Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical., Part 64

Author: Blanchard, Charles, 1830-1903, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : F.A. Battey & Co.
Number of Pages: 982

USA > Indiana > Clay County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 64
USA > Indiana > Owen County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 64

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

569

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

his ears doubled up against the edges of the hole and held him fast, and all this time the "'possum " was snarling and growling as if he in- tended to try one snap at poor George's nose anyhow. George said afterward in telling the story, that he suffered terribly; he thought he could never get out; he had gone a considerable distance from the path; he was afraid to " holler " for fear of the "'possum," and if he did "holler" nobody could hear him; with his head in that hole, his voice would be smothered in the tree; he thought how, after it would be too late for him, his body would be found dead, and his nose and face eaten off by that starving "'possum," shut in that tree by his head, and compelled to eat him or starve. These horrible thoughts went trooping through his brain until, becoming desperate, he determined to pull his head out or-off. He braced himself for a mighty effort, and straining every nerve, he pulled and pulled for life; little by little the skin on his ears began to give, when by one last and supreme effort his head came out (not off), but minus the skin of his ears. George thought "'possum meat not much 'count nohow. "

But -- a stop must come somewhere to these reminiscences. I could go on, page after page, telling you of the musters, of the old-fash- ioned elections on the first Monday in August, of the log rollings (the spring after I was eighteen years of age I rolled logs thirty-one days). The corn "shuckings," the quilting, the old plays of the youngsters at night, after the day's shucking or chopping of the boys, and the quilting of the girls was over; when the old folks went home early, but the boys and girls didn't "go home till morning; " of how sweet and beautiful the girls were; of how gallant and brave some of the boys were, and how backward and bashful some of the others were who could never find a good place to put their hands and feet, and who could not have mustered up pluck or courage enough to kiss a girl to save their lives, and just loved them to death, too, all the time; of the grand old fishing sprees we used to have when whole neighborhoods would join with "racks," or brush drags and sweep the river for miles, catching wagon loads of choice fish; of the big time they had one day in Spencer, when Jonathan Franklin, a very quiet, peaceable man, whipped the bully of "Jordan; " of the times when "Town 9" thought they could any time and all the time whip "Town 11," and once in awhile "got left;" of the good old days when on election days the rival candidates would roll out barrels of whisky, and knock in the head-the Democrats in front of "Jim Young's " grocery, and the Whigs in front of Finley Johnson's cabinet shop-one side crying " Here's your Democrat whisky," the other answering " Here's your good old Whig whisky," each party flocking to their respective whisky, tin cups passed into the barrels empty and out full, until the drinkers got full, and then the fights the whisky made. We boys climbed up into the surrounding trees to see the fun and keep out of danger; of the days of flat-boating down White River in the spring of the year when the high water came; when the Wamplers, Alexan- ders and Gosses, of Gosport, and the Allisons and Dunns, of Spencer, loaded great flat-boats, of 100 feet in length, with corn, wheat, pork, lard and other produce of the county, and floated it away down the river, to New Orleans, to market. I could come down a little later, and tell of the doings of my own schoolmates of forty years ago. I could write page after page of the doings of Bill Young, Sam Dowdall, Ike Green, Bud Kelly, Sole and John Kelly, John and Ike Johnson, John

570

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

Will, Ed and Judge Allison, Bob and Tom McNaught, Ed and Bill Hunt, Aleck and Thomp Abrell, Curg Wood, Josh and Marion Franklin, John and Mar Blair, Tad Moore, Pete Hussey, Joe Eason and the never- equaled and never-to-be-forgotten John Coleman, and how he, at a wed- ding of one of the McNaught girls, ate the whole of the " custard, " about four gallons, provided for the entire party, and then asked one of the girls who waited on the table if they "had any more of that," pointing to the empty bowl, and the consternation of the hosts when they found that John had eaten all the choicest dish of the dessert. John Coleman is yet living, and declares that, in all his life, that four-gallon bowlful of custard was the best thing he ever tasted, and since then he has never had half enough custard at one time. Whenever he attended a gather- ing after that they always watched him, and handed to him his allowance on a separate dish

