USA > Indiana > Boone County > Early life and times in Boone County, Indiana, giving an account of the early settlement of each locality, church histories, county and township officers from the first down to 1886 Biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and women. > Part 3
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Indians. They remained until the year 1833 or '34. Here may vet be seen some of their burying grounds. Thorntown was at one time the headquarters for French traders as early as the year 1800. They kept up a trade with the Indians and early trappers. At one time near Thorntown the Indians raised corn. , Some of the people living there now remember seeing the hills where the corn grew, as well as other evidences of cultivation. Sugar Creek Township is historic ground. Here the Indian wooed his dusky mate, danced the war dance, sung the songs of the hunter, smoked the pipe of peace and buried their dead in a sitting position. Those who were actors then have long since gone to the happy hunting grounds. After the Government came into possession of the Reserve the land was offered for sale at Crawfordsville in November, 1829. Among the early purchasers were Cornelius Westfall, William Kenworthy, Samuel Lucas, paying from $1.25 to $1.00 per acre for it. The first settler was Geo. Harness, with the small family of wife and twelve children. This must have been in the year 1830. Mr. Harness seems to have had a hard time. After he and his wife had worked in harness in more ways than one he finally lost his land. He lived to the age of 108 years, dying in 1876 on the Michigan Road in Clinton County, Indiana. This township was organized in 1831. The first election was held at the house of William Kenworthy, April, 1832, when Benjamin Sweeney, and Jas. Van Eaton were elected Justices of the Peace, and Green Foster and David Laudrum, Constables. About this time quite a number of families came ; among them were Joshua Burnham, Jas. Scott, Joshua and Jas. Van Eaton, John Skeen, Wm. Gypson, Isaac Gypson (now living). Later came Samuel Brenton, Hugh Moffitt, Jeremiah Moffitt, Mr. Benson, Mr. Baker, Mr. Blue, Wm. Childers, John Miller, Adrian Ball, Isaac Corbet, Benj. Lewis, John Furgeson, Abraham Utter, Wm. Turner, Nathan Maroney, Wm. Payne, Robert Cook, Robert Morrison, Thos. Goldsbury, Eli Goldsbury, Samuel Cass, Adam Boyd, Wm.
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EARLY LIFE AND TIMES IN
Auden, Asa Fall, J. S. McConnell, Samuel Van Eaton, Elish Riley, Geo. Osburn and Oliver Craven.
The first mill was built by John G. Pierce, on Prairie Creek, in the spring of 1833. This was a saw mill. Silas Kenworthy built the first grist mill on Sugar Creek. Bonham Kester built the first carding mill in 1837. The first steam flouring mill was built in 1856 by David Binford and Henry Wetheral, just south of Thorntown. The first white child was born at the house of Green Forster in 1831. The first death was Jemima Harness, October, 1829. The second death was Mary A. Westfall. She was the first person buried in the old cemetery north of Thorntown. The first marriage was that of John Pauly and Emily Sweeney, in July, 1832. The first religious meeting was held at the house of Cornelius Westfall, by Claybourn Young. The first church organiza- tion in the township was in 1832; Stephen Ball was the preacher. Soon after the Presbyterians organized with Clay- burn as minister. This was in 1833. A few years later the Quakers built a log house that served them several years, when they built their present commodious house on the site of the old one west of Thorntown. The Christians, in 1842, organ- ized a society, and first held meetings in private houses, as all other organizations did. The Missionary Baptist was the last to form a society. This they did a few years later. All now have houses to worship in in different parts of the county. The first tan-yard was started by Zachariah Gipson, in the summer of 1832. The first merchant was A. H. Baldridge. Isaac Morgan kept the first tavern. The first tailor was Robert Hamil. The first carpenter was John Alexander, the first blacksmith Moses McClure and the first shoemaker Thomas Young. The first hatter was Samuel Daily. The first wagonmaker was George Mclaughlin. The first pot- ter, Oliver Craven, now living in Thorntown. The first saddler was Mark A. Micham and the first doctor was Mr. Farmer, followed by Drs. Amons, Davis, Ephraim Rudasill, W. P. Davis, Martin W. Gentry and J. J. Nesbitt, who was
