USA > Indiana > Pulaski County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 53
USA > Indiana > White County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 53
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The Emanuel Congregation of the Reformed Church was organized in 1861 by Rev. Jonas Michaels with the following first members : Rudolph Hoch, Jacob Little, Harrison Hoch, Conrad Smith, E. Hoch, Eliza Lit- tle, Mary A. Hoch, Benjamin Zellers, Mary Zellers, James J. Mills and Mary Mills. The organization of the class at this time was in reality a re-organization of an old class which had met at the old schoolhouse many years before for a short time. The first trustees, after the re-organization in 1861, were Rudolph, Jacob and E. Hoch. Rudolph Hoch and Jacob Little were Elders, and Harrison Hoch and Conrad Smith were Deacons. The frame church was begun in 1862, upon a subscription of $300; but, owing to the difficulty of getting funds during the hard times of the war, was not completed until 1866; $1,000 in subscriptions was raised during one summer; the house cost about $1,500. Rev. Michaels served the class some fifteen years, but was finally compelled to resign his pastorate owing to ill-health and the infirmities of age. Rev. Henry Sands served the class two years, and John Skinner three years. The class has had no pastor for the past year. The present membership is about forty.
In the year 1858, Father Hamilton, of Logansport, organized a small class of Catholics at Winamac, among the first families being those of
535
SALEM TOWNSHIP.
John O'Connell, M. D. Falvey, James Mulvaney, M. Krats, John Hoff- man and Thomas McSheehy. The growth of the class was so rapid un- der the able management of Father Hamilton that in 1859 their frame Church was built at a cost of about $700. The lot upon which the church was built was donated by W. C. Barnett. Other outsiders as- sisted the class. Father Hamilton served the class, though he resided at Logansport, until about the year 1867, since which the resident priests have been Fathers Carolus, Koenig, Viedeau, Koenig, Viedeau, Wittmer, Schoch, and the present excellent man, Christian Nigsch. Some sixty families belong to the church at present. The value of the church prop- erty aside from the old church of 1859, which is yet in use, is about $1,200. A fine new church is to be built in 1883, the expected cost be- ing about $8,000. A church fair held in Keller's Hall four evenings in November, 1882, netted the class over $800. The class is highly pros- perous. Connected with the church is St. Mary's School, founded in 1873, and conducted since by the Sisters of the Precious Blood of Christ. School is held some ten months of the year, with an average attendance of about sixty pupils.
CHAPTER IV.
BY ED. MOSSMAN.
SALEM TOWNSHIP-ITS EARLY INHABITANTS AND INTERESTS-GEO- LOGICAL FEATURES -- POLITICS-SCHOOLS-THE FRANCESVILLE COLLEGE-CHURCHES OF FRANCESVILLE-NEWSPAPERS-FATAL- ITIES-LODGES-MILITIA COMPANY .- THE AGRICULTURAL SOCI- ETY-THE HAY INTEREST.
I N September, 1843, Salem Township was organized out of territory that had formerly constituted a portion of White Post Township. The privilege of naming the newly-created township seems to have been accorded by common consent to Isaac Evans, who had emigrated into it about the year 1843, from Salem Township, Champaign Co., Ohio. About two-thirds (probably nearly three-fourths) of the township is prairie, and the remainder timbered land. The prairie land is very fertile. The timbered land, like the timbered land throughout the greater portion of the county, requires the liberal application of manure in order to maintain its productiveness. This is especially true of the higher portions of those lands. In fact, the very highest parts, which are commonly called sand ridges, cannot be farmed with profit, no matter
536
HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.
what crops are cultivated, nor how well the land is manured. There is, however, a great deal less land of this quality in Salem than in some other townships in the county. What timber there is is generally scrubby and barely sufficient for fuel and fencing. The Big Monon Creek, in its course through this township, has a swifter current and more clearly defined banks than it has in those townships through which it passes before it reaches Salem Township, and consequently the prairies are not of such a miry or marshy nature. The tame grasses are very easily introduced here, so easily, in fact, that some varieties spring up spontaneously, upon the land being mowed, burnt over or pastured. Corn, wheat, rye, oats and all kinds of cereals, in fact, commonly cultivated in this latitude, are cultivated here with gratifying success, when the sea- sons are propitious. On the level lands of the prairies, however, crops drown out badly in wet seasons. There is a substratum of rock under- lying the greater portion of the township, at a depth of from one foot to fifteen feet. In some places the rock is so near the surface that post- holes cannot be dug.
