USA > Indiana > Pulaski County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 17
USA > Indiana > White County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 17
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Early Comers .- Following is a full list of the polls in the township in
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1841, as shown by the tax duplicate for that year, in the Auditor's office : Benjamin Ball, Daniel Berkey, Ira Bacon, Daniel Bacon, M. A. Berkey, William Button, Amos Cooper, Silas Cowger, John Cowger, William Conklin, Thomas Downey, Isaac Dawson, William Edwards, James Graves, John Harmison, David Hawk, Martin Judah, Thomas King, Dennis Line, Charles S. Lowe, Jacob Meyer, William H. Metcalf, Jacob Miles, Isaac Miles, Thomas Murphy, Joseph Noell, Ayers Peterson, Lemuel Peterson, Thomas Redding, Harvey Sellers, Jacob G. Thomas and William Wilson. This should be, and probably is, a complete list of all persons (males) residing in the township at that time over twenty-one years of age. The tax duplicate more reliably shows who were residents of a township or a county at a given time than the poll-books of the elections held in that year ; for, a man may reside in a township, and not vote; but, if the Assessor performs his duty well, every male inhabitant over twenty-one years of age must pay a poll-tax, and his name will appear on the tax duplicate, whether he has any property on which to pay taxes or not. No tax duplicate for the years prior to 1841 could be found at the Auditor's office, hence recourse was had to the election returns for the earlier years. Jesse L. Watson, now of Monon, although his residence in the township dates back no further than 1856, became a resident of the county in 1830, at a time when there were but five families in the county, to wit: Jotham Goddard, Ashby Goddard, William Phillips, Royal Hazelton and Joseph Thompson. He says that the portion of the county comprising Monon, and the other townships in the northern part of the county, was not surveyed until 1832. He came to the county and pur- chased land in December, 1829, but did not bring his family until the following spring.
Indian Scare .- It was rumored at one time that the Indian chief Black Hawk, whose very name struck dread terror to the hearts of the frontiersmen, and caused mothers to clasp their little ones more closely to their breasts, was advancing upon the settlement in which Mr. Watson lived, with a large band of his most ferocious warriors. Almost the entire settlement abandoned their homes, and repaired to places of greater security. Mr. Watson, however, after deliberately pondering the subject, decided that, as he could not leave his home without great sacrifice, and as he did not think it practicable for Black Hawk to reach the settlement, for the reason that he was a long way off and his movements were being closely watched by a strong force of United States soldiers, he would keep the matter a secret from his family, and take the chances. As " the thief doth fear each bush an officer," so the man who is appre- hensive of an attack from those demoniac savages, who are strangers to mercy, is startled at the crackling of a twig, or the rustling of a dried
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leaf, and is thrown into paroxysms of terror by the hooting of an owl, or the howling of a wolf. Although it cannot truly be said that Mr. Wat- son was really apprehensive of an attack, yet the bare possibility of such an occurrence must have been sufficient to make him exceedingly uneasy until the crisis was passed. When the scare was over, and the neighbor- ing settlers had all returned to their homes, then, and not until then, did he inform his wife of the massacre which was apprehended, but did not take place ; and he says he believes that she never fully forgave him for keep- ing it a secret from her.
A Dead Town .- One of the early events in the history of this town- ship was the laying out of the town of West Bedford, which occurred in the month of April, 1837. David Berkey was the proprietor, and the survey was made by Asa Allen, then County Surveyor. The town was situated at or a little north of the confluence of Little and Big Monon Creeks. For a time this town flourished and grew like a green bay tree; but when the railroad was built, and the town of New Bradford was laid out, it began to decline. Some of the newer and better houses were torn down and removed to New Bradford, whilst the older and more dilapi- dated ones, which were not worth the trouble and expense of moving so far, were purchased by the farmers in the neighborhood, who made vari- ous uses of them. At the present time there is but one house remaining (a dwelling built by Dr. Thornton) of those that once constituted the town of West Bedford. True, there are a church and a schoolhouse there, but they were built long since the town ceased to have an actual exist- ence. The town was beautifully and romantically situated, and, but for the fact of a rival town springing up, having superior advantages, it would ยท doubtless have become a town of considerable magnitude. When a man's days of prosperity are ended, and the chill winds of adversity begin to blow about him, his former friends cease to take any further interest in his welfare, or to think much about him. The same is true, though in a less degree, of a town. Hence, the business that was carried on in this once thriving little town, and the events of which it was the scene, have been so far forgotten by those who knew it in the days of its growth and prosperity, that there are none who can give a thoroughgoing account of its business establishments in their chronological order. One of the first (probably the first) buildings erected in the town was built and occupied by Martin Judah, as a hotel, grocery and dry goods store and saloon com- bined. "Jack" Heaton, as he was familiarly called, opened a dry goods and grocery store at a very early date, and his was probably the second store in town. From first to last, the following business, and probably others of which no intelligence could be obtained, was carried on in the place : Dr. Paley kept hotel and practiced medicine; an Englishman
FARM RESIDENGE OF GEORGE W. WOLVERTON, BIG GREEK TP.
