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 5
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EAGLE VILLAGE.
Eagle Village, one of the oldest towns in Boone County, was laid out in 1829. It is located on the Michigan Road, in the southeast part of Eagle Township, about one mile east of Zionsville. Until 1852, when the Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette Railroad was built, the village was a place of some importance. From the year 1850, when it was at its zenith, it gradually went down, until now there are but few houses left. Many of the buildings were removed from there to Zions- ville in 1852, when the latter place was laid out. Among the early merchants and business men of Eagle Village, most of whom are now deceased, we find the following: Daniel and James M. Larimore, Reuben Price, J. F. Daugherty, John Harden, Addison Nicholas, J. B. Pitzer, John P. Welch, Oel Thayer, T. P. Miller and Fielding Utterback, all of whom
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sold goods from 1835 until 1851. Among the physicians who practiced here from time to time, were H. G. Larimore, S. W. Rodman, Jeremiah Larimore, J. M. Gaston, Nathan Crosby and Dr. Johnson. H. G. Larimore died in Fayette County, Ind., in 1874, aged near ninety years. S. W. Rodman lives in Washington Territory. J. M. Gaston, who did not remain long in Eagle Village, lives in Indianapolis. Dr. Johnson's whereabouts are unknown. Jeremiah Larimore died in Indianapolis about the year 1880. He is buried at Mount's Run, in this county. Nathan Crosby, quite an old man, lives in Zionsville. He came from the East to Eagle Village in 1849. Of the early merchants we give the following : Daniel Larimore came from Fayette County, Ind., in 183-, was engaged in business only a few years when he died. He died in 1839, and is buried at Eagle Village. J. M., his son, suc- ceeded him, and was engaged in active business until March, 1849, when he died of consumption. He was a fine-looking man, was never married, and is buried by the side of his father. He was the first Odd Fellow in Boone County. J. F. Daugherty came in 1836, and was in business a number of years. He finally moved to Zionsville, where he sold goods a number of years. He now resides in Indianapolis. John Harden engaged in business in 1842. He died in Ohio, Feb- ruary, 1877, and is buried at Zionsville, Boone County. Fielding Utterback was engaged in business several years. He was elected 'county sheriff in 1845. He went West and died there ten or fifteen years ago. Oel Thayer came to Boone County in 1839; was first a merchant in Clarkstown, then in Eagle Village. He finally removed to Lebanon, where he died February 4, 1877. John Welch engaged in business with J. B. Pitzer (his brother-in-law), in 1846. He died in September, 1850, and is buried on Eagle Creek, six miles southwest of Zionsville. J. B. Pitzer was in business several years. He was elected county auditor in 1863. He resides in Zionsville, and is seventy-four years old. T. P. Miller was born in Tennessee. He came with his father to Eagle
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Creek in 1829. He was engaged several years at Eagle Vil- lage as merchant, postmaster and justice of the peace. He was the second Odd Fellow in the county. He resides in Indianapolis, aged seventy-five years. James McCoy, Jesse Essex, William Gouge, William Lakin and John Gates were early blacksmiths. McCoy was married five times and then said he was on his first legs. He lived to be ninety-five years old. Mr. Gouge was a local preacher, and lived to be quite old. Mr. Essex died a little past middle life. He was the son of Jesse Essex, Sr., and the father of George Essex, of Lebanon. James Handly was the. tailor; he moved West, and the last account of him he was still living. Andrew Hopkins was about the first saddler. He was born in Ohio, married a daughter of Austin Davenport, and died at Lafay- ette, Ind., in 1852, in middle life. William Farlan, an attor- ney, was born in New York. He resided in Eagle Village many years, where he taught school in early times. He went to Wisconsin, where he died about 1865, aged seventy years. Jesse Essex was the first tanner, followed by William Man- teeth and M. S. Davenport. The carpenters of that time were Starling C. Rose, Luther M. Oliphant, Isaac L. Daven- port and Thomas Oliphant. The shoemakers were Henry . Breedlove, A. W. Larimore, Henry Davenport and Mr. Dan- forth. James Armstrong and Henry Gardner made saleratus here at an early day. "The ashery," as we called it, was started by J. M. Larimore and Mr. Bishop in 1846. Mrs. Polly Larimore kept the tavern many years after her husband died. T. P. Miller also kept the " Pavilion." The " Eagle Village Hotel " was kept by Mrs. Larmac, Joseph Larimore, George Craft and Mr. Hurd. It went down about the year 1852, with Joseph Larimore at the helm. The Odd Fellows organ- ized a lodge here about the year 1846 or 1847, with the fol- lowing as first members : J. M. Larimore, T. P. Miller, J. F. Daugherty, Joseph La imore, James Handly, Oel Thayer, I. L. Davenport, Jacob Tipton, T. W. Oliphant and L. Oliphant. Among the early preachers were James McCoy, Jacob Myers,
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Robert H. Calvert, Madison Hume, Mr. Wells, William Gonge and George Dye. A man by the name of Wesley George, from Indianapolis, started a tin shop, but did not stay long. The following have served as postmasters : T. P. Miller, Fielding Utterback, J. F. Daugherty, Nathan Crosby. A temperance society was organized here about the year 1845; flourished for several years, and about the year 1853 went down with the general crash of the village. Adjoin- ing on the east is the cemetery, where lie buried many old citizens, among whom are. Daniel Larimore, J. M. Larimore, William Miller, Mrs. Polly Larimore, Peter Gregory, and Patrick H. Sullivan, the first settler in the county and who helped to select the present site of Lebanon as the place for the county seat. He died about the year 1879, when he must have been eighty-five years of age.