But little is known concerning the geological characteristics of the territory of which the township is constituted, beyond what has been de- veloped in the digging of ordinary wells. There was a well sunk in the year 1867, however, on Section 20, which is, in many respects, quite phenomenal, and which revealed some very interesting facts in regard to the geology of that locality. It is 960 feet deep. At the depth of nine feet, rock was encountered, and from that point to the point at which work was suspended, the rock was continuous, though seemingly composed of several different strata. It is said that a vein of excellent marble (?) was passed through. The well was sunk by G. Bates, of Chicago, who was, at that time, owner of the farm on which it is situated. He began the work under the conviction that he would be able to find oil at that place. Although he failed to find the object of his quest, he found that which may prove to be of great value to the owner of the land and to the ad- jacent country. At a depth of about 500 feet, a very strong vein of water was reached, which was strongly impregnated with sulphur, and which, upon its emission, gave off a certain gaseous vapor, which was highly inflammable, it being easily ignited by holding a lighted match with- in a few inches of the water. This gas has been utilized, as a means of cooking feed for stock, and for lighting a large lamp, which was kept burning at the well, the gas being conveyed to the lamp by an iron pipe. The water has been chemically analyzed, and is said to contain excel- lent sanitary properties. The water has been raised to the height of forty feet, by means of an iron pipe, and it manifestly would have risen much higher had the height of the pipe been increased. Upon the gas being
537
SALEM TOWNSHIP.
lighted at the orifice of the tube, it would blaze up to the height of three or four feet, shedding a radiant light and illuminating the prairie for a long distance. An iron pipe, three and a half inches in diameter, was inserted into the well, reaching down to the rock (nine feet) and extend- ing three or four feet above the surface of the ground ; and through this the water flowed incessantly for nine years. It then ceased, suddenly, and remained inactive for some two or three months, at the expiration of which time it resumed its artesian character. It is inactive at the pres-
ent time (December, 1882), and has been for about a year. Besides the present interval of inactivity and the first one, of which mention has already been made, there was one each year after the first, each of which was about two or three months' duration, except one (date not known), which continued for about one year and a half. The water is said to be clear, pure, strongly sulphureted and very wholesome. So strongly is the water impregnated with sulphur, that it can be smelled, it is said, a distance of one hundred yards, when the well is flowing. It is a note- worthy fact that this well, whenever it has ceased to flow, has invariably done so in the wettest portion of the year; and has commenced again, on the other hand, in the driest portion. It is located on about the highest ground in the neighborhood ; and, should the hope that is entertained by some of its becoming a famous health resort end in fruition, there is a most excellent site there whereon to build the town that would thereupon be built, as surely as the effect follows the cause. It is highly probable, however, that the fact of its being intermissive, as regards the effusion of the water, would be a serious obstacle to its ever becoming a popular health or pleasure resort, although it is not unlikely that there may be a means, if the ingenuity of man can only discover or devise it, by which it can be made to resume, and permanently retain, the characteristics of an artesian well. But, it is not within the plan of this work to discuss that question. The present owner of the farm on which this well is situated is J. H. Ross, of Francesville, who contemplates making an effort, in- volving the expenditure of a considerable sum of money, to determine whether the well can be made to resume its activity, and to determine, also, what can be accomplished in the way of establishing an invalid's resort there.
Settlement .- The first permanent settler in Salem Township was Daniel McBride, and the second, John Rees. The former settled in the township in the spring of the year 1837, and the latter in the fall of the same year. . Both settled on the farm now owned by John Kruger, Sheriff of Pulaski County. Both came from Virginia. . Rees emigrated from Vir- ginia in 1835, and resided at Monticello, in White County, until the fall of 1837, when he settled in Salem Township, as before stated. McBride
538
HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.
removed from the township a good many years ago. Rees continued to reside in the township until his death, which occurred December 1, 1868. Among those who came into the township at an early date were John Dowel (about 1839), Daniel Higman (1841, from Tippecanoe County), Margaret Rains (widow) and family, five boys-Thomas, William, Jona- than, St. Clair and Handley, and one girl-Elizabeth ; Isaac Evans, Mrs. Rees (widow) and family, four boys-William, George, Ashford and Samuel, and two girls ; Abijah Wilson and Jacob Miles, in the east part of the township, and William Hancock, Benjamin Gardner and Na- thaniel Waples, in the southwest corner.
Lands .- The following exhibit transcribed from the plat book in the Auditor's office at the county seat, shows what lands were entered in the township from the year 1838 to the year 1841, inclusive, together with a specific description of the lands, the date of each entry, and the name of the person making the entry:
DESCRIPTION.