I might write pages of the doings of the fun-loving Southport girls; of their wit, their beauty; of the good times we used to have together; of the dances we used to have at Andy Pirtle's and Jim Eason's; of Mag, Julia and Nancy Hussey, Susan and Mag Moore; Lizzie and Dolly Hunt, Cath. McNaught, Louise and Ada Eason and others; how one Christmas Eve we had a dancing party at Sion W. Bray's on the hill south of Spencer, where Henry Keene now lives; how, after dancing un- til about 2 o'clock in the morning, Mag Hussey, Mag Moore, Cath. Mc- Naught and myself went into the kitchen and confiscated a fat roast goose (which Mrs. Bray was saving for her Christmas dinner), an armful of pies and cakes, and which about a dozen of us devoured outside the yard fence in the road, and of Mrs. Bray's disappointment and vexation when she discovered the loss; of the mysterious disappearance of choice watermelons, which left in the night, and many other mischievous pranks; of the loyalty of the boys and girls to each other; of the gentlemanly deportment of the young men of "our set;" that, with all our fun and mischief, a breath of scandal was never set afloat. With what loving and tender recollections the boys and girls of that set speak of each other to-day, and on all occasions when we meet. I might come yet a little further down, and write of Ben Emory Allison, Jack Freeland, and "Yank " Sullivan, Jim Johnson, and their associates, but it is useless for me to try to write of them; no mortal pen could do them justice; only in the great hereafter, some one with a pen made from a quill plucked from an angel's wing, with brain cleared from the clouds of mortality, can write their history. Of these old schoolmates and asso- ciates, many have "gone before," and we see them no more; some we left reposing in the "Sunny South," filling a soldier's grave; others have died at home in the midst of their families; of those left alive, some dis- tinguished themselves in battles in the late war-one in particular, Thomas A. McNaught, a brave and gallant officer. Gen. Crocker told the writer McNaught was the best skirmish officer in battle he ever saw, and that he fired the first shot at the Mexicans at the battle of Buena Vista, he being one of the extreme advance posts of Gen. Taylor's army. He is yet living, a veteran of two wars, and bears the distinguished rank of Brigadier General-a rank to which no other son of Owen County at- tained. May he live many years yet, and enjoy his well-won honors. Others of those old boys are Judges, bankers, lawyers, manufacturers, mechanics and farmers, all honorable and useful men in the communities in which they live. Those beautiful and sprightly girls are gray-haired

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HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

grandmothers now, many of them honored and respected, yet their eyes brighten and smiles come to their faces when we meet and talk over old times. If their grand-daughters grow up and make as good and useful women, it is all we could ask for them. In writing of those our old as- sociates, a thousand tender and pleasant memories throng the mind, but these are perhaps out of place in such a history as this, and this part of the subject must be closed, with the warmest greetings and heartfelt good wishes to all the old boys and girls of Owen County, to whom I owe so many pleasant hours and so many happy memories.

OTHER EARLY EVENTS.

The first "meeting house" in Spencer was built in 1824 on the lot upon which Capt. C. Patrick built his own residence. This church was built of logs, with clapboard roof, puncheon floor, and hewed puncheons for seats. . The preacher for this " meeting house " was Hugh Barnes, a man who was well fitted for the position he was called to fill at an early day. This house was also used as a schoolhouse, and James Galletly taught school in it. My mother went to school to him and remembers him well. Many of us much younger than she also remember the sturdy old Scotch- man. He was a man of varied attainments, and was a very useful mem- ber of the community-school teacher, Surveyor, architect, and a fine scholar, his services were largely in demand. Another Scotchman came at a later day, Alexander McClellan by name, a scholar and a gentle- man. He and Mr. Galletly often were together, both of them ardent ad- mirers of Robert Burns, and I have spent many hours a delighted auditor, when a boy, in the company of those two old Scotchmen, listening to their tales of their beloved Scotland, and hearing them recite Burns' Poems hour after hour. They seemed to have committed to memory everything Burns had ever written.

