral director, C. A. Lewis.
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Barber shops, C. T. Coleman and Smith.
Restaurants, Hugh Banks and Ray Beck, who operates a bakery.
Drugs. W. L. Parish, who in March, 1908. bought the stock from pioneer T. C. Wrenick, who had been in trade in that line for thirty-eight years.
Millinery, Mrs. H. B. Connway.
Cement block manufacturer, John Nigh.
Photograph gallery, Joseph Shackle.
Jeweler. A. S. Zimmerman.
Physicians. Drs. McCrea and Bass. W. R. Bently, Pierson & Patten.
Dentistry, H. P. MeKeand, D. D. S.
Real estate dealers, Patten & Rigdon. C. M. Rock, O. D. Pauley & Company.
Notary Public, Joseph Zike and William Patterson.
Justice of the Peace. Joseph Myers.
Newspaper, "Morristown Sun," edited by Ora McDaniel.
Merchant tailor. Fred W. Gottleib.
Postmaster, of the fourth class office with three rural free delivery routes, W. H. Philipy, now in office eight years and more.
The milling business is now handled by an exchange. The old mill that had served so long was burned in 1908 after having run about fifteen years.
Among the new enterprises of Morristown may be mentioned the con- densed milk factory now being put in operation, and which Ed. Handy is at the head. This is a fine plant and will add much life to the town.
The town is incorporated and has for its present council-W. H. Miller. C. S. Patten, and H. B. Cole. The Town Clerk is Arthur F. Bass and the Marshal is F. B. Swift. The Treasurer of the incorporation is C. II. Sterling.
Morristown has churches at present as follows: Methodist Episcopal. worshiping in a church erected in 1875 and has a membership of two hundred : Methodist Protestant. which worships in the edifice erected in 1856, and the Christian church, which is mentioned in another place in the work.
The educational element always predominated in Morristown and most excellent schools have ever obtained. There is now a fine five department briek school building. originally erected in about 1890 and to which was large- ly added in 1904. The property cost $15,000.
Natural gas is furnished to the town's people by what is called the Home Light and Fuel Company. The gas is derived from wells within Shelby county and was first utilized about 1888.
The fraternal societies of the town are: Masonie, Knights of Pythias. Woodmen and Red Men.
Another remarkable feature of this town is the presence at this date, of twenty-five flowing wells of the rarest purity of water. The first of these strange, but highly valuable wells of living, health-giving waters was discor-
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ered more than a quarter of a century ago. These wells are obtained at about the depth of from fifty eo eighty feet below the surface and seem inexhaustible in their supply. One well of this type is situated near the curbing on the prin- cipal street and for years has been the pride of the town. Here both man and beast have secured the cooling waters from a source that bespeaks of no disease or impurity. Another more recent flowing well is that utilized with much good results at the condensed milk plant.
CHAPTER XX.
THE CITY OF SHELBYVILLE.
Shelbyville, the chief municipality and county seat of Shelby county, In- diana. has a history dating from September 1, 1822, when it was platted by the commissioners of the county, through Eben Lucas, surveyor, and the same was acknowledged by Abel Cole, then county agent. The description of the town plat, its public square and its various additions and sub-divisions have been given under the head of "Town and Village Plats," hence will not be repeated in this chapter.
Situated in one of the most fertile and productive agricultural districts of Indiana, and possessed of many manufacturing plants, notably its dozen and more extensive furniture factories, ranking second in the entire United States-those found at Grand Rapids, Michigan, only being larger in their an- nual output of household furniture and office fixtures. These great factories that take the raw material from cars, and with the most improved methods. fashion the most exquisite forms of elegant furniture, have, within the last twenty-odd years given to the city of Shelbyville a new life and vigor. Her population has trebled since those days back in the eighties, when these indus- tries first kindled their fires as factories whose useful products are to be found and sold at retail in all sections of the United States.