Sections.
Acres.
Hundredths.
Date of Entry.
Name of Purchaser.
S. E. 14 of S. E. 14.
24
40
00
February 23, 1839
N. E. 14 of S. E. 14 ..
24
40
00
April 15, 1839
S. W. 13
...
25
160
00
February 23, 1839
Jesse Coppock.
W. 16, S. E. 14, and S. E. of S. E ..
25
80
00
March 18, 1839
E. 1% of N. E. 14
25
80
00
August 6, 1839
N. W. 14 of N. E. 14
25
40
00
March 23, 1840.
N. W. 1%. 24, S. E. 14
26
40
00
April 17, 1841
S. E. 1/2
35
160
00
December 24, 1838.
N. E. 1 4
35
160
00
April 10, 1839.
S. E. 1
S. W. 14
35
40
00
August 6, 1839.
Fract. S. E. 1/4
36
154
55
November 15, 1838
N. W. 14.
36
160
00
November 30, 1838.
Lots No. 1 and 2
36
97
54
Lots 3 and 4, and N. W. 14, S. W. 14
36
138
50
Lot No. 5 ..
36
42
14
December 4, 1838 ..
N. W. 14 of N. W. 14
36
40
00
1840
Samuel Burson. Daniel Higman. Daniel Higman.
S. W. 14 of S. W. 14 ..
36
40
00
1840 ...
Asa Inman. Samuel Burson.
S. W. 12 74, S. E. 14 14,"
26
40
00
September 12, 1839.
Charles M. Silence. Michael Williams. William W. Curtis. Robert White. William White. William Murphey.
Robert White. John Tilman, Jr. Joseph Smith. Isaac Coppock. Samuel Burson. William M. Sherrerd.
November 30, 1838. December 4, 1838.
Early Elections .- The first election in Salem Township was held at the house of John Dowel, April 1, 1844, for the purpose of electing one Justice of the Peace, one Constable, two Overseers of the Poor, two Fence Viewers, two Supervisors of Highways, and one Inspector of Elec- tions. The voters thereat were William Rees, Thomas Rains, Abijah Wilson, William Stevens, Daniel Higman, St. Clair Rains, John Dowel and Jacob Miles. The tally sheet of said election shows that, for Jus- tice of the Peace, William T. Stevens received seven votes ; for Con- stable, William Rees received four votes ; for Inspector of Elections, John Rees received five votes ; for Supervisor, Daniel Higman received three votes, and Abijah Wilson, for the same office, received two votes ; for Overseer of the Poor, John Dowel received seven votes, and George Rees, for the same office, received five votes ; and that for Fence Viewer,
539
SALEM TOWNSHIP.
Daniel Higman received seven votes, and Jacob Miles, for the same office, received six votes. The Judges of said election were William T. Stevens and Thomas Rains, and the Clerks, St. Clair Rains and John Dowel. At an election held on the 5th day of August, in the same year, at the house of John Dowel, the following persons voted: Jacob Miles, William Ste- vens, Levi Moore, William Rains, Isaac Miles, John Rees, Abijah Wil- son, Jonathan Rains and Thomas Wilson. There was another election held in the township during the same year (making the third), at which Isaac C. Adams, George Rees and Joseph Denmore, voted, in addition to all (except Daniel Higman and Thomas Rees), those who had voted at either of the previous elections. This last was the Presidential election, and was held on the 4th day of November, at the house of Abijah Wil- son. There were sixteen votes cast, of which the Democratic electors received five, and the Whig electors eleven. Of forty-six persons who voted at the Presidential election on the 2d day of November, 1852, but three (Daniel Higman, William Hancock and Micajah Hancock) now reside in the township. A few have moved away, but those who profess to know say that a very large majority (probably three-fourths) are dead. The names of those who voted at that election were Richard Folks, Thomas Tipton, Benjamin Gardner, Jr., William O'Connel, William II. Cunningham, Samuel Rishling, James W. Gumm, David Barngrover, William Rees, Robert Stevens, J. S. Cox, William Rains, William Ste- vens, Abijah Wilson, J. S. Tilton, William Dix, John Miller, John Miles, Rudolph High, John Mills, Samuel Seaton, John W. Cunning- ham, St. Clair Rains, David Miller, Samuel M. Ward, John Powell, Nathan Perry, Samuel Ilopkins, Isaac Wager, Jonathan Rains, Daniel Higman, Littleton Perry, James Roark, Thomas McCraw, Theodore Strange, John Smith, Jr., John Smith, Sr., Benjamin Gardner, Sr., John Chavley, Jacob Herrick, William Hancock, Micajah Hancock, George Hancock, Nathan Waples, Pleasant Roark and Joseph Witham.
