USA > Indiana > Shelby County > Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, Vol. 1 > Part 34
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"When the frogs came up from the miasmic districts and finding the vil- lage in a sorrowing condition, the king frogs mounted their throne (the frog stool) and croaked out in a bass voice: 'Who lives in Middletown?' Getting no answer. the frog repeated in a louder strain "Who lives in Middletown?' After a moment's silence, comes back the answer, floating over the murky waters of Conn's creek and through the silent darkness of the night : 'Cummins and Connor! Cummins and Connor" Then it appears the silent spectator is awakened from his slumbering dreams and remembering his relatives (as Darwin would have it) from an opposite and not far distant direction, he sends his answer at lightning speed. through the still. balmy air to this honored court. It was so shrill and so full as to jar the elements to such an extent that the residents were awakened only in time to hear his appeal, which was after this fashion. 'Baxter, too! Baxter, too!
"Now, when the town was emerged from this trying ordeal and had re- gained its former greatness or goodness, it enjoyed many years of prosperity, but many of the citizens had grown tired of living within the borders of the noted village. so they loaded their plunder into carts. to which was generally hitched a yoke of oxen, after the fashion of the times, and went West to grow up with the country and seek their fortune as well.
"Others who had grown tired of living at other places took up their abode within the limits of our town, so it went on until the time of the building of the railroad, which proved a detriment to our prosperity and the town of the olden time soon became a back number.
"The new town which was built only a mile away was named Stroupville, (but we call it Waldron, for short). Quite a number of our citizens grew
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tired of living in a country town without a railroad so they hied themselves away to the new town.
"Our postmaster was one of the tired ones : so he bundled up the office. packed the letters in his hat and took departure for the new town to start an office of his own. As a matter of course. Middletown was no longer pros- perous, but yet remains a souvenir of the pioneer days.
"I sit and think when the sunset gold Is flushing through the windows at home, Of the long gone pleasures of old."
"The rough experience of the roaring, toiling, stormy world may blot out all other things from the mind. but the picture of our early home must be with us forever on the walls of memory; until the silver cord be loosened and the golden bowl broken.
"The old homestead farm. entered in 1824, by my father, although changed from what it was in my boyhood days. there still lingers in my mem- ory a beauty that surrounded the old farm. It was there that my eyes first beheld the light of day: it was there that I sung, cried and played at my mother's knee and surely there was a grandeur and environment that sur- rounded the place that cannot be forgotten by anyone accustomed to visit there.
"The approach from the south was by a winding road through a beautiful grove of stately sycamore trees and hard by a rippling stream, Deer creek. where many happy hours were spent fishing, swimming. catching chipmunks in grain sacks. and other amusements, common to the time. The approach from the north was over an undulating woodland: a heavy growth of hard maples of which we were proud for we called it the sugar camp and anxiously looked to the time when we could take the old horse and sled: draw in the sap: boil it to a sugar and have a 'stir-off' and a general good time.
"Another place of interest was the old-fashioned orchard with an abun- dance of peach trees and a great big dry kiln. This lay between the sugar eamp and the house and was our matural play ground, as may be witnessed by the many that have been parties to our Sunday romps, such as playing town ball, hide-and-go-seek. and many other amusements of the times.
"When I write the memories of early life. my mind becomes so crowded with the things which were a necessity in pioneer life that I hardly know where to begin or which to give first place. Things that are long ago out of date : things that have been superseded many times by modern improvement ; things like siekles. the mowing scythe, the wheat cradle, the hemp or flax brake, a machine made of wood and worked by hand to brake the woody fibre that the lint might be separated therefrom; which was done over the end of an upright board with a sword-shaped knife, made of wood. This was called
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seutching or singling the hemp or flax : next was the hackle to prepare this lint for spinning : next was the spinning wheel, the large one for wool rolls, and the small one-tread-wheel -- for the spinning of flax. The reel. the ma- chine to form the threads into a skein : then the winding blades to hold the skein, while the threads are wound into a ball: next the warping mill. a ma- chine with upright arms which turn around on which the warp is formed from the balls and is thereby made ready for the loom which was a convenient ne- cessity in almost every household and occupied a prominent place. especially in winter, when next year's clothing was to be woven : next. in way of curios, was the rope works, which was fastened to a tree at one end and a cart made for the purpose at the other end. The distance between the tree and the cart was measured by the length of rope desired made.