Having been made the county seat in 1822, it has always been the seat of justice and this of itself has brought it in touch with the outside world as nothing else could possibly do.
The progress made by this city is best shown by comparing it to what it consisted of in 1836-fourteen years after it was platted. The best record of -the standing of Shelbyville at that remote day will be found in the following account written of it centennial year. 1876, by one who had formerly resided in the city when it was a hamlet. This article, signed "I. S. D .. " was published by Reuben Spicer, and reads as follows :
"At that period I refer to, Shelbyville was a mere village of between six and seven hundred inhabitants. The buildings were mostly one-story frames- a few log cabins were still standing-and the brick houses did not number to exceed a dozen. It contained five or six stores, which embraced, in addition to dry goods, groceries, hardware, queensware, drugs, medicines and dye-stuffs; no separate stores for the last named articles were then thought of in so small a place. There were two 'taverns' on a small scale, and at least two licensed saloons, known in those days as 'groggeries.' The population was chiefly made
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up of the merchants referred to, county officials, lawyers, doctors, no preachers. except one local Methodist, and quite a number of mechanics in a small way. The only church building in the place was a weather-beaten frame of small di- mensions, innocent of paint outside or in, where some thirty or forty Metho- dists worshiped when the two "circuit riders' made their calls alternately in two weeks. I remember that year one of the itinerants died, leaving only one in charge. and of course the congregation then fasted longer between their spiritual meals. The salaries paid then to pastors were very diminutive com- pared to the present time (1876). This preacher. I was credibly informed, re- ceived for his salary only one hundred twenty dollars during the whole year. and he with a family to support : and what was particularly hard on him he lost, in the meantime, a horse worth some fifty or sixty dollars. The Presbyterians, some twenty or thirty in number, had meetings in the court-house once a month. and Rev. Mr. Monfort, of Greensburg. supplied them with preaching. There was nothing in the shape of a market house ; the citizens depended on vegetables raised on the ample sized lots of rich soil. which every citizen cul- tivated with great care. As yet there were no butchers to furnish meats, and the only supplies to be obtained in the summer were on each Saturday after- noon, when a number of 'shootists' would assemble on the commons east of the mill, and having procured a live beef, often a miserable scrawny-looking bovine, and having divided the costs into a certain number of 'shoots' correc- sponding to the number who desired to participate, they would take shares and shoot for beef. When it was decided who had won the prize, the beef was slaughtered and cut up before it was cold. the citizens standing around, each waiting for a piece, and fortunate was he if he could procure any part of the animal that was digestible. I have gone there and found such a scramble for pieces of the coveted 'fresh meat' that I would retire in disgust without any. There was no newspaper published in the place while I was a resident : the people obtained their news mostly through Indianapolis papers. I can call to mind only a few of the more. prominent citizens: Dr. S. B. Morris. County Clerk, and Doctor Robbins, Recorder, two excellent men. David Thatcher, merchant and a leading member of the Methodist church ; Messrs. Kennerly & Mayhew, merchants, the former also a Probate Judge, both first class citi- zens : Royal Mayhew and William J. Peaslee, lawyers of good standing ; Cum- mings & McCoy, leading physicians of the old school. and Doctors Homberg. brothers, from Germany, homeopathic. That mode of practice then just being introduced into this country, was subjected to much ridicule, and it was but natural that the people should slightly change the pronunciation of their names, calling it "Humbug." which was freely done, and sometimes to their great annoyance by rude boys in the streets hallooing to them. One of the brothers, a bachelor, reputed to have been well educated in his own country,
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became so sensitive on the subject that he actually applied to the Legislature and bad his name changed from Homberg to another name.