The first merchants in Spencer were James M. H. Allison and Sam- uel Howe. They bought their goods in Louisville, Ky., and had them hauled out here by four and six-horse teams. I well remember the old " wagoners," as they were called-William Brady, Francis Hickman, Jonathan Bivans, and others. When they drove into Spencer with their four and six-horse teams before an immense Virginia wagon, with bear- skin housings over the shoulders of each horse, and with three musical bells attached to the hames of each of the leaders, it created a sensation and attracted all of us boys, as the grand procession of a circus and menagerie does the boys of to-day. These teams hauled to Louisville the deer skins, coon skins, all kinds of fur skins and feathers, etc., taken in trade for goods, and thus the barter went on.

The first tavern in the county was in Spencer, kept by Philip Hedges, sign of Gen. Andrew Jackson in full.regimentals. Amongst the first of my recollections is of that to me gorgeous and wonderful sign, the first I ever saw. The sign was painted in the highest style of the art at that time. It was painted in the bluest of blue, and the yellowest of yellow; it was the pride of the county, and the wonder of all beholders. For fear that Hedges or some other "tavern keeper " might overcharge the good people of Owen County for entertainment for man and beast, the County Commissioners established at their first session the following:

BILL OF PRICES FOR TAVERNS FOR THE YEAR 1819.

For French brandy, per one-half pint. .50 cents.

For French brandy, per gill. 25 cents.

572

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

For rum, per one-half pint. 50 cents.

For rum, per gill. .25 cents.

For gin, per one half pint. .50 cents.

For gin, per gill .. 25 cents.

For whisky, per pint. 25 cents.

12} cents.

For whisky, per one-half pint.

For wine per quart ..

For less quantity, in proportion

For one warm meal.

.25 cents.

For cold check. 12₺ cents.

For horse standing to hay with a sufficient quantity of corn or oats. 25 cents.

The first brick house built in the county was by Philip Hart, where the fine residence of Calvin Fletcher now stands near Spencer, and the old brick which Hart made is now part of the material of the new resi- dence. The remainder of the material of which this splendid residence is composed, is of the brick from the "Old Seminary," which was torn down several years ago. The first blacksmith in the county was James Bircham; first carpenters, James Lathrop, Philip and Findley B. John- son; first tanner, James M. Archer; first lawyer, Thomas F. G. Adams. There are quite a number yet living who remember the convivial habits, brilliant wit and fervid eloquence as well as the free-and-easy ways of "Tom Adams." The first Doctor was Amasa Joslin, who married Mary Ann Allison. The old Doctor has left many representatives of his name in the county. S. Joslin, our grain and coal man, is one of his sons. Dr. Amasa Joslin came here in 1820. The principal ailment of the peo- ple, was one very prevalent in all the new settlements, the chills and fever, or as the early settlers called it the "fever'n ager." During the fall and spring months, the rich alluvial soil of the valley of the White River bred miasma at a rapid rate, and "shaking" was the fashion. The almost invariable prescription was calomel and jalap. I can well remember Dr. Joslin, and can distinctly recall the long, thin yellow faces of those who used to call at the Doctor's office for a " dost of calomy and jolop," or a "dost of calomy and alloways" (aloes), which was fre- quently substituted.

The first taxes collected in this county were in the year 1819; total amount, $51.36.

The records of the county at this time were kept in small books and without system, and are very incomplete. Many of those small old books are lost, and for this reason many things of interest in the early history of this county are entirely lost, and can never be replaced. I have tried to get that which I thought of interest. The space I am ex- pected to occupy in this book is small, but I could fill up far more space. What I have got, I have tried to get as true and accurate as pos- sible, and where any gap occurs it is where I could get no reliable data. In a little old pasteboard-back book, evidently home made, which is la- beled "Annual Summary Register of Oweu County," I obtain the fol- lowing facts:

COUNTY EXPENDITURES-1819.

To John Mitchell, County Commissioner, for services. $ 28 00

To Thomas McNaught, County Commissioner, for services. 30 00

To John F. Ross, Prosecutor, for services. 75 00

To John R. Freeland, Clerk, for services.

