USA > Indiana > Brown County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 14
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 14
USA > Indiana > Morgan County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 14
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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.
trees could thus be found. The Hamiltons, on one occasion, discovered a fine bee tree on the present site of Morgantown, from which almost a tub- ful of the finest candied honey was obtained. The old settlers, many of them, did not fare so badly after all.
INCIDENTS OF THE CHASE.
One day Mr. Daugherty discovered a half-grown bear near his cabin. The details of the encounter which occurred are not fully known, but. were about as follows : He took his rifle and a big butcher knife and ac- companied by his dog cautiously approached the bear, which he fired upon, but for some reason only gave it an ugly wound. The shock prostrated the animal and Mr. Daugherty, who was near, hurried up to bleed it, but when within a few feet of it the savage animal sprang up, and in a moment was upon the settler with mouth open and eyes of fire. Mr. Daugherty was a man of great physical strength and courage, and when he thus found himself in the embrace of the bear, he began to ply his butcher knife with all his strength and skill. Ere many blows were struck, however, the knife was knocked from his hand. In the meantime, the dog had been gnawing industriously at the posterior extremity of the bear, but seemed to make scarcely any impression. About the time the knife was knocked down, Mrs. Daugherty appeared upon the scene, armed with a sharp case-knife, and probably the broom, and Mr. Daugh- erty called out to her to hand him the knife, which she quickly did, and the bear, which was weakening from the effects of the rifle shot, was soon dispatched. The struggle had been very short, and was within a few rods of the cabin. The above is the way the story was told to the writer. Another incident is told of one of the Kemps, equally as thrilling. This settler, while hunting in the woods with his big dog, saw a catamount, which he shot at and wounded in the shoulder. He was so close to the animal that as soon as he had fired, enraged with the pain of the shot, it turned and bounded for the hunter, but was met by the dog, and in an instant the two animals were fiercely locked together. Notwithstanding the wound which had been inflicted upon the catamount, the fight had. scarcely begun ere it became evident that the dog would come out, so to speak, at the little end of the horn. The catamount seized it by the neck and was furiously shaking it, when Mr. Kemp, who could not bear to see his faithful old dog torn in pieces, rushed up, knife in hand, leaped as- traddle of the beast and drove his knife into its neck. This stroke seemed to settle affairs, as the catamount released its hold on the dog, and was soon dead. During the first few years, wolves were very numerous and often troublesome. Sometimes in the night, when the weather was very cold and snow lay deep upon the ground, they became so hungry and fierce that they did not hesitate to attack even man. On one occasion, Hugh Adams went probably in the southern part of the township for a. piece of fresh beef, and upon his return was somewhat belated. He had gone but a short distance before the wolves scented the fresh meat and were soon stealthily following him. The settler with his meat on his- shoulders, all he could conveniently carry, first heard the howl of a soli- tary wolf. This was repeated, and another was heard and then another and another, until the woods behind him were filled with a chorus of the
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JACKSON TOWNSHIP.
terrifying sounds. The traveler, anxious for his own safety as well as for that of the beef, hurried on as fast as he could with his load. The wolves came closer and closer and then seemed to hesitate, though they still kept coming up. On ran the settler and on came his pursuers. In a little while, the clearing of home was reached, and soon both meat and settler were safe in the cabin. It was a narrow escape, as he would no doubt have been attacked. He could have thrown down his beef, which would have delayed them, but they would have been all the hungrier and fiercier for the morsel. Incidents like these might be multiplied without limit.
MILLS, DISTILLERIES, ETC.