6
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named Reece, kept saloon and groceries ; John Smith, saloon and a few groceries ; Nicholas Judah. blacksmith ; a man named Cook, tailor shop ; a man by the name of Kelley kept a store known among the citizens as the railroad store. Kelley was there but a short time. His store was called the railroad store for the reason that he kept in stock such goods as were needed by workmen on the railroad, the L., N. A. & C. Railroad being at that time in process of construction. No license for the sale of intoxicating liquors being at that time required, it is said that all the mer- chants in the town, as well as those who kept regular saloons, kept whisky for sale, and it is said to have constituted a large part of their stock in trade. In fact, West Bedford is said to have borne a very unenviable reputation as regards temperance.
Indian Mounds .- There are in the vicinity of the original site of the town a number of Indian mounds, which, as is evidenced by the large trees now growing on their sides and tops, must have been built many years before the occupancy of the country by the whites. For what pur- pose we can but conjecture. Some of them have been dug into, and skel- etons and Indian relics, such as stone hatchets or tomahawks, and arrow- heads, made of flint (a species of stone which cannot be found within many miles of this place), were found in them. It is not probable that these were regular places for the interment of the dead, for the large amount of earth heaped upon the skeleton remains precludes that idea. The more rational theory would seem to be, that there had been a battle fought at that place between two hostile tribes, and that the slain on one or both sides had been buried in those mounds, and that they had all been buried at one time. And whence came the flint, out of which they man- ufactured their arrow-heads ? Did each individual go in person to the place where it is to be found and get sufficient for his own individual use ? or were there among them importers of goods, as there are among us to- day ? When we begin to speculate upon these questions we are soon lost in a labyrinth of surmises.
Pioneer Life .- The early settlers of this township, like the pioneers of all new countries, were subject to many dangers, privations and hard- ships. They were, as a rule, men of limited means, who were induced by the low price of lands to seek a home in these inhospitable western wilds. Many of them after paying for their lands had not a dollar left, with which to provide themselves and families with the necessaries of life. If favored with health, however, money was not absolutely indispensable : for, what with their frugal habits, their strong arms and plenty of pluck, they could, by the tillage of the soil with their steady and trusty ox teams, supplemented by the unerring rifle, procure a livelihood without it. But, when the main-stay of the family was laid low by sickness, then it was 11
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HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
that the heavy hand of fate lay upon them with crushing weight, almost extinguishing the last lingering spark of hope. This has been the ex- perience of many. The unfortunate ones who became thus situated were in a truly deplorable condition, for their neighbors, though they were generally obliging and charitably disposed, generally resided a long way off, and, besides, were themselves too poor to render much assistance to others. Though none actually died of privation, yet there were many, .no doubt, whose poverty precluded them from obtaining the dainties that the sick should have to strengthen and bolster up their feeble frames. The early settlers were put to great inconvenience to get their breadstuff, on account of there being no mills within easy distance. The very early settlers had to go to La Fayette to mill ; and as there were but few who had horses, it generally took four or five days, and if business was very thriving at the mill, a week to make the trip. In the moving of loads the ox was the universal motor. "Gee Buck " and " Haw Berry " were sounds very familiar to the ear in those days of yore. Yea, it was a sight not uncommon to see the young man of the period, with his fair Saccharissa by his side, seated behind the fleet-footed ox, pursuing their way to church, and looking the very soul of bliss. Though these people were poor in purse, and unsophisticated, they enjoyed life equally with those of more modern times, whose possessions are greater ; for, though they had but little of the luxuries of life, they were content so long as they had the necessaries ; and after all, to be content with life's lot is the great source and secret of human happiness. The humble husbandman whose possessions are limited to the means of procuring the necessaries of life, if content with his lot, enjoys more true happiness than the mighty magnate who counts his wealth by millions, and is harassed by all the cares which colossal fortunes entail upon their possessors.