50 00

To Andrew Evans, Sheriff, for services. 98 25

To William Alexander, Lister, for services. 20 00

To Richard Morris, Circuit Court Bailiff. 3 00

To twelve Grand Jurors, two days, 75 cents each. 18 00

Total amount of orders chargeable to 1819. $348 75

$1.75.

573

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

1820-James A. Steele, John Johnson, Jesse Evans, County Com- mission ers; Hugh Barns, Joseph Freeland, Associate Judges; John R. Freeland, Clerk; Andrew Evans, Sheriff; John Mitchell, Lister. Total amount orders chargeable to 1820, $550.26.

1821 -- John R. Freeland, Clerk ; Andrew Evans, Sheriff; John Dunn, Treasurer; Joseph Freeland, Hugh Barns, Associate Judges; John Johnson, Samuel Risley, County Commissioners; Montgomery Leonard, Lister. Total amount orders chargeable to 1821, $425.53}.

1822-John R. Freeland, Clerk ; Andrew Evans, Sheriff; William Linsay, Lister; James A. Steele, Samuel Risley, William Baker, Com- missioners. Total orders chargeable to 1822, $463.25.

1823 -- John Johnson, Thomas Bush, Philip Hedges, Commissioners; Isaac Naylor, Commissioners' Attorney; Daniel . Harris, Reuben McDan- iel, Associate Judges; John R. Freeland, Clerk; Thomas Allen, Sheriff. Total orders chargeable to 1823, $532.50.

1824-Paid to James Galletly for ascertaining the center of the public square, $1.50; paid to same for drawing plan of court house, $7.50.

1824 -- Philip Hedges, Edmund Jeans, Amon P. Howe, Commission- ers; John R. Freeland, Clerk; Thomas Allen, Sheriff; Philip Hedges, Coroner; Daniel Harris, Associate Judge; twelve jurors on first Coroner's inquest in the county, $9.00. Total orders chargeable to 1824, $395.95.

1825 -- John Dunn, William Bull, Associate Judges; John R. Free- land. Clerk; Thomas Allen, Sheriff; Daniel Harris, Lister. Total orders chargeable to 1825, $312.614.

1826 -- John Dunn, William Bull, Associate Judges; John R. Free- land, Clerk; Thomas Allen, Sheriff; Montgomery Leonard, Treasurer; Daniel Harris, Robert M. Wooden, Listers; John Dunn, County Agent. Total orders chargeable to 1826, $360.10}.

The next in this book, is seven orders for various services at the March term, 1827, when the record is resumed by Thomas C. Johnson as Clerk, February 8, 1833. He starts in with a new method of keeping the record which is less labor for the Clerk, but does not give the infor- mation which the late Clerk John R. Freeland's method gave. The rec- ord from March, 1827, to February, 1833, was not to be found. Before leaving the very satisfactory records of John R. Freeland, and in order to preserve the names of those who assisted in the location of the towns of Lancaster and Spencer, the county seats, I give the following extracts, from the same old pasteboard-back book:

Expense of laying off the Town of Lancaster-

To John Milroy, Commissioner $21 00

To Thomas Allen, Commissioner. 33 00

To Toussant Dubois, Commissioner 30 00

To William Bruce, Commissioner. 30 00

To John Ingle, Commissioner . 30 00

To James Galletly, for surveying. 8 00

To Daniel Harris, Chairman. 2 50

To Abner Alexander, Chairman

2 50

To David Johnson, for marking

2 50

To Samuel Fain, agent .. 20 00

To Andrew Evans, for supplying State Commissioners. 40 00

Total

$210 00

The above total, which is the footing on the old book, is a wrong addition-$219.50 is the true amount.

574

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

Expense locating the Town of Spencer-

To payment to John Tipton, as State Commissioner $39 00

To payment to James Ward, as State Commissioner . 39 00

To payment to Patrick Callan, as State Commissioner. 36 00

To payment to Samuel Fain, for recording bond. 50

To payment to Samuel Fain, as agent. 25 5

To payment to Samuel Fain, for recording four bonds.