About the year 1830, Joshua Whiteley built a small corn-cracker on Indian Creek, just east of Morgantown. Of course, water was the motor, and the wheel was of the tub or bucket kind. It is said the owner would leave it for hours at a time, and, upon returning, would find the grist ground. He had an old dog that became very fond of corn meal, and sometimes when the master had left the mill to run itself the old dog would enter, seat himself on his haunches and lick up the meal as fast as it fell from the spout. The manufacture of meal was so slow that it would not come down as fast as the canine desired, whereupon he would howl dismally until another mite had fallen. The reader may take the story for what it is worth. A few years after this corn-cracker was built, James Blair erected another on the creek a short distance west of town. This was operated until about 1840, when it was abandoned. Joshua Bowles also built a grist mill near town late in the thirties, which ran for eight or ten years and did good work. The old Vansicke Mill at Maha- . lasville was built in the forties, and under various owners and with many improvements is yet in operation. It was originally built by John Coon- field. David Haase owned a small distillery where apple and peach brandy and corn and rye whisky were manufactured. Considerable good liquor was made here. It was moved across the line into Washington Township, and was conducted after the last war.
MORGANTOWN.
This town was first laid out in the month of March, 1831, by Robert Bowles and Samuel Teeters, owners and proprietors. Fifty-two lots were laid out on the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 25, and the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 24, Township 11 north, Range 2 east. For some reason this plat was not satisfactory, as in 1836 the lots were laid out anew (on the south side of the main east and west street at least). The first resident on the present town site was no doubt Samuel Teeters, who located there in 1828. He was afterward joined by John Bowles, John Whitington, Avery Magee, Andrew Shell, Thomas Hudiburgh, Hugh Adams, Thomas Lockhart, John Fee, Samuel Law- rence, William Woods, James McIntire, John Fesler, William Fesler, James Pratt, John Francis, Timothy Obenchain, Henry Hamilton, Robert McNaught, Reuben Griffitt, John Hudiburgh, William Fee, Col. John Vawter, Samuel Lawrence, Gabriel Givens, Thomas Teeters, D. D. Med- del, James Blair, J. J. Kelso, and many others. In 1836, the village had
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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.
a population of about fifteen families, or seventy persons. Dr. Samuel R. Trower was the first resident physician ; James Pratt and William Fesler were the first blacksmiths; John Fee was the first Postmaster ; Lewis Lake made the first set of harness in the town; William Adams began selling liquor in 1831, and Thomas Hudiburgh opened a general store in 1832; Henry Hamilton began selling liquor in 1833 ; Samuel and Henry Lawrence and Avery Magee opened a liquor store in 1834. At this time the sale of liquor was certainly in a flourishing condition. It will be remembered that many of the early settlers came from Kentucky-the land of good whisky, fast horses and beautiful women. In 1835, Col. John Vawter sent a stock of general merchandise, worth about $3,000, in charge of James Chambers, to Morgantown, but did not go there himself until years afterward. John Fee opened the first store of goods, how- ever, in 1834. He started, it is said, with about $2,000 worth of goods. In 1835, Thomas Lockhart opened a liquor store. Liquor establishments in those days were called "groceries." The other term is used here to prevent misunderstanding. Mr. Lockhart soon changed his stock to general merchandise. John McKinley opened a "grocery " in 1836, and James Norman the same soon afterward. James Reville, an old bachelor, commenced selling liquor in 1836. Thomas Edwards opened a shoe shop in 1837. It was during this year that Martin & Crocker brought to the village about $4,000 worth of goods. A few years later, the firm became Seaman & Crocker. S. R. Trower & Son became mer- chants in 1837, and Preston Doty the same year. Eli Murphy sold mer- chandise in 1838. In 1839, H. C. Martin, who had been in with Crocker, started a new store on his own account. E. St. John sold liquor in 1839. Vawter, Hudiburgh, Trower, Fee, the Lawrences, Hamilton, Peter Keeney, and perhaps others, were in business in 1839 and 1840. In 1841, Downing & Guthridge opened a store. During the forties, the leading merchants were several of the above, also Fesler & Seaman, James Baldwin, Fesler & Egbert, Rogers & Coleman, and others. Afterward came John W. Knight, Andrew S. and James Hickey, John Collett, and on still later, Col. W. A. Adams, Butler, Patter- son & Neeley. Col. Vawter continued in business until his death in about 1864. He started back in the thirties, but did not live in the village until later. He became a prominent citizen. R. M. Dill came later. William Fesler was Col. Vawter's partner, and continued the busi- ness after the latter's death, and until his own death in 1868. Samuel Hamilton was in the mercantile business in the sixties. His successor was James Horton. Horton's partner later was Rosengarden. James Hickey, J. O. & J. S. Coleman, hardware; Freeman & Montgomery, Mate Kerlin, drugs, about 1857. The first harness shop of consequence was kept by George and Milton McNaught, in the forties. Thomas A. Rude, drugs; A. C. Payn, drugs; Knox & McPheters, drugs ; Ar- nold & Neal, drugs ; J. S. Kephart, livery, in the sixties ; Rude & Canatsey, same, burned down; Israel Egbert, livery ; Lee & Enos, same; Mrs. Eliza Walker, millinery goods, in the sixties.