First Birth .- The first child born in the township was John Wilson, son of James K. and Nancy Wilson, nee Clayton, who was born June 1, 1834. During the year 1835, the following children were born in the township in the order in which their names are here mentioned, as nearly as could be ascertained : Lavinia Lowther, Margaret Bacon, Dennis Blake, Elizabeth Wilson (now wife of Joseph Sain), Clarrissa Berkey (now a widow of Josephus Lowe).
The first death in the township was probably that of Mrs. Thomas Wilson, who died in the fall of 1834.
First Weddings .- James Harrison and Elizabeth Ivers were the first couple married in the township. They were married about the year 1838. Probably the next were Amos Cooper and Mary Edwards, about 1839 ; Benjamin Ball and Martha Kenton were married about the same time, or very soon afterward. Martha Kenton was a grand-daughter of Sim on
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Kenton, the celebrated Indian fighter, whose name is familiar to every school-boy in the land. Three daughters of Simon Kenton were among the early settlers of this township. They were the wives of Daniel Mur- ray, Jacob Meyer and James J. Brown. They all died in the township. Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Meyer were interred in the cemetery at Monon Methodist Episcopal Chapel, about three miles northeast of the town of Monon. Jacob Meyer died at an early date, and his widow married Matthias M. Thornton. Mrs. Meyer had no children. Mrs. Murray had a large family, and five of her sons served through the late civil war ; and it is said that their military record was such as to shed additional luster, rather than bring reproach upon the name of their distinguished progenitor, whose civic, as well as military career, was so exemplary as to be in the highest degree worthy of emulation. Lewis Murray rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the regular army, and died in the service at Indianapolis.
Early Mills, etc .- In 1835, Elias Lowther commenced building a grist mill, on the Little Monon Creek, near its mouth and finished it during the following year. The buhrs were made, it is affirmed by some, by Dr. Samuel Korn, at the Battle Ground, and conveyed by oxen to the place where the mill was built, whilst others affirm that they were made by Elias Lowther. The latter opinion prevails much more exten- sively than the former; yet, as these who affirm it speak only from hear- say, whilst those who affirm the former are older persons and speak from their own personal knowledge, and are persons of veracity, there can scarcely be a doubt of its truthfulness. Dr. Korn at that time lived at the Battle Ground, but afterward settled in this township about three miles east of West Bedford, where he lived and practiced medicine very successfully for ten or fifteen years, and there died. His remains lie buried at Monon Chapel. Men who have seen those buhrs running, say they were as true and as nicely balanced as any that they ever saw. When the mill went down, which it did about the year 1840, those buhrs were pur- chased by Charles S. Lowe and put into a mill which be built about that time on the Little Monon Creek, about four miles east of Monon. In a few years, Mr. Lowe quit grinding grain and traded those buhrs for a horse. They were removed to Jasper County, and it is not unlikely that they are still in use. The mill built by Charles S. Lowe, above alluded to, is still running as a saw mill and is owned by Larkin and Gustavus Lowe. The third mill in the township was built by Amos Cooper about the year 1846, on the Big Monon Creek, about three miles above West Bedford. It cost almost $6,000, and was considered a very good mill at that time. This mill is still running, and is owned at present by Saylers & De Haven. It still goes by the name of Cooper's mill. A little later, James
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HISTORY OF WHITE COUNTY.
K. Wilson built a saw mill on the Little Monon Creek, near where the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad crosses the creek. It did not run very many years. These are all the mills that have ever been built in the township. Although they were generally rather insignificant affairs, or, at least, would be so considered at the present day, yet they subserved the purpose well of grinding the breadstuff for the early set- tler and sawing the lumber of which to construct his building.