"While we are in the woods we think of other things that would seem strange to the younger people of the twentieth century; such as the burning of lime, by making a great heap or pile of logs on which the lime rock was placed. The logs were burned in this way and also the lime rocks were con- verted into lime, which was used for clinking the cabin and building the chimney of olden times.
"The farm implements were very few and rude. The breaking plow was made entirely of wood : the hay-fork was made from a limb of a tree in the woods: the sled was a convenient luxury used for hauling the crops to the barn : the barn was made of logs covered either with rye straw or boards. The pioneer farmer was proud of his barn. The harness ( when horses were used) was a combination of ropes, corn husks and leather, made up at home at odd times. Coming back to the house, which was also made of logs. we find it furnished with a great fire-place in one end. in which was fastened a forked iron bar which was called a crane and used to hang pots and kettles on for cooking purposes : connected with these was the large oven. with lid turned up at the outer edge to hold the coals of fire : this was to bake bread and especial- ly the old-fashioned sweet corn pone. The Johnny cake was made out thin and baked on a board set up in front of the fire. The best artificial light was" made from the tallow dip or candle: the common light was obtained from a wick burned in a saucer of grease called 'dip." - "Ingenuity was greatly taxed in making furniture for the house : nursing cradles were sometimes made by splitting a hollow tree and cutting it the proper length. The children of the pioneers never wore stockings or shoes. except in the severest weather in winter: they usually slept in the garret or loft. which was reached by means of a ladder. The fare was of the coarsest kind: corn bread and pork were the staples of diet. Sometimes wild turkey or venison were added. This was a luxury. however. The mail was carried on horseback, when the streams and roads were passable: the postage on a
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letter was twenty-five cents: envelopes were unknown: letters were fohled and sealed with sealing wax.
"There were, of course, no theaters nor operas, but social dancing was a favorite pastime, while these were a few of the conveniences of pioneer life. Sociability was never lost sight of: the latch-string was always out. Some writer has said that social life had then its 'golden period." and we are led to believe it.
"How wondrous are the changes. Since eighty years ago: When girls wore woolen dresses. And boys wore pants of tow: When shoes were made of cowhide. And socks from homespun wool : And children did half a day's work Before they went to school.
The girls took music lessons Upon the spinning wheel. And practiced, late and early. On spindle swift and reel : The boys would ride the horses to mill A dozen miles or more. And hurry off before it was day. Some eighty years ago.
I cannot tell the cause. But men are always tampering. With Nature's wondrous laws. And what we think we're coming to Does any one pretend to know? For everything has changed so much Since eighty years ago."
FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
The first celebration of the National Indeendence in Shelby county was had in 1822. and was in many ways the most interesting occasion ever had in this county, on a similar holiday. The Legislative Commissioners had just finished the work of locating the county seat of this county and the announce- ment was made at the celebration gathering held at Shelbyville. Among other events a great barbecue was had, immediately north of the present fair grounds. Among the number who participated at that great celebration, and
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who was still living in 1886, was an old pioneer and honored citizen, Isaac H. Wilson, who at that time furnished the following facts :
"There were present about two hundred persons on that occasion, hail- ing from half a dozen different settlements-Marion. Freeport, Wray's Set- tlement. Turks. Handpack and some five or more families from the immediate settlement. We had a delightful day, and enjoyed ourselves as well. probably. as the same number of persons ever did in the same length of time. We had provisions in abundance. such as beef. pork, mutton, deer, turkey and fish. The bread was excellent and plenty of it. No one asked for pay for what was furnished for the assemblage. Nimrod Gatewood was the cook. - Our meats were barbecued over a ditch that had been dug for the purpose, and then filled with live coals. John Cherry went out that morning and killed a four-pronged buck and brought him in as his contribution. "Mother" Young furnished a loaf of raised corn bread, baked in a Dutch oven. and I defy you to produce anything equal to it today. Our tables were hastily gotten up by driving forked sticks into the ground: poles were then put crosswise, and upon these were placed slabs.