MANUFACTORIES.
Obenchain & Lake owned and conducted quite an extensive cabinet
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JACKSON TOWNSHIP.
shop early in the forties. The Feslers were in the same business, together with wagons and buggies, in the thirties. T. J. Lamb conducted a wagon shop later. It is said that William Wood manufactured the first wagons in town. One of the earliest and most noteworthy industries was the linseed oil mill built by John Fee about the year 1835. Much more flax was raised in those times, comparatively, than now. Almost every farmer owned a flax field. The seed found its way into Fee's mill, where it was crushed by iron rollers, heated until the oil had run out and then pressed into cakes, and sold for food to stock. Five or six hands were constantly employed, and hundreds of gallons of the oil were barreled and transported to market. The enterprise continued eight or ten years. Early in the fifties, James McAllister built a woolen mill, where for four or five years large amounts of wool were carded, but no spinning or weaving was done. He also owned a saw mill. Mr. Lang built the big grist mill near the depot many years ago. The grinding has run down at present. William 'Hickey manufactured large quantities of plug tobacco about twenty years ago, continuing about three years. He used all the tobacco raised for miles around, and brought in considerable from outside points. The present population of the town is about 800.
PRESENT BUSINESS PURSUITS.
Dry goods, Clarence H. Jones, G. W. Buckner, W. B. Hill, J. H. Hickey & Son, Mrs. M. L. Walker. Groceries, I. N. Coonfield, Gibson & Son, Moses Wooden. Hardware, George Montgomery. Drugs, W. M. Berry & Co., M. T. Hancock. Furniture and undertaking, Peter Fesler. Millinery, Mrs. M. L. Walker, Paulina Vandergriff, Mrs. L. G. Karst. Agricultural implements, C. H. Obenchain, J. W. Crawford & Son. Barber, A. L. Gross. Hotels, Charles Saltcorn, James Santifer.
Photographer, James Walker. Butchers, George Overstreet, Harry Jackson. Carpenters and builders, Fesler Brothers, Jeremiah Kelso. Doctors, R. C. Griffitt, W. H. Butler, Mr. Selfridge, Ira Willen. Saw mill and lumber, M. J. Bell. Grist mills, R. M. Dill, W. S. Coleman. Harness, J. M. Neeley. Boots and shoes, James Hickey. Liveries, J. K. Coffman, W. H. Fesler. Lawyers, Judge Ramsey, W. L. Rude, J. V. King. Common sense bee hives, Sprague & Patterson. High School Professor, James Henry, 1882-83. Secret societies, Masons, Odd Fel- lows and Knights of Honor. The village was incorporated about 1870, but was not continued thus.
EDUCATION.
Schools were started in the vicinity of Morgantown, under the pat- ronage of the residents of that neighborhood, about the year 1830. A log schoolhouse was built east of town, and was used until about 1834, when another was built in town. This was used until 1840, when a frame schoolhouse took its place. John Fee donated the lot. The first teacher in town cannot be named. Milton Guthridge, John Vitito and James Hogeland were early teachers, but not the first. Early in the fifties a new frame schoolhouse was built which was used continuously until the present brick building was built, about ten years ago, at a cost of $3.700, Mr. Demoss being the contractor. Cathcart, Kennedy, Shuck, Morris
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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.
and others have taught in this house. It is a fine two-story brick build- ing, and is a credit to the town and township. It was built by the town- ship, and is called the Jackson Township High School. It was during the latter part of the decade of the thirties that schools were started in the western, southern and northern portions. In 1840, there were four es- tablished schools, and in 1850, three more.