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
afterwards County Treasurer. He died in Ohio in 1864. The first attorney was Rufus A. Lockwood, followed by Jacob Angle, and John S. Davis. The first postoffice was opened at the house of Wm. Kenworthy, east of Thorntown, in 1832. Robert Hamil was the first postmaster proper in Thorntown. The first school teacher in Thorntown was Jefferson Hillis. Mrs. Polly Gipson has been the longest resident in the place. She is the daughter of James Scott, who came in 1829. Oliver Craven has served as Justice of the Peace over forty years. The population of the county in 1870 was 3,138. In 1880 it was 3,015. There are ten school honses, nine of which are brick and one frame. The number of school children in 1884 was 535. Number of voters in 1886 was 713. Value of school property $12,600. The following have served as Trus- tees : N. W. Weakley, William Kirby, J. T. McCorkle, M. E. MeCorkle, Joseph Cones, G. W. Cones, Robert Reese, I. N. Wilson, A. C. Clark and J. M. Wilson, elected April, 1886.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
This township is bounded on the north by Marion Town- ship, on the east by Hamilton County, on the south by Eagle Township and on the west by Center and Worth Townships. It contains twenty-five sections. The surface along Big Eagle and Mount's Run is somewhat broken, but is well adapted for grazing purposes. Big Eagle flows through the township from north to south, crossing the Michigan Road one mile south of Rosston and one-half mile north of Northfield in section three. Mount's Run flows through the township, entering Eagle Creek at the south part of section ten. Finley Creek comes in from the northeast and enters Eagle a short distance southwest of Northfield. Jackson's Run also enters the town- ship. The Michigan Road passes through the entire town- ship, entering at the south in section fourteen, running a little to the west of north and leaving in section twenty-eight, where it enters Marion township. It is perhaps the best naturally
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EARLY LIFE AND TIMES IN
drained of all the townships in the county, excepting Eagle. The settlement of Union dates back as far as 1826, when the following pioneers entered the wilderness: Jesse Lane, Ed- ward Lane, John Lane, Samuel Lane, Benj. Cruse, Henry Koontz, John L. Koontz, Jacob Johns, Geo. Walker, Riley B. Hogshire, George Shirts, John Davis, Jas. Richardson and the Sedgwicks. Soon after came Henry Nichols, Jacob Tip- ton, Jacob Jones, James and Wm. Ross, the Dooleys, Shoe- makers, Washington Hutton, John Dulin, the Stephensons, Peterses, Alexanders, Wesley Smith, Kincaids, Wm. O. Carey, Vances, Andrew Harvey, John Pitman, James Alexander, Abraham Newcomer, the Giffords, Hicksons, Henry M. Mar- vin, John Murphy, Jas. Dye, Wysongs, John A. Dulin, Lovi P. Shoemaker, Nelsons, Hollingsworths, Levi King, James Berry, Henry Good and Isaac Dye. The first religious meet- ings were held in 1832, at the house of Mr. Sedgwick. They were conducted by Thos. Brown. The first election was held in 1834, when John Berry was elected Justice of the Peace. He was succeeded by Abner Sanborn. The first mill was built and run by Hiram McQuindy. The Methodists built the first church. They were soon after followed by the Bap- tists. There are now several good churches, representing nearly all the denominations. There is a Methodist Church at Northfield, also a Seventh-Day Adventist Church, erected and dedicated December, 1886. The Baptists have a brick church at Mount's Run. There is a cemetery there where are buried a number of pioneers. Northfield, one of the oldest. villages of the county, is located on the Michigan Road. This has been the voting place for a number of years. There is a postoffice also. Among the early physicians were Dr. Mc- Leod, Dr. J. S. Hardy and Dr. Presly. Jacob Tilton, Hiram . McQuiddy and Chauncey Cole were early merchants. Ross- ton, two miles north, was laid out about the time the Ander- son & St. Louis Railroad was surveyed. It occupies land owned by the Ross boys. There is quite a little trade here, especially since the railroad was finished from Anderson to
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BENJAMIN BOOHER.