2 00

To payment to Samuel Alexander, for carrying chain .. 5 00

To payment to John R. Freeland, for carrying stakes for town 1 00

To payment to Andrew Evans, for services in laying off town .

3 00

To payment to James Bigger, crying sale of lots.

10 00

To payment to John Dunn, for services in laying off town .. 11 50

To payment to Thomas Allen, for services in laying off town ..

8 50

To Arthur Johnson, for services in laying off town. 3 50

To Enoch Beem, for services in laying off town. 7 75

To James Bigger, for services in laying off town

14 50

To James Galletly, for surveying Spencer

70 00.

To James Bigger, for recording town plat.

3 72

To Andrew Evans, for clerk for sale of lots.

500

To Joshua Matheny, for ferrying on the day of sale of lots.

To George Ham, from Spencer to Southport

1 25

To George Hamilton, for surveying. 1 00

To Samuel Fain, 3 per cent on $971. 29 13

Total. $533 85

To John Dunn, for whisky at sale of lots $ 9 87}

To John Johnson, for whisky. 1 123

To Samuel Fain, for advertising and letting public well. 1 50

To Andrew Evans, for advertising and letting jail. 1 50

To John Dunn, as Treasurer, { per cent commission on $46, 1 50

To Philip Hedges, for clearing the public square. 25 25

1822.

To James Galletly, for surveying Southport $16 75

To James Bigger, crying second sale of lots in Spencer. 5 00

To Thomas Allen, for whisky . 7 59

To James Bigger, crying third sale of lots in Spencer. 5 00

To John Johnson, for whisky. 1 50

To John Dunn, for whisky. 1 25

In the latter part of this old book, in the handwriting of John R. Freeland, is the following exhibit of the county finances, for the years stated :

1819.

Cr. Revenue of 1819. Gross'amount $ 51 36

Dr. Commission 3 08

Dr. Delinquents 5 37}

Net Cr. To Cash to County Treasurer 42 90

Dr. To Expenditures, Total. 345 84

Owen County, Dr. to 1819. Total amount, $305.84.

1820.

Dr. To Expenditures. Amount Total. $ 554 76

Cr. By Revenue for 1820 76 87

Dr. To Commission 4 71

Dr. To Delinquents . 19 87₺

Cr. By net payment to Treasury. 52 28

Owen County, Dr. to 1820. Total amount, $502.48.

5 00

To John M. Young, for clerk for sale of lots.

575

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

1821.

Dr. To Expenditures. 'Amount Total. $ 425 53}

Cr. By Revenue. Gross Amount 162 87}

Dr. To Commission 9 77

Dr. To Delinquents 48 37

Cr. By net payment to Treasury. 52 28

Owen County, Dr. to 1821. Total amount, $320.20.

1822.

Dr. To Expenditures. $ 463 25

Cr. By Revenue. Gross Amount. 256 59

Dr. To Commission 15 39

Dr. To Delinquents 199 09

Cr. By net payment to Treasury. 42 10

Owen County, Dr. to 1822. Amount total, $421.15.

1823.

Dr. To Expenditures. $ 532 70

Cr. By Revenue. Gross Amount 377 44

Dr. To Commission 22 64

Dr. To Delinquents 56 12

Cr. By net payment to Treasury 298 68

Owen County, Dr. to 1822. Total amount, $434.02.

1824.

Dr. To Expenditures $ 395 95

Cr. By Revenue. Gross Amount. 332 05

Dr. To Commission 21 68

Dr. To Delinquents . 45 64

Cr. By net amount paid to Treasury 264 73

Owen County, Dr. to 1824 .. $102.91.

1825.

To Expenditures. $ 312 61

Cr. By Revenue. Amount gross. 330 91

Dr. To Commission 19 85

Dr. To Delinquents 33 02

Cr. By net amount paid to Treasury. 278 04

Owen County, Dr. to 1825. Total amount, $34.57.

The above method of book-keeping would hardly meet the present requirements of the County Auditor.