The standard of morality, and particularly temperance, was far below the present. bad as it is supposed to be now. Perhaps four-fifths of the people then drank intoxicating liquors, the almost universal beverage being whisky. At gatherings of every kind, such as log-rollings, house-raisings, harvesting. and especially at elections. the whisky bottle was one invariable accompani- ment. Those candidates who proved most liberal election day were most like- ly to succeed. as one who would not treat was regarded illiberal and mean. or what was worse, a temperance man. To show the influence that whisky had on elections. I will here mention two incidents: The year previous to my so- journ in Shelbyville, a gentleman was elected Senator. he being a decided Whig, when the county was largely Democratic. I enquired how this came about. and was informed that the Senator-elect, being wealthy, had furnished each poll with liquor, far beyond the ability of his opponent to do, and thus he prevailed. The next year, among the candidates for the Legislature was John Hendricks, father I believe of the late Vice President. He was an intelligent. religious, temperate man, and everybody acknowledged his qualifications for the office. but he had declared in advance that he would not 'treat.' Soon after he was denounced all over the country as a 'temperance man.' and he was de- feated by a large vote. While such was the prevailing sentiment throughout the county, yet in the town of Shelbyville there seemed to be a strong under- current of opposition to the traffic, as one circumstance will show: A groggery keeper, wishing to renew his license, and it being required that he present to the commissioners a petition with a certain number of free-holders. twenty. I think, he sought the town over and failed in getting the required number. But this did not defeat him. He resorted to the trick well known among liquor men at that day. of deeding a square foot of ground off the rear of his lot to the number of persons requiring to be on his petition as 'free-holders ( ?). Al- though it was evidently a great piece of fraud. it was decided good by the commissioners."
BUSINESS MEN OF 1856.
In 1856 three railroads passed through Shelbyville. the Indianapolis & Cincinnati line: the Shelbyville & Rushville line, and the Edinburg. Shelby- ville & Knightstown line. The business factors were principally the following gentlemen : Ray & McFarland. S. D. Lyon, Alfred Major, Peaslee & McFad- den. Davis & Wright and James Harrison, attorneys-at-law : Miller & James. real estate and stock agency: David Adams, M. D., physician and surgeon. office in Odd Fellows' building : W. F. Green, M. D .. physician and surgeon : J. Y. Kennedy and J. S. Forbes, physicians and surgeons: Dr. C. T. Rowell. dentistry. with Doctor Kennedy on Franklin street, opposite new seminary :
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Milton Robbins. M. D., dealer in drugs and medicines, northeast corner of pub- lic square, as read his card. Hendricks & Morgan, druggists : George Lup- ton, surgeon and dentist. "all work guaranteed." Strong & Frankel. wholesale and retail manufacturers of all kinds of gentleman's wearing apparel ( store north side public square ) : W. C. Miller & Company, retail dealers in foreign and domestic dry goods, groceries, hardware, boots and shoes : James Thomas. retail dealer in domestic dry goods, hardware, etc; G. W. Toner & Company. dealers in dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes (at I. Sorden's okl stand) : J. & M. Levinson, manufacturers and retail dealers in clothing. then adjoining the Masons' and Odd Fellows' block : W. H. Comingore, dealer in staple and fancy dry goods, boots, shoes, etc .. east side of public square, one door south of the Masonic Hall. Other dry goods dealers (general stocks) were carried by J. and L. Freeman, on Harrison street. A variety store was operated by F. J. Faivre, who also made candy and sold tobacco and cigars, fire-works and drugs. Another firm was Botts & Hubbell, who carried family groceries and provisions. One card read "Go to Blair & Elliott's for dry goods. at Masonic Hall." J. S. Campbell was a merchant tailor who also sold gentlemen's fur- nishing goods. M. D. Stacey was a jeweler on the north side of public square : also D. M. Burns in the same line. Another advertisement read. "Stoves. stoves, stoves, at McElwee's: call for the Climax, best in the market." W. M. & I. T. Brown, stove dealers and manufacturers of all descriptions of tin, copper and sheet iron ware, southwest of public square. I. B. Wood, saddler; W. M. Parrish, fancy and ornamental plasterer and cistern builder. Joseph Smithers, maker of tomb and ornamental work: J. Cummins, furniture warc- room on Washington street : J. T. Ross, steam manufacturer of all kinds of furniture : J. H. Sprague. manufacturer of flour barrels and staves; \ Wilkin- son, picture gallery, over Gorgas's store: Johnson & Letherman, ambrotype and daugerreau artists : Shelby Bank-"prepared to buy and sell eastern ex- change, gold and silver and uncurrent bank notes: interest on deposits "-EI- liott Hill & Company.