RELIGIOUS CLASSES.
A class of the Christian denomination was organized at Morgantown early in the forties, among the members being the families of John Fesler, Albert Roberts, John Trower, George W. McNaught and others. The class was small and did not grow rapidly. After a few years they were strong enough to build a frame church in the eastern part of the town. This house was used until the present brick was erected early in the sev- enties, at a cost of about $3,000. The Methodists had the first class in Morgantown. It was organized not far from 1836. The early member- ship comprised among others the families of Reuben Griffitt, A. S. Hickey, David Howell, James Pratt, John Cochran, Samuel C. Hamilton, James A. Coeplin, Daniel H. Warner, Larkin DeHart and others. In December, 1844, James Pratt, for $10, deeded to the class a piece of land 31x31 feet on Lot 64. upon which the following year a log church was built. This house was used until about the beginning of the last war, when the present frame structure was erected at a cost of $2,000. The class is considerably run down at present, and needs some evangelist to stir it up. About 1845, a German Methodist class was organized in the northern part. The families of Christian Hess, George Weamer, Michael Knipstine, Fred Miller, David Bowling, Conrad Muth, Fred Truckess and others belonged. The class divided soon, one branch be- coming German Lutherans, at the head being Michael Knipstine, Henry Cook, Andrew Gross and others. Their church was built after a few years. Late in the forties, the Mount Nebo Methodist Church was organ- -ized. William Howell, Daniel Moore, Mansfield Moore, Martin L. Creed, Ed Ferguson and William H. Jackson were leading members, the latter being pastor in 1851. Their church was built after a few years. A Baptist Church was built at Morgantown in the fifties, the whole ex- pense, or nearly so, being borne by Col. Vawter. It was a brick build- ing, and is said to have cost $2,000. This church was succeeded, four or five years ago, by the present frame building, which cost $2,100. Later churches have been started by the Methodists and Baptists. There are now in the township nine churches. This speaks well for the morals of the township.
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CLAY TOWNSHIP.
CLAY TOWNSHIP.
THE BARNES FAMILY.
TN the month of December, 1819, Benjamin Barnes, a resident of Connersville, Ind., packed what little household goods he owned in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen, and with his wife and family of two sons and four daughters started westward for the "White River Country." This country, or that portion of it known as the New Purchase, had been secured by treaty from the Indians only a little more than a year before, and was already attracting the attention of settlers seeking homes. Mr. Barnes and family were accompanied by John Butterfield, Sr., and Hiatt Butterfield (who was not a relative of John Butterfield's), both of whom came out with him to look at the country with a view to future settlement. Not a hog, sheep. horse or a head of cattle except the yoke of oxen, was brought out. Mr. Barnes was poor, and had not even enough money to enter a tract of land had the same been in market, which was not yet the case. The family crossed White River, either at the bluffs, or, which is more likely, at the Stotts settlement, a few miles farther down the river, and soon arrived at a point about two miles southeast of Center- ton, where Mr. Barnes decided to make a permanent location. The weather was cold, and a temporary camp was prepared for the comfort of the family, and the men immediately afterward began to cut logs for a cabin. The rude building was completed in two or three days, and the family were soon ensconced therein, and made as comfortable as possible. The floor was the bare earth, the roof was bark and clap-boards hastily cut out, and the door was of the same material. The most important feature in the room was a big fire-place, filled with blazing logs which im- parted heat, cheerfulness and comfort to the small room. A floor of puncheons was afterward added as soon as possible. Mr. Barnes and all the members of his family, as soon as their home was made comfortable, went to work to clear and deaden a tract of land for a crop for the coming season. By April, 1820, they had thirty acres deadened, and partly cleared, the greater portion of which was planted with corn and vegetables, the former having been brought out the December before, and the latter about seeding time. Here the Barnes family lived for several years. Their first land was bought on the 5th of September, 1820, the second day of the sale.