First Marriage .- John Sneathan and Mary Dowel were married in the summer of 1842, and were the first couple married according to the rites of the Christian religion in the township. The solemnizing ceremo- nies, by which the twain were made one flesh, were performed by Rev. Abraham Sneathan.
Schools .- The first school in the township was taught by Phebe Shig- ley, in the house of John Rees, about 1844; the second, by Adriana Allen, in a vacant house belonging to Leonard Wilson, about one and a half miles east of Francesville; and the third, in the summer of 1846, by William Stevens, in his own vacant house. The first schoolhouses, three in number, all built about the same time, were built about 1853, whilst Daniel IIigman, William Hancock and Abijah Wilson were Trust-
540
HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.
ees. As there was but little public money for the purpose of building schoolhouses at that time, they were, of a necessity, principally built by contributions of material and work. The money was used only for the purpose of purchasing such things as they themselves could not make, such as stoves, glass, nails, etc. All other material, and the labor re- quired to get it on the ground and erect the buildings, were contributed by the patrons of the schools, each giving as much as the necessities of the case required, or his abilities would permit. Some would contribute a certain number of logs (hewed), others clapboards, others a certain number of days' labor, and so forth. They were all hewed log houses, and were rather superior to most of the early schoolhouses, both as to the style and finish of the house, and as to the inside furniture. There are at present six schoolhouses in the township, all frame, and in good condi- tion, and of the average value of $400.
The College .- One of these (in the town of Francesville) was built originally by a joint-stock company, and was designed for a college, the name of which was the Francesville Male and Female College. As the name clearly implies, it was designed to be an institution at which both sexes should be taught; and, if the word " college," as used in the name of the institution, be of any import, it may be presumed that it was the purpose of those engaged in the enterprise, to make it a school of toler- ably high rank. It is quite a fine structure, being sixty feet in length by forty-five feet in width, and two stories in height. The cost of erecting the building was about $4,500. It was never used for the purpose for which it was designed. It is not a little singular that the enterprise should have been abandoned without even a trial, after it had been ad- vanced to such a stage; but the consideration which prompted them to adopt this course probably was, that they saw, upon more mature deliber- ation, that it would require a long time and the expenditure of a consid- erable amount of money to obtain for the institution the celebrity essential to make it self-sustaining even; and that the payment of a dividend upon the shares of stock, if ever made, must necessarily be an event of the dim, distant future. On the 5th day of September, 1870, the Directors sold it to S. Rishling, Trustee of Salem Township, for $3,500, $200 of which was paid in cash, and the balance in township bonds, bearing six per cent interest. Agreeable to an order adopted by the stockholders authorizing the sale, the first money realized from the sale was applied to the payment of the debts of the association, and the balance was divided among the stockholders, each receiving an amount proportionate to the amount of stock held by him. The amount remaining, after the indebt- edness of the association was paid, was so small that the stockholders re- Ceived but about fifteen per cent of the amounts they had invested. The
541
SALEM TOWNSHIP.
Directors who made the sale of the building were S. Rishling, C. G. Hartman and Peyton Davison, and were elected at a meeting of the stockholders on the same day that the sale was effected. Prominently connected with this institution were J. J. Fairchild, William Imes, C. G. Hartman, J. C. Brewer, Peyton Davison, S. Rishling, J. T. Bledsoe and Charles H. Garrigues.