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Lebanon, January 22, 1887. There is a postoffice here, two variety stores, and a Masonic Lodge. A switch will soon be put in, when it will be a shipping point of some importance. The population of the township in 1870 was 1,057; in 1880 it was 1,092; the number of voters, 250; the number of school children in 1886 was 356. There are eight school houses, three of which are brick and five frame. The Methodists have a society at Big Spring and a good frame church. This has been a popular place for meetings for the last forty years, and many small camp-meetings are held here. The house is located near the Marion Township line. The line between Marion and Union Townships divide the village of Big Spring. Union Town- ship has made good progress as a rule in the way of buildings, roads, schools, ditching, etc. Many of the pioneers are dead. A few remain while others have moved away. Could some of them visit the township now what changes would greet them on every hand. The little cabin in the woods gone, the little bridle-path turned into a pike, the green woods into well-cul-
tivated fields. The pioneers here, as well as in other town- ships, had much to contend with in their new homes, no mills, no schools and no neighbors. But deprived of them they had their enjoyments. The people were sociable in the extreme. Their wants were comparatively few. The Trustees are as follows: J. F. Stephenson, Geo. Shoemaker, J. M. Koons, H. M. Marvin, R. G. Nelson, W. H. Dooley, Geo. Norwood, L. P. Shoemaker, J. M. Reed, Jas. Hubanks, and Geo. Stephen- son, elected November, 1886.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
This township occupies the west center of the north tier of townships. Sugar Creek passes through from east to west. About one-third of the township lies north and two-thirds south of the creek. Spring Creek flows from the southeast part to the northwest, entering Sugar Creek in section thirty, 3
1
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EARLY LIFE AND TIMES IN
at the S. Titus farm. Prairie Creek enters the township from Center at section ten, flows west and leaves the township at section seven, where it enters Sugar Creek Township. About . one-third of this township was originally embraced in the " Indian Reserve," which was bought by the Government in 1828. This township contains thirty-five and a half sections, ยท and nearly all is of the very best land. Here, where well- cultivated fields are now found, originally stood some of the finest timber. The Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette Railroad runs across the southwest corner of the town- ship. Hazelrigg station is named after the late H. G. Hazelrigg, who formerly owned the land in and about the station. Mechanicsburg (Reese Mill P. O.) is located in the eastern part of the township near where Brown's Wonder unites with Sugar Creek. The first settlers began to arrive here about 1832, when the township was organized. The fol- lowing are the names of some who came first: The first elec- tion was held at the house of John S. Polk, April, 1832, when John Slocum and J. S. Polk were elected Justices of the Peace, sixty votes being east. John Pauly and Wm. Brown were elected constables at the same time. Among the first settlers were John N. Fall, John Wilky, Joshua Allen, Wni. West, Able Pennington. The above named persons came be- fore the sale of land in 1829. After that time the following persons came : Joshua Burnham, Benj. Crose, James Scott, Samuel Reese, John Slocum, Thos. MeCann, W'm. Pauly, Jas. Turner, Benj. Sweeney, John Morehead, Jacob Skeen, Abran Buckhalter, Samuel and James Foreman, John Kersey, Benj. and Stephen Titus, Nathaniel Titus, Samuel Cason and John Cradlebaugh. Among other settlers are John Higgins, Robt. Slocum, the Beeks, Sleighbecks, Chambers, Thornberrys, John Graham, the Buntins, Goldsbeys, Bowens, W. W.