OTHER EARLY SETTLERS.
As soon as the Barnes cabin had been built, John Butterfield went back to Connorsville where his family resided. In the following Septem- ber, he went to Terre Haute, and bought 160 acres of land on Section 1. Township 12 north, Range 1 east, lying about a mile and a half south- east of Centerton, and early the following spring (1821) came out with his sons Velorus and John H., and three hired men, named respectively Adams, Sanford and Bliven, and in a few weeks cleared about six acres,
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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.
and erected a cabin. A crop of corn was cultivated during the summer by one of the boys, who boarded with the Barnes family. In the fall of 1821, the Butterfield family, consisting of the father, mother, five sons and one daughter, took up their permanent residence in this new home.
Some time after the establishment of the Stotts settlement in Green Township in 1819, the date not being known, but certainly prior to the 1st of March, 1820, Maj. James Stotts and his son Robert C. built a cabin, and permanently located on a tract of land about three miles south- east of Centerton. It is likely that this occurred during the fall of 1819, or the winter of 1819-20. About the same time the family of John Hodge located in the same neighborhood. On Tuesday the 3d of April, 1820, George Matthews and his three sons, John, Alfred and Calvin, ac- companied by a man named William Dorman, came in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen to the cabin of Maj. Stotts. There the rude wagon road that had been cut out ended, and the men were obliged to cut their way onward. After several hours they reached the present site of Centerton, where Mr. Matthews concluded to locate permanently. A log cabin was built and the work of clearing and deadening was begun. John Matthews says that there' were but three families in Clay Township when he arrived as above stated, and they lived on the east side of White Lick Creek. They were those of Benjamin Barnes, Maj. James Stotts and John Hodge. Several other families arrived later in 1820, among them being those of Jacob Case, John Clark, Isaiah Drury, Elijah Lang. With- in the next three or four years there came John Stipp, George A. Phelps, Alexander Cox, Jonathan Lyon, Ezekiel Slaughter, James Lang, David Matlock, Benjamin and Enoch McCarty, Francis Brock, Martin McDan- iel, William Jones, John McMahon, William Matlock, Hiram Matthews, John A. Stipp, Abraham Stipp, David Spencer, Lewis Deaton, William Powell, G. W. Bryant, John, David, Samuel and William Scott, Michael Stipp, Edward Brady, John McDaniel, Moses Slaughter, Dr. Eli Run- nels and many others. Still later came William Morgan, Eli Rinker, David Collins, Jesse and Eli Overton, Abraham Griggs, James Noble. J. B. Maxwell, Dabney Gooch, John Robb, John Albertson, Adam Spoon, Jesse, William and Jeremiah Poe, Jesse Gooch, William Moss, Levi Col- lins, William Collins and others. The sons of John Butterfield were Velorus, John H. and Merannoe. Those of Alexander Cox were John, Paul and William. Those of George Matthews were John, Alfred, Cal- vin, James and George. Those of Jonathan Lyon were Harrison and Jonathan, Jr.
The following men were assessed a poll tax in Clay Township in 1842 : J. P. Anderson, Samuel Allen. A. Ayres, M. Brody, Cyrus Bowles, John Bowles, W. T. Bull, John Boyd, Lorenzo D. Bain, William Boyd, J. S. Bryant, Eli Bray, Anderson Brown, Valorus Butterfield, Thomas Bryant, Eli Bowles, Archibald Boyd, David Bowles, L. G. Butterfield, D. A. Butterfield, Wesley Creed, Charles Cox, William Cox, Paul Cox, James Carder, Alexander Clark, W. F. Childs, James Cox, William Kennedy, Robert A. Childs, James Cross, John Creed, D. L. Collins, W. E. Carter, Joseph Claghorn, David Collins, John Crank, John Cox, William Dorman, Brently Deaton, A. J. Deaton, James Deaton, John
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CLAY TOWNSHIP.