These and possibly a number of others carried on the business of Shelby- ville in 1856. As one views the signs and reads the old newspaper advertise- ments, still to be seen in the files of the city local papers, and then walks about the present-day business streets and seeks to purchase goods of almost any grade and variety, from out the numerous and extensive exclusive stores, in the several lines formerly bunched in one "general stock." they are reminded of vast changes in retail trade, to say nothing of the wholesale and manufac- turing business seen in Shelbyville in 1909.
INCORPORATED AS TOWN-THEN CITY.
The growth of Shelbyville was necessarily very slow for the first few decades of its history. In 1850, on the 21st day of January. the "town was in-
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.
corporated by a special act of the Indiana Legislature. George Cruthers, Sr., was elected Mayor and J. S. Campbell, James M. Randall. William II. Coats, James II. Elliott and Eden 11. Davis were chosen Councilmen. One hundred and fifty-six votes were cast at that first election. The next election was hekl in April, 1852. when two hundred and forty-one votes were polled, and John Morrison, Sr., was elected Mayor, and Woodville Browning. James M. Ran- dall. S. Midkiff. Joseph Cummins and J. T. Bullock comp: sed the Town Coun- cil. The population was then, white, one thousand four hundred seven, col- colored, seventeen : total, one thousand four hundred twenty-four. It has now ( 1909) reached twelve thousand. In July. 1853. the office of Mayor was discontinued. the present city government dating from May 16. 1860.
The following is a list of the Mayors of Shelbyville since then :
1860-63-James HI. Elliott. 1887-88 -- David L. Wilson.
1863-67-James E. McGuire.
1888-91-John C. Edwards.
1867-70-John S. Campbell. 1891-95-G. C. Morrison.
1870-71 -- F. Merideth. 1895-98-J. H. Enos.
1871-75 -- Stephen Allen.
1898-01-Frank Roth (died).
1875-77-George C. Morrison. 1901-02-C. P. Hale( filled vacancy. )
1877-79-James E. McGuire. 1902-S. B. Morrison ( short term).
1879-84-Stephen Allen. 1902-04-Jacob H. Deitzer. 1884-87-J. W. Vannoy. 1904-06-J. W. Vannoy.
1906-10 -- B. F. Swain.
PRESENT CITY OFFICERS.
The city officials serving in April, 1909. were as follows: Mayor, B. F. Swain : Clerk, Harry J. Clark : Treasurer, George N. Robbins : City Attorney, John Walker: City Engineer. J. H. Phillipi : Secretary of the Board of Health, B. G. Keeney: Street Commissioner. J. M. Goodrich : Custodian of City Build- ing. Sturley Carruthers. Councilmen-From First ward. F. B. Thompson ; from Second ward. Frank Bass: from Third ward, John Rinehart; from Fourth ward, H. H. Walker: from Fifth ward. J. L. Showers and Edward Comstock.
POPULATION.
Shelbyville had a population at the following periods, as indicated by the following :
In 1836 the population was 650
In 1852 it was 1,424
In 1876 it was 4.000
In 1886 it was 5.580
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In 1902 it was 8.500
In 1909 it was. 12,000
The inhabitants are largely American born and many native to Shelby county.
CITY HALL.