"When all things were ready to put upon the table, we were brought to a dead standstill for want of dishes upon which to serve our meats. But our delay was only momentary. An old lady by the name of Goodrich, who, it was reported, had been a captive among the Indians in her youth, upon hearing of the difficulty directed a couple of young men to cut down a young hickory tree. They then peeled off the hark in sheets about two feet long, and tied up the ends in such a manner as to form a dish large enough to hold a saddle of venison. She next showed them how to sharpen the knives, using one as a steel to whet the other with.
"I remember well, on that memorable day, riding through the beautiful fertile bottom. later owned by Messrs. Gordon and Senour, upon a horse fifteen and a half hands high, carrying a stick in my hand to keep the nettles out of my face and eyes. There is one more incident of that day which left a deep impression on my mind. It was this: About fifteen persons formed a circle. one of them had a fildle. It was passed around. each one playing a tune ; after which we dispersed and all went home, well satisfied and contented. This was the first Fourth of July celebration in the newly organized county of Shelby."
EARLY DAY SNAKES.
At an early day Shelby county was infested by many snakes, including rattlesnakes, vipers, adders, milk-shakes, garter, water and blacksnakes. Many of these were deadly poison. In sections of this county. it was the custom for settlers to form themselves into companies, armed with a stick. mattock's and
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crow-bars. They would attack the principal dens of the reptiles and thus slay large numbers of them.
James Smith gave an incident concerning snakes worthy of being men- tioned in this connection: "While enroute from Edinburg in the summer of 1834. near the present site of the Baptist church. in the Scott neighborhood. my attention was attracted by a noise in the leaves near the roadside. I stopped suddenly and soon discovered that it was a combat for life between a rattlesnake and a blacksnake. Drawing near, the blacksnake became fright- ened at my presence and quickly disappeared in the brush. The rattlesnake. after a few seconds of apparent rest, crawled slowly away to the base of a small cliff. near the creck bank. Following a few paces behind me at first sight there seemed to me to be hundreds of those venomous reptiles. I im- mediately repaired to the nearest house, and with the father, sons and dogs. we returned to the spot armed with various implements of warfare, where we killed many rattlesnakes of all ages and sizes."
With the settlement of the country, a large proportion of the deadly species of snakes disappeared, leaving a few of the less harmful ones, which are found at this day in small numbers.
NATIVE ANIMALS.
Shelby county, originally was the home of many wild animals, including the deer, wolf. bear, panther. wild-cat. fox. otter. raccoon. ground-hog. skunk. mink, weasel. muskrat. oppossum. rabbit and squirrel. For the first few years the meat used by the pioneers was selected from the best of these wild animals. the venison being the most extensively used. The most troublesome of all was the wolf. he being the common enemy of the sheep and other domestic animals. The night was made hideous by their unearthly howling's. Bears and panthers were common. but not nearly so numerous. One thrilling incident must here find space, showing as it does the fury of the wild beast as found in Shelby county, when white men first set foot on the virgin soil :
"On one occasion in the year 1821 one Lewis Hendricks, who lived near School Section Ford. went to a neighbor by the name of Solomon George, who was a skillful hunter, and asked him to shoot a deer for him. George consented, and the two started upon the chase. They had not gone far when they suddenly happened upon two young bear cubs. George im- mediately said :"Now we'll have some fine sport." He directed Hendricks to pinch the ears of the cubs. Their loud and piteous cries soon caused the mother bear to appear on the scene of action and defend her young. George then took deliberate aim and fired. The bear turned back and ran, and Hen- dricks, being confident that she was fatally wounded. hastened to pursue her. He had not gone far. however, before the bear turned suddenly upon her then
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unarmed pursuer, and with great fury threw him to the ground. The. sitna- tion was critical. but with wonderful bravery and presence of mind. Hen- dricks doubled up his two fists and boldly pushed them into the mouth of the she-bear. In this desperate condition, the intrepid George rushed to the spot. and plunging his hunting knife deep into the bowels of the bear, saved his friend's life. Hendricks bore the scars of this fierce encounter ever after."
PIONEER DRESS AND EARLY FASHIONS.
With the settlement of every new country, each section has had its own peculiar manner of dress, owing to the part of the country in which their lot has been cast, the climate and other elements entering into the question. also.