Dunegan, White Davidson, James Donavan, David Ely, Reuben Ely, Elijah Ervin, John Edwards, Simeon K. Ely, G. W. Fields, Evis Fowler, John Fowler, Dabney Gooch, James Griggs, Eli Greeson, Franklin Gar- rison, Nathan Goble, Jesse Gooch, A. Hutchinson, Garrison Hubbard, S. H. Harcoat, Jesse Hubbard, Beverly Gregory's heirs, William Hard- rick, Samuel Jackson, Thomas Kirkendorf, David Kirkendorf, James Kitchen, Jonathan Lyon, Jr., Harrison Lyon, Hardin Leggett, William Lang, M. T. Lang, James Lowder, James Lang, Emery Lloyd, William Mc Neff, H. R. McPherson, John McDaniel, Simeon McDaniel, Henry Myers, Calvin Matthews, George Matthews, James Matthews, Alfred Matthews, John Maxwell, Joseph Monical, Thomas Morgan, George Monical, John McCracken, Cary Matthews, James Noble, G. W. Olds, Eli Overton, Jared Olds, Francis Patram, Anthony Poe, William Poe, Jeremiah Poe, Andrew Parsley, Andrew Paul, William Pinter, Noah Rinker, Alexander Rich, S. H. Reynolds, William Rinker, Eli Rinker, Samuel Ray, Daniel Reeves, John Ramsey, Thomas Ray, Simeon Robb, Alfred Robinson, George Sheets, Andrew Stafford, David Spencer, John S. Spurdock, John Scott, John Sheets, Nathaniel Simpson, Peter Spoon, Adam Spoon, Robert C. Stotts, John C. Stotts, Robert Stewart, David Scott, Benjamin Stipp, Joseph Strade, Isaac Strader, Ezekiel Slaughter, Moses Slaughter, Young Sellers, W. H. Sailor, Abraham Stipp, Benja- min Stafford, John Stuart, Jeremiah Tacket, Jacob Tinkle, William Tacket, William Wall, J. W. Wakefield, Solomon Wear, Samuel Wilson, David Wear, William Wear, Joshua Wilson, Jr., Jeptha Williams, John Wright, Andrew Wright, William Whitrel, Samuel R. Wright and Sam- uel Zollinger. The heaviest tax payers were as follows: John Butter- field, $19.58; Aiken Daken, $14.02; John Hodge, $19.12; Jonathan Lyon, Jr., $18.58 ; Harrison Lyon, $17.16; M. T. Lang, $12.50 ; Calvin Matthews, $11.46; Robert C. Stotts, $14.93 ; Ezekiel Slaughter, $19.93; G. A. Worth, $13.53.
BROOKLYN.
So far as can be learned, the first improvement made by white men in the township of Clay was the corn-cracker erected on the creek at Brooklyn, in the summer of 1819, by Benjamin Cuthbert. The struct- ure was built of logs, was about 18x18 feet, and was operating when Ben- jamin Barnes came to the township in December, 1819. The stones were " nigger-heads" which had been made from granite bowlders by Mr. Cuthbert, and the dam was built of brush, logs, stones, etc. Mr. Cuth- bert lived northward in Brown Township, about two miles above the mill. He would go down to his little mill and remain there nearly a week without going home, doing in the meantime the most of his own cooking in the fire-place in the mill. It is said that he could bake an excellent johnny-cake, and was an expert at roasting meat. He no doubt lived on the fat of the land. All the settlers throughout the northern part of the county went to his mill for their meal, and all complained of the "grit" contained in the corn-bread baked therefrom. As this bread was the chief article of diet, the complaints from the women, especially, multiplied. Mrs. Barnes was probably the only ex- ception to this statement. She had an impediment in her speech which
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