Phillips. Campbells, Nathan Garrett, Richies, Bonam Stout, Jas. P. Mills, Samuel Long and Jos. Hollings- worth. The first grist mill was built by David Ross in 1831, on Spring Branch. Bonam Stout built the first grist mill at
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Mechanicsburg in 1838. John and Noah Hardesty built the mill now known as the "Adney " mill on Sugar Creek in 1840. Michael and Augustus Chase built the Ben Crose mill. The first church was a log structure built by the Baptists in 1835, on the David Ross farm. The first meetings were held at the house of Wm. Pauly about the year 1830. The first school was taught by Daniel Ellis. Jas. P. Mills built the first tan- vard in the township. The township has improved rapidly during the last few years. A system of drainage has been built in every direction, and much of the land is in a high state of cultivation. Mechanicsburg, the center of quite a local trade, was laid out in 1835 by Jas. Snow. Hazelrigg Station is also a very good town. The Cason graveyard, in the south part of the township, is one of the oldest burying places, as well as Bethel. Here many monuments are erected to the memory of the pioneers. A small cemetery is located on Brush Creek in the northwest part of the township; also one south of Pike's Crossing. Pike's Crossing is five miles north of Lebanon, at the crossing of the Frankfort and Lebanon Pike and the Strawtown and Thorntown Road. There is a postoffice and several nice residences here. The farms show every evidence of thrift and prosperity. The population in 1870 was 1,391; in 1880 it was 1,352. Num- ber of voters in 1886 was 349; number of school children in 1886 was 441. There are ten brick school houses in the town- ship. The following have acted as Trustees : John Higgins, . H. G. Hazelrigg, Robert Slocum, B. F. Lumpkins, J. S. Har- rison, Albert Helm and Robert Herr, elected in April, 1886. Washington Township is the only one in the county that has a Township House, that is, a place where the voting is done and other township meetings held. It is a brick building, centrally located, on or near the site of the old Bethel Church, and where there is a cemetery.
1550984
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EARLY LIFE AND TIMES IN
WORTH TOWNSHIP.
The above township contains twenty-one sections. It was; created in 1851, out of territory taken from adjoining town- ships. There are no water courses here. The extreme head- waters of Fishback have their source in the south part of Worth. The Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette Railroad passes through from the southeast to the northwest, dividing the townships into equal parts. Whitestown, on the railroad and near the center, is the voting place and the headquarters for the business transactions of the township. Holmes Station, founded by John Holmes, was in earlier days quite a business place. Mr. Holmes built a warehouse about the year 1860. At one time a large amount of grain was taken in here, but of late years the business has been discontinued. A separate account of Whitestown will be found under the head of " Sketch of Whitestown." Worth is without doubt the levelest town- ship in the county and contains as fine land as can be found in Indiana. The farmers have tested. to perfection the benefit of drainage, thousands upon thousands of dollars having been expended. Could the tile that is buried under the ground be exposed on the surface the ground would be red.
At one time within the memory of the writer Worth Town- ship was a gloomy looking place. In any direction you might look the vast forest would greet you on one hand and a sea of water all around running at will. Among the early pioneers to attack the forests in this part of the county were the fol- lowing : Beginning in the year 1830 Richard Hull, John and James McCord and James White. This little band were soon joined by Thos. Harmon, Adam Kettering, Joseph White and John Smith. No county can get along without a John Smith, and he came. The fact is he always comes, and it is curious that we don't run out of material, but the supply equals the demand in this as well as other cases. A few years later the following persons came: Philip Lucus, John Neese, Philip
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Lucas, Solomon Neese, Abraham Hedrick, Moses Neese, John Isenhour, Louis and George Hauser, David Ray, Benjamin Booher, Samuel Ray, Henry Lucas, George Lucas, Abraham Neese, William Staten, Cristopher Bowers, Daniel Buck, John Peters, the Sanders family, the Laughners, Schoolers, Utterbacks, Engledoves, Harmons, Otingers, Bohannans and Goods. The first school was taught by Henry Lucas, in 1837. He was for many years identified with his township, serving as justice and trustee for several years. He was a good man and a firm friend to his county and township and spent the most of his life here. He died recently in the west, the time and place we are unable to give. Among the early ministers we find Rev. John Good, Sen., J. A. Rudasill, Rev. E. S. Henkle, John Good, Jun., and Rev. Livengood. The number of voters in 1886 was 342; number of school children, 533; number of school houses, 8. The growth of Worth has been marvelous. The population in 1870 was 1,342; in 1880 it was 1,425. The school houses are all of brick. The fol- lowing have served as trustees: Henry Lucas, Jos. Westner, Geo. Hauser, Geo. Hedrick, John Schooler, and Samuel N. Good, elected in April, 1886.