The year 1844 is memorable as the year of the great flood. The whole country was inundated and the farmers failed to raise sufficient grain for their bread-stuff. Many of them got flour from mills at Pitts- burgh, on the Wabash River, and paid it back next season. The mill at Pittsburgh was owned by a man named Colton, and he said that all those who got flour upon those conditions paid promptly when the next harvest came, except one.
Post Offices .- The first post office in the township was established about 1838, at the house of David Berkey, on the farm now owned by Samuel Lowe, and David Berkey was the first and only Postmaster whilst the office was continued at that place. About the year 1848, the office was removed to the house of James K. Wilson, just east of where the town of Monon is now situated. James K. Wilson was suc- ceeded as Postmaster by Lewis Chamberlain, about 1854. The name of the first office was Monon, and remained unchanged when removed to the house of James K. Wilson. It was subsequently removed to New Brad- jord-the name still remaining unchanged. It still retains the name of Monon Post Office, and the name of the present Postmaster is J. M. Kel- og. Cathcart Post Office, in the west part of the township, was established about 1846. It was situated on the farm on which Thomas Jacks now 'ives, and the first Postmaster was Robert B. Overton. Overton was succeeded by F. B. Rishling, and he by Fleming Phillips, who was Postmaster at the time when the office was discontinued, which occurred about 1863. Lee Post Office, in the northwest corner of the township, was established about the year 1880. The first Postmaster was Calvin Anderson. He was succeeded, late in 1882, by Mr. Hoover, the pres- ent incumbent. Onoko Post Office was established in the spring of 1882. It is situated about four miles northeast of the town of Monon. The first Postmaster was Colfax Grant. Flowerville Post Office was established about 1867, with A. A. Cole Postmaster. This post office was situated in the east part of the township, on a tract of land now owned by Will- iam Lowe and the heirs of John Berkey. It was moved out of the town- ship and into Liberty Township in about two years after its establish- ment. These, it is believed, are all the post offices that were ever established in the township, with the dates of their establishment and names of early Postmasters, as nearly as could be ascertained.
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Bradford .- The town of New Bradford was surveyed and platted in March, 1853. James Brooks was the proprietor of the town, which was located upon and comprehended all the land included in the north- west quarter of the southeast quarter, the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, and twenty-five acres off the west side of the south- east quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 21, of Township 28 north, of Range 4 west. There were subsequently two additions made to the town, the first of which was made by James K. Wilson in August, 1854. It lay adjoining and immediately north of the original plat. The second was made by Benjamin Ball in September, 1854, and is laid off on the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 21. The first house in the town of New Bradford was built by Joseph Chamberlain in the spring, of 1853, and occupied by him as a store and dwelling. It stood on the northeast corner of Fifth and Market streets.
The second house was built the same spring by Lewis Chamberlain. It was a dwelling, and stood on the second lot north of the house built by Joseph Chamberlain. The third house was built by William II. Wat- son in the fall of 1853, and occupied by him as a dwelling and store. It stood on the southwest corner of Fourth and Market streets. In 1879, the town of New Bradford was incorporated, under the name of Monon. The present business of the town with the dates when commenced is as follows: Cornelius M. Homer, general store, 1865; Leopold Heidelberger & Co., dry goods and groceries, December, 1881; Turpie Bros., dry goods and groceries, October 1882; J. K. Grady, restaurant and grocery, June, 1878; Joseph Pogue & Son, restaurant, January, 1882 ; J. H. Sain, hotel and grocery, January, 1880; William Lowe, hotel, December, 1882; Stru- del & Strouse, drugs, September, 1882; John N. Fagg, drugs, March, 1882; J. T. Reed, drugs, May, 1882; Jesse L. Watson, lumber yard, Sep- tember, 1880; E. B. Egbert, hardware and tin shop, December, 1882; Mesdames Judson & Marshall, dry goods, notion and millinery store, April, 1881; Mrs. James Gwinn, notions and millinery goods, May, 1882; Theodore Hilderbrand, blacksmiths, December, 1880 ; Denton & Martin, . blacksmiths, 1876; A. P. Allen and A. Wilcox, wagon and carriage shops, December, 1880; J. Goble, boot and shoe shop ; David Beauchamp, boot and shoe shop ; harness shop, Beauchamp & Son ; meat markets, Robert Gray, and William Lowe; Benjamin Reynolds, hotel, summer of 1882; physicians, George R. Clayton, John T. Reed, L. Ramsey, J. W. Fagg, D. W. Strouse, J. H. Holloway ; attorney, A. K. Sills; Justice of the Peace, J. M. Winkley : Town Trustees, Henry C. Blakely, John T. Reed and William Shackleford ; Marshal, George W. Imes. Monon is a lively and flourishing little town of about four hundred inhabitants,
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situated near the center of the township, on the Little Monon Creek, at the junction of the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago, and the Chica- go & Indianapolis Air Line Railroads, about half way between Chicago and Indianapolis.