The next record found, in or about the Auditor's office in relation to county affairs, is the Commissioners' Order Book, No. 2, 1833 to 1839. Hon. Amory Kinney was Circuit Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, of which this county was a part. Term, April 15, 1833, William Dunning and Alexander Eason, Associate Judges. The County Commissioners were Elijah Chambers, Wiley Williams and Frederick Hauser.

Commissioners' Court, September term, 1832-Wooden Hester and Howard, were licensed to vend foreign merchandise in the town of Gos- port, for one year, for which they were charged $10. Col. John Franklin (father of Hon. William M. Franklin) was allowed $38 for services as Road Commissioner, to locate the State road from Wood's Ferry to Greencastle, Ind. He was afterward made Commissioner and Superin-

576

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

tendent of the expenditure of $1,500 of the 3 per cent fund, to improve the same road.

James M. H. Allison wa taxed $10 for one year's license to vend for- eign merchandise in Spencer. George Duignan, the same tax for the same purpose. Dr. Amasa Joslin, the County Agent, was ordered to make improvements on the public well, "this court believing the same to be of public utility to the citizens of this county, and that this court will order payment for said contract."

November term, November 5, 1832-Present, Elijah Chambers, Presi- dent of the Board, Wiley Williams and Frederick Hauser. William Altom, Thomas Hellum and Shedrick Stockton were exempted from payment of poll tax, they being over sixty years of age.

Noah Allison was taxed $10 for license to vend foreign merchandise. It was ordered that -- Lacey be appointed County Surveyor, for the county of Owen. Isaac Chambers was allowed $11 for building an estray pen in Spencer, and for gate and hangings for the same.

January term, 1833-Buckner Dickerson and Richard Walden were allowed $4.32} each, as chain carriers. Nathan Burchfield 90 cents for marking, and Jesse J. Burton $3.12} for surveying the State road from Spencer to Terre Haute. James M. H. Allison was appointed agent for the Owen County Library, and required to give bond in the sum of $450.

A map of the State road from Spencer to Bowling Green is recorded on page 21 of this book (order book No. 2), signed by John Dunn, Jesse McIntire and Henry Allen, Commissioners. A ferry-boat was ordered built for the county, of the following dimensions: "The gunnels to be forty-seven feet long, of good sound yellow poplar timber, and two feet deep seven inches thick at the bottom, and two and a half at the top; pins to be of white oak, stern and bow pieces to be of oak of suf- ficent size, framed in the gunnels, one wide streamer bottom, to be cov- ered with yellow poplar plank two inches thick; floor to be laid with poplar plank one and one-half inches thick and one foot wide; three good ash oars."

March term, 1833-It was ordered that from and after this date, any person producing a wolf-scalp over six months old, shall be allowed $1, and each wolf-scalp under six months old, 50 cents. George W. Moore was appointed County Treasurer for one year; bond $20,000.

Jacob Harsh was appointed Pound Keeper, and ordered to procure a lock for said pound, at the expense of the county. Thomas Landers got the first money for wolf-scalps -$2 for two wolf-scalps. Abner Frasier was appointed Collector of State and County Revenue for one year; bond $5,000.

Joseph G. Stevenson was appointed Commissioner to receive and lay out the three per cent fund on the State road from Wood's Ferry to Spencer.

ASSESSMENT FOR TAXATION FOR THE YEAR 1833.

On first rate land per acre. $ 15

On second rate land per acre. 12

On third rate land per acre. 9

On town lots 1} per centum on valuation.

On horses, asses and mules, each. . 50

On stud-horses and jackasses, at the rate they severally stand by the season.

On oxen per head. 37 5

On all watches, each. 50

Respectfully Mons M.M. Franklin

579

HISTORY OF OWEN COUNTY.

On brass clocks, each.

On four-wheel pleasure carriages, each. 2 00

On two-wheel pleasure carriages, each. 1 50

On Goss & Alexander's Ferry 4 00

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Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical., Part 64

Author: Blanchard, Charles, 1830-1903, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : F.A. Battey & Co. Number of Pages: 982

Author: Blanchard, Charles, 1830-1903, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : F.A. Battey & Co.
Number of Pages: 982