1
THE CITY OF LEBANON.
In pursuance to an act of the Legislature of 1830, this county was organized, and in conformity to the same act, the Governor of the State was authorized to appoint five commission- ers, whose duty it was to locate the county seat of this county. Three of these five commissioners for this purpose met near the center of the county about the 1st of May, 1831. It was their duty, according to the law, to locate the site for the county seat within two miles of the center of the county. After pros- pecting various sites near the center of the county, they finally came on to the tract of land where Lebanon is now located. This tract of land then belonged to Colonel Kinnard, in which
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EARLY LIFE AND TIMES IN
it appears that Colonel Drake was also interested. Here then stood a tall, dense forest of large trees, among which the small growth of underbrush and saplings were so dense as to obstruet the passage of man or beast. I After two or three days of toil in looking for a location for" the county seat, the commis- sioners stopped on the rise of ground where the court-house now stands, though this particular spot was then surrounded by willow ponds, and outside of these ponds the trees were a hundred feet in height. Here the commissioners were reposing. Meantime quite a crowd of unkempt Hoosiers had assembled to see the commissoners and find the location of the new county seat in the deep, wild woods. The Commissioners had made their decision that here was the county seat; they drove a large stake where the court-house now stands. That stake was all that was then done in the construction of the city of Lebanon. Then there was not a human being resident in Lebanon-no, not even an Indian wigwam nor a log hut. It was in its native glory ; but the name-it was yet without a name. The commissioners had failed as yet to give it a name; they could not agree. Mr. A. M. French, the youngest of the commissioners, lay near by, quietly sleeping, uncon- cerned what the name might be. He was aroused and told that the others, having failed in agreeing ou a name for the county seat of the State of Boone, had deferred the name solely to him. He gazed up at the tall trees around him, and the thought of the tall cedars of Lebanon in sacred history-he thought of the river Jordan-here were the tall trees, a little way off was Prairie Creek ; thus the name was evolved in his mind-he shouted " Lebanon." The name was fixed. Leb- anon it has henceforth been.
In the year 1832 Abner H. Longley, the first settler, located in Lebanon, and erected a one-room log cabin on lot No. 1, block No. 16, where the marble front building now stands. In the summer time, in front of his round-log cabin, he set posts in the ground, and of the green leafy boughs of the trees he constructed a portico, such only as it was. Such was Leb-
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
anon's beginning. Then railroads, gravel roads, telegraphs, telephones, gas, and coal "ile " were uncivilized and unthought- of institutions. Then cities were not built by electricity nor gas; in most instances their growth was slow. To clear away the great forest which stood where Lebanon now "booms" was no easy task. To drain the willow ponds, then within the limits of the present city, was no small job of work ; yet Lebanon did grow-or rather, it has evolved, or been made to evolve. The wonder is, considering its adverse environ- ments, that it has accomplished as much as it has; but it was the county seat, and it had to become something. The county could not exist without the county seat. It was the capitol of the " State of Boone," and grow it must, otherwise it might have become a "distressed " farm, with drain tile privileges.