The railroad company has a very neat and commodious depot, and over three miles of side track at Monon. In the winter of 1879 and spring of 1880, William Scott & Co. built an elevator on the track of the L., N. A. & C. R. R., in the east part of the town, provided with excel- lent facilities for cleaning and elevating grain and shelling corn, all of which work is performed by steam. They are the only parties in the town engaged in the grain trade. and they were doing a very extensive business. When the.market is most active, in the fall of the year, they sometimes buy as much as $1,000 worth of wheat in a single day, and they probably buy at the average rate of $100 worth per day the year round. They have Fairbanks platform scales on which to weigh grain by the wagon-load, as they buy it of the farmers, and track scales, for weighing it by the car-load, as it is bought or shipped in such quantities. Wheat generally brings a better price in Monon than in any of the neighboring towns. The proprietors of these elevators buy grain at other points, ship it here, unload it for the purpose of grading it, reload it, and ship it to the Eastern markets. The grain that they buy of the farmers in the vi- cinity of the town constitutes but a very small portion of the grain that they handle at the elevators. They have machinery with which they can shell ten car-loads of corn per day, and can unload and load from six to eight cars daily. The elevator has a storage capacity of ten thousand bushels, and capacity for cleaning two thousand bushels per day. They handle about three hundred car loads of grain per annum. The present elevator building superseded one that Jesse L. Watson built on the same grounds several years before, and which had been owned first by him, then by W. G. Porter, Robert Brown, Marshall & Blakely and William Scott & Co., the owners of the present building.
Schools and Teachers .- The first schoolhouse in the township was built about the year 1840, near the town of West Bedford. The first teacher was probably Salome Bentley, and the second Michael Berkey. Among other early teachers were David Hall, Peter Scott, Power Moore, Mary Lindsay, a man named Burns, and a man named Russell. The second schoohouse in the township was built about the year 1852, at Cooper's Mill. At the present time, there are twelve schoolhouses in the township, all of which are frame, and in fair condition. The average wages paid teachers is about $2.
Monon, with Honey Creek and Princeton Townships, constitutes the Second Commissioners' District.
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Suicides, etc .- About 1856, a man came to the house of John More- craft in the night, and asked the privilege of staying all night, which was granted. Next morning he started away, and that was the last seen of him alive. He committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol, and was found a short distance from Mr. Morecraft's house dead. No- vember 24, 1870, Charles M. Dewees committed suicide by shooting him- self with a revolver. The act was committed in J. M. Kellogg's store, in the town of New Bradford, now called Monon. He lived about twenty- four hours. No cause is known for the commission of the act. He was a young man of good habits, and was highly esteemed by the community. In the spring of 1876, Linton Brown shot himself, and died in about twenty-four hours afterward. He shot himself with suicidal intent, and with the same revolver that young Dewees shot himself with. Like Dewees, he aimed at his heart and missed it; as did Dewees, he lived about twenty-four hours ; no cause is known. About 1876, Dr. McMillen, of Bradford, not feeling well, went to his medicine case in the dark, and took a dose of corrosive sublimate, instead of some other drug which he intended to take, and lived about two hours. It was supposed by some that he took the drug with suicidal intent, but such was not generally believed to be the case.
Religious Organizations .- The Presbyterian society at West Bed- ford was organized about 1839. Rev. Williamson was the first pastor. The early members were Thomas Downey and wife, William Wilson and wife, Mrs. Kepperling and others. The church building was erected about 1871, at a cost of about $1,500.
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