In Shelby county the dress of the pioneer father and son was either a coon skin cap or home-made wool hat for the head. The feet were covered with moccasins made of deer skins and shoe-packs of tanned leather, but shoes were worn by most of the pioneers in Shelby county, except in the summer months, when both male and female went barefooted. The blue linsey hunting shirt was worn by men and boys, and as has been said by an early pioneer. "I never felt so happy and healthy since I laid it off." It was made with wide sleeves. open before, with ample room so as to envelop the body almost twice around. The pantaloons of the masses were made of deer skins and linsey. but to the early settler in Shelby county, cotton and jeans were more common.
As to how the women of early days went dressed. the following is quoted as being the vivid recollections of Aunt Susan Goodrich, given in her own language : "Now let me tell you how we made our dresses. When the right time of the year would come around. father. Cynthia and I would put up the flax-brake on the log sled and haul it down near the river. where there were plenty of nettles. Cynthia and I would carry nettles to father and he would break them. It took an armful to make a handful when it was broken. We would work on in this way until mother would say we had enough for one piece, and then we would hackle and spin it for chain : then take an equal quantity of wool cord and spin it for filling. We would then dye it in different colors by using different kinds of bark, place in the loom and weave it when we- would have beautiful striped linsey."
This, then, is the simple story told of a very simple process that was fraught. however, with great labor in producing cloth at an early day right here in Shelby county, now so well supplied with all the latest fashion plates and goods ( factory made) to produce all sorts of garments for both men and women. If the present generation are ever given to thinking they have a hard lot in life let them think of the early struggles our forefathers had to undergo in order to lay for us the foundations upon which today rests our great in- dustrial life.
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AN INTERESTING REMINISCENCE.
From an historical work which included bits of Shelby county history. we extract the following from the pen of Dr. Milton B. Robins :
"My Indian and hunting experiences are very limited. I never saw an Indian here, or killed a bear or wolf. The only beai story I have is, that one night a bear attacked a hog of ours, but we were afraid to interfere and he made a good meal for the bear. While going to mill I often saw several deer, but never killed one. We often heard packs of hungry wolves howling in the night. Our dogs were sometimes injured by attacking porcupines and getting their quills in their mouths, necks and paws. Squirrels were very plentiful and frequently ate nearly all the corn we planted. before it came through the ground : then in the autumn time would take a share of it as it was earing. The early settlers formed hunting parties, 'took sides' and offered premiums for squirrel scalps, the side killing the greatest number being award- ed the prize.
"In the early days the settlements were all confined to the low bottom lands, and we dreaded the fever and ague and bilious fever as we would now cholera, if it made its annual visits. This was before the days of quinine as a specific. Then the woods were one dense forest, the underbrush being nettles and pea-vines, often so thick one could scarcely penetrate them. Having no grain to feed. our horses were compelled to run out nights in order to obtain food. They would have to be hunted in the morning when the dew was on the vegetation, and a man would get very wet chasing them, and then go to work plowing in wet clothes and keep so until nearly noon.
"I have often wondered how a community could live with as little money as we had. The county was mostly settled by Kentuckians and Ohioans. with a few from Tennessee and the Carolinas and still less from Pennsylvania. It being just after the Indian wars of 1812-13. there was no foreign demand. We had nothing to sell. no one had money with which to buy. Everything was bartered: one dollar then would go as far as six now, but then it was really nominal. for we rarely handled a dollar.
"What little wheat we raised was cut by sickles, it being before even the days of cradles, and of course before reapers. We thought this never would be a wheat country, as the ground was so rich that the grain would fall down. After we began to raise more than we needed for home consumption, the near- est market place was Lawrenceburg and Michigan City-this way to the Ohio. and the other way to Lake Michigan. The old Michigan road would be lined up with wagons containing from ten to fifty bushels of wheat drawn by one yoke of oxen and one horse: by two horses, and by three and four-horse teams. They would be on the road ten days or two weeks, take their horse feed and provision's along with them, and bartered their wheat for salt, leather, cotton,
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yarn. coffee, etc. Hogs were driven the same routes to Michigan City of Cincinnati. The number of grain wagons in the fall of the year, and the hogs in the winter, was astonishing. as the hogs from the north as far as Crawfords- ville and Greencastle were driven through here to Cincinnati."