In 1840, when the writer first visited Lebanon, the city consisted of a few frame buildings, then mostly surrounding the public square. In a wet time the streets were, in many places, impassable. The sidewalks around the square were made by blocks of wood sawed off and set upon end, and upon these blocks planks were laid lengthwise of the walk, and in a timerof high water these became afloat, and passing afoot was not desirable ; neither were swimming privileges very good- the pedestrian could often float. The walls of the first brick court-house were up in 1840, but the house then was not fin- ished. It stood where the court-house now stands, the new house being erected in 1856. To "outside barbarians " Leba- non, even in 1856, had no great promise of being anything more than a dull, unattractive town. The first railway (i. e. the iron one) was completed through the city in 1852. This, for the city and county, was a hopeful institution, for, in places, it was above high tide. In growth Lebanon never has had any sensational " boom," though it has what might be called a good and convenient court-house, also an excellent jail, sev- eral convenient and substantial church edifices, and an excel- lent opera building, besides the usual number of good business buildings for a city of its size, and quite a number of fine and
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EARLY LIFE AND TIMES IN
tasteful mansions, while the greater number of dwellings are common to very humble. It also has two flouring mills- one of these extra in finish and machinery. It has two lum- ber dressing and planing factories, one plow-handle factory, two common school buildings, and another one to be erected in 1887. Many of the streets are either macadamized or graveled. The sideways of the streets are average good. The population now is estimated at 4,000; and, in brief, it is now a business center for the whole county, and does as much trade and business as any city of its size in the state. This fact is fairly conceded by strangers, as well as our own citizens. It never has been much involved in debt and is mainly clear from debt at this time. Hence its people may well commend it as a city of promising and prospective growth and prosper- ity, while its prospect is only to have a healthful and steady growth ; and while it boasts no ancient cedars, nor a rapid Jordan, it can fairly boast of being surrounded by and occu- pying the center of one of the most desirable counties of soil for agricultural purposes in the state. Such is Lebanon and its environments.
The Midland Railroad was finished to Lebanon in Janu- ary, 1887. Among the early citizens of Lebanon were, A. H. Longley, John Patterson, William Smith, David Hoover. James Ricley was the first tailor, A. H. Sheppard the second. Joseph Hocker was the first attorney. Soon after Jacob Angle came; he was the second attorney, and Stephen Neal the third. The early physicians were, MeConnaha, Me Workman, W. N. Simpkins, John J. Nesbitt, and soon after, Dr. A. J. Porter. "The first merchants were, William Zion, John Forsyth. The first tavern keepers, John Patterson, William Smith, A. H. Sheppard. Mr. Olive made hats in an early day.
STEPHEN NEAL.
Mr. Neal has said so much about Lebanon, and said it so well, that we have little to add. Every citizen of the county must be justly proud of the county seat. It now ranks among the average county seats in the state, and is rapidly advancing
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
in every way. At this writing (1887) preparations are being made to bore for natural gas, and perhaps before this is in print the flames from a well may light up the city. In December, 1836, the city was first lit by manufactured gas, and it is one of the many improvements made recently.
The town was incorporated in 1853, by an act of the Leg- islature the winter previous ; but, as time advanced, its clothes got too short for it, and in 1875 it was incorporated as a city, with the following officers serving as mayors, for it was first organized up to 1886: Samuel L. Hamilton, T. W. Lockhart, W. C. Gerrard, J. L. Pierce, J. C. Laughlin, J. M. Kelsy. The following have served as clerks: W. A. Zion, Charles E. Willson, C. Copeland, C. P. Kern, W. O. Darnall. Treasur- ers: W. H. Richey, J. M. Conyears. Marshals: Jesse Per- kins, J. W. Herrod, O. C. Witt, W. A. Mellett, F. Langher. Assessors : Lysander Darnall, H. A. Shultz. The following have served as Councilmen : From the first ward, from 1875 to 1886-A. O. Miller, A. C. Daily, Jesse Perkins, J. L. Hall, L. S. Lakin, H. C. Brush, Charles Daily, Jesse Neff, A. J. Sanders, F. M. Kersy, J. P. McCorckle. From the second ward-J. R. Ailsworth, James Males, F. M. Busby, Elias W. Brown, J. W. Garner, Granville Hutchings, James Combs, James Weed, Peter Cox, Patrick Ryan, H. C. Ulin, Jasper J. Cory, D. A. Rice. From the third ward-Sol. Witt, Jasper Kelsy, John L. Crane, M. C. Kleiser, J. A. Alexander, Wes. Lane, C. N. Kellogg, William L. Higgins, W. T. Hoo- ten, Jacob Byerly, J. A. Brown.
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