Shelbyville has had two regular city halls. Both have been brick struc- tures. The former one was thirty by sixty feet, and was described in the Cen- tennial History of the place as being "a handsome brick edifice, surmounted by a cupola for the fire-alarm bell. The first floor contains an engine room and city prison : the second floor the Mayor's office and council chamber, which are comfortably arranged. Its original cost was two thousand eight hundred dollars, and over three hundred dollars have been added to it since its erection." This hall served the city until 1904. when the massive and spa- cious city building was completed at a cost of fifty thousand dollars. The same stands on the old city building site, as well as on additional grounds pur- chased by the city. It is a handsome yellow brick structure, which has ample rooms for all city business, besides an immense public hall and opera house in connection. The latter part of the city building is now leased to private par- ties for opera house purposes. This buikling is one of the best in the en- tire city and is the pride of the enterprising populace. Here the records of the municipality can be properly cared for and preserved.
CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
In 1874 a first class steam fire engine was purchased, together with reef and one thousand feet of hose, at a cost of six thousand dollars. In 1876 William Morgan was the engineer and at that date reported that the equip- ment had many times paid for itself by valuable services at fires in Shelbyville. This was long before the city water works had been constructed and the fire- fighting service was not what it has since been advanced to, but was gued for its kind, and the times in which it was adopted. The first fire engine, just mentioned. was named in honor of Maj. John Hendricks, who donated a part of the land on which the city now stands. It was called "Major Hendricks." and was a conspicuous figure in the fires of the seventies and eighties.
October 24. 1899. the first ordinance looking toward the establishment of a regular fire department for Shelbyville was passed. It was signed by Mayor Roth and H. G. Montgomery, City Clerk. The fire company was to consist of eighteen members, to be elected by the chief and approved by the City Council. Such a company has thwarted the plans of the fire-fiend in a majority of cases, so that the loss by conflagration in Shelbyville has been kept to the lowest possible point. In fact the "runs" made to fire calls Pave
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been made in as little time as has been found in most, paid fire compames in the larger cities. There are now thirty fire call boxes; three stations where fire-fighting apparatus is kept in the best of order by the trusty, volunteer men. The water is obtainedI by the waterworks direct pressure at hydrants through- out the city. to which the hose is attached. These ever alert firemen are the only class of men holding office within the municipality who do not work on stated salary, but for the good of the property-holders of the city. Day and night these men are ready to respond to the call of the alarm bell which loc ites the seat of the fire to which they are called.
The amount of property saved by this company is hard to determine, but runs up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, since its organization.
Many of the leading citizens have been members from time to time. Its officers have been from out the rugged, cool-headed business factors, among whom may be named in this connection the present worthy chief. William Neu. who has served various terms and in an acceptable manner.
The city does not own and maintin its own fire or engine houses, but such stations are located at livery barns, the proprietors of which are under contract to furnish room and teams, when needed for the work of the com- pany.
Aside from certain exemptions, such as not having to serve on juries. pay poll tax and be subject to military duty, the firemen of volunteer companies derive no benefit for the dangerous, hard services that are required at their hands.
POST-OFFICE HISTORY.
The records of post-offices are generally not preserved many years in the local offices, as their reports to the Department at Washington each quarter is all that the government requires and for this reason the early history of the Shelbyville office cannot well be traced. It was, however, one of the first institutions of the town. Even a complete list of postmasters is impossible at this date, as "red-tape" obtains to such an extent at Washington that a list cannot be furnished. The men who have served as postmaster since 1882 are as follows: Alfred P. Bone. 1882-86: S. L. Major, 1886-90: George Dunn. 1890-94: Ed Major, 1894-98: Thomas Newton, 1898-02: O. E. Lewis, 1902- 06: A. V. Randall, 1906 and still in office.
This has been a second class post-office more than twenty years. The serial number of money order issued April 10, 1909. was 113524. showing a large and rapidly increasing money order business for this office. the same hay- ing doubled in the last few years. It now runs over one hundred thousand dol- lars per year.
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