EARLY DAY TRADE AND COMMERCE.
In pioneer times the transactions of commerce were usually only neigh- borhood exchanges. Cash was little known : indeed they had but small use for it then. The barter system was a rather elastie yet quite complete in its work- ings. Pelts came nearer being "money" than anything else, as it came to be the fashion to estimate the value of almost any commodity by the present value of a coon skin. Even some tax collectors and postmasters were known to take peltries and exchange them for money required by the government. The products of the farm not needed at home. were taken to Lawrenceburg. by way of the State road or to Madison, by way of the Michigan road. January 24. 1824. Flatrock river was declared a navigable stream, and the public high- way from its mouth to Little Flat Rock and Blue rivers was declared navi- gable to the north line of Shelby county. January 28. 1828. Sugar creek was declared navigable to Mann's Mill. in Moral township. in Shelby county, and William Doble was made commissioner to keep it free from obstructions. Blue river was the first of these avenues of commerce used. The Goodrich Brothers. in the latter part of the twenties, built a flat-boat. loading it with various kinds of produce, launched on its placid waters, headed for New Orleans. This boat was a large one. and to get over the dam on Driftwood river, near Rockford. was of great concern to boatmen of those days. On this occasion Nathan Goodrich accompanied his father as far as the dam : there he left the boat and returned on foot. A man named Isley launched a boat the next season. Wil- liam Farris and a man named Vanasdol sent two boats from near Freeport. John C. Walker built and sent two boats from Shelbyville. Another was sent from Wolf's Mill, and still another with its cargo of lumber from the mouth of the Brandywine. In all about ten boats were thus sent out of Shelby county and landed finally at the wharf in New Orleans. The facts herein contained are largely gleaned from historic items gathered in the eighties. concerning this county and may be relied upon as true, being written as they were by men who had passed through the pioneer years of the country, with their fathers having been numbered among the "first settlers."
THE LOG CABIN.
Owing to the very nature of things, the American log cabin will ever have a place-a warm spot in the heart-in our national annals. It was
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these runde, vet quite comfortable abodes, which sheltered our forefathers and their families from the blinding storms of winter and the furious heat of a lurid summer sun. In it the infant was born and in it the young maiden died. Beneath its rough pole and "shake" roof. the voice of evening and morning prayers ascended. Here wedding's were solemnized and here political parties were founded. In such dwelling places as these log cabins, were born the great and eminent statesmen, poets and authers of by-gone years. Many a President. including Lincoln, first saw the light of day within the dingy walls of such a building. There are a few log houses left within this state- fewer occupied, but saved with a tender, almost sacred care, as relics-a place where grandfather and grandmother were married. or died. perhaps.
Before the last man who has seen such a building made, or lived within one, has gone from earth. it is the duty of the historian to make same befit- ting record of the manner in which these primitive buildings were erected. that those who follow after its may be informed on so interesting a question as the architecture of a log cabin, within the old Hoosier state.
After selecting a suitable location, near living water, a spring or running stream, if possible, trees of a uniform size were selected from the then ever- present immense forests. Owing to the size of the pioneer family, but logs usually about twelve to eighteen feet long were chosen and hauled to the building site, the underbrush having first been cleared away. On an appointed day the few neighbors who were available would assemble and proceed to have a "house raising." Each end of every log was saddled and notched so that they would lie as close down as possible; the next day the proprietor would proceed to "chink and daub" the cabin which his friends had made quick work at "raising." The house and chimney had to be re-daubed each autumn time. to be made warm and snow tight for winter use. The usual height of the house was from seven to eight fcet. The gables were formed by shortening the logs gradually at each end of the building near the top. The roof was made by laying very straight small legs or stout poles suitable dis- tances apart. generally about two and a half feet from gable to gable, and on these poles were laid the clapboards, after the manner of shingling, showing about two and a half feet to the weather. These clapboards were fastened to . the poles by "weight p les" corresponding in place with the joist just described and these again were held in place by "runs" or "knees." which were chunks of wood eighteen to twenty inches long fitted between then; near the ends. Clapboards were made from the nicest boards in the vicinity by chopping or sawing them into four-foot blocks and riving them with a "frow."
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