Francesville .- Thetown of Francesville was laid out by James Brooks, of New Albany, President of the L., N. A. & C. Railroad, on Sections 4 and 9, that part on the north side of Montgomery street being on Sec- tion 4, and that part on the south side, on Section 9. The town was named in honor of the proprietor's daughter, whose name was Frances. It is a thriving little town of about 300 inhabitants. The ground on which the town is situated was entered by William Rees, who had about ten acres under cultivation, and had erected a small log house, which stood within the present limits of the town. Rees sold out to Brooks. The town was re-platted in 1862, by J. M. H. Allison, at which time the eastern tier of blocks was vacated, as were also nine blocks on the west side. The first house in the town was built by Alonzo Star, in 1853, for a store and dwelling. Star put in a stock of goods at once, and this was the first store in town. The building stood on the southeast corner of Bill street and Lyman avenue. Lyman avenue was named for George Lyman, at that time Secretary of the L., N. A. & C. Railroad. The second house was built by Theodore F. Stokes, in the winter of 1853-54, for a dwelling. The first hotel in the town was built opposite the depot, and is the same building that is now called the Commercial House. It was built by William Imes in the winter of 1853-54. Imes kept hotel in the north part, and a man named McConaha in the south part. The last-named gentleman went out in a short time, and J. C. Farris and William Imes kept hotel and a store together for a time. Then it be- came a hotel exclusively, and has remained so to the present time, and has been kept by P. A. Colley, John S. Rishling, J. C. Brewer, Samuel Rishling, and various other persons. The present proprietor is William Conn. The second store building was erected by Samuel Rishling, oppo- site the depot. At first it was a very small affair, his stock consisting of little else than cakes and beer; but he increased it from time to time, as his means increased, until finally it became the leading store in the town. Dr. R. Mattingly started the first drug store in the town in 1856. He kept it for awhile, and sold out to J. T. Bledsoe, who still owns it. J. H. Mallon opened the store in which he is still doing business, about 1870. He is probably doing the leading business of the town.
Present Business .- The following is a list of the business men of the town at the present time, with the various lines of business in which they
542
HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY.
are engaged : Stores, W. A. Brewer, E. H. Applegate and W. N. Jones ; hardware, W. R. Jones ; groceries, James Concannon and C. M. Bledsoe ; gents' furnishing goods, A. Kennard ; confectioneries, groceries and post office, W. A. Hennegar; harness, Dassake & Petro; shoe-maker, Jo- seph Claus; blacksmith and wagon-maker (continuously since 1855), L. N. Hollett ; blacksmith, George Rees; saloon, N. S. Hazen ; pool and billiard room, David Hazen ; meat shop, J. B. Rees; dealers in game, W. S. Valentine and J. A. Engle ; livery, W. R. Jones ; millinery, Mrs. Frank Vose and Mrs. Shortridge ; cabinet-maker and undertaker, Peyton Davison ; real estate agents, Ross & Haymond ; Justice of the Peace, J. H. Ross. The town of Francesville is not incorporated.
Newspapers .- About the year 1869, the Local Topic, a three- column folio weekly newspaper, Democratic in politics, was established in the town of Francesville by J. G. Winegarden. It was ably edited, and the town is indebted to the salutary influence of this little sheet for a large share of its present prosperity. Its publication was continued with occa- sional short intervals of suspension until 1873, when it was finally sus- pended. In 1874, J. A. Winegarden commenced the publication of the Pulaski Guard, a six-column folio, weekly newspaper, Independent in politics. It proved to be short-lived, its publication being suspended at the end of about nine months. The next newspaper established in Fran- cesville was the Home Banner, by R. L. Mattingly. The Banner was a three-column quarto, issued monthly at first, but changed to a six-column folio after the third issue. It was suspended within a year, and revived in January, 1878, by the same party, and published as a four-column quarto, independent in politics, for three months. It was then changed to six-column quarto, under the name the Hoosier Wave, and was finally suspended after the fall election in 1878. During the political campaign which shortly preceded the final termination of its existence, it was ag- gressively Republican in politics, and bore the brunt of the campaign in the county.
Fatalities .- Following are the names of persons whose deaths have resulted from other than natural causes in the township : Peter W. Feiter was fatally shot in the breast, in the spring of 1860, by the accidental discharge of his gun, which he was removing from a canoe in which he had been duck hunting on Monon Creek. He had taken the gun by the muzzle, and was drawing it toward him when the hammer caught on something, causing the gun to go off. He lived two or three days.
Oscar Rice was accidentally shot December 1, 1863, while attempting to remove his gun from a load of wood which he was hauling home. The gun was a double-barreled one. He had discharged one barrel at a quail, and the other he had been unable to discharge for
Donner
DEF NEW YORK 91 MAJC LIBRARY
NEILA, LEMIX AND FILMEN FONDATA
543
SALEM TOWNSHIP.
a long time. This probably caused him to be less careful in handling the gun. The charge took effect near the elbow of his right arm and caused his death in two days after the accident.
About the summer of 1866, James Degarrimore, a boy about twelve years of age, was accidentally poisoned by his mother giving him strych- nine instead of quinine, which she intended to give him for the ague. He lived but about an hour.
About 1879, a German named Summers, a bachelor, hung himself in a barn, about five miles southeast of Francesville. He had committed a heinous crime, for which it is supposed he apprehended that the indig- nant community would lynch him, and he probably thought he would anticipate their purpose by putting an end to his own miserable existence.
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