DOVER.
BY LEVI DENNY.
The above town was first laid out in 1850, by Aries Pauly. , It was first known as " Crackaway." It is situated in Jeffer- son Township, eight miles west of Lebanon, in a fine part of the county. In 1860 a postoffice was established here and named Cason, in remembrance of Thomas J. Cason, of Leb- anon. It has been for years the center or voting place for the township. The first merchant was Wesley Adkins, who started a store in 1860. The first postmaster was Wm. Goldsburgh ; present one, Joseph S. Miller. In 1851 James Stephenson built a sawmill here. The following doctors have practiced here: Drs. Clair, Oxly, C. Smith, Hamilton, John S. Smith, Finch, Crafton, and W. H. Ware, who is now in practice and who is a clever gentleman and doctor as well. The first wood shop was by J. L. Pyles; first blacksmith, Wm. Goldsburgh. The following are the names of the present merchants and mechanics : McDaniel & Bro., general merchants; Lewis
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Denny, blacksmith ; Henry J. Frazier, carpenter; Hezekiah Kerfart, shoemaker. Three churches, one school house and fourteen families, in all about fifty inhabitants. Robt. Denny, carpenter ; Lee Miles, workingman. Following will be found a sketch written for the Patriot and published in that paper December, 1886, by W. H. Ware :
" Perhaps before we begin with the history of our pleasant little village it would be prudent to inform the many readers of the Patriot what part of the county it is situated in. Our town is located near the center of Jefferson Township, on the Noblesville gravel road, and the Thorntown and Jamestown road, surrounded by forests and the most fertile lands of proud old Boone. The early history of Dover does not appear of very ancient date, it being first honored with the name about the year 1854, when some poetie genius sug- gested the spirited title of "Crackaway," by which title it was known far and near during a period of several years. At this date the little hamlet consisted of three families and a school house within the limits of our now busy town. We will first mention the name of Mr. Aris Pauly, now a resident of Danville, Illinois; his residence was the same in which the Denney heirs now live, with the fexception of some more sub- stantial and modern improvements. Next in order of enroll- ment comes Mr. James Stevenson, now a resident of Horse Shoe, Col., who lived in a house of meager dimensions on the site where the Presbyterian Church now stands. He owned a sawmill which was situated a short distance north of where the new school house stands. He sold his mill some time in the year 1855 to a man by the name of Whit Dalzell and moved to the wilds of the Rockies. The third inhabitant spoken of was Mrs. Hall, who lived in an old log building situated on the south side of the Noblesville road, about fif- teen rods west of where the Baptist Church now stands, her husband having died some years previous to this date. The school house was a small structure situated a little north of the cross roads. There were no business houses, those pio-
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neers all earning their living by the sweat of the brow, but in the year 1859 William and John Goldsburrough purchased the saw mill of Mr. Dalzell and erected a dwelling and a log blacksmith shop near the crossing. Then the neighborhood of Crackaway began to show signs of a village in the near future, for in a few months the long-looked-for postoffice came and with it a commission for William Goldsburrough as post- master, and the U. S. cheek bore the name of Dover. Then the name of Crackaway passed into oblivion. Progress was slow for a season, but in 1862 one Wesley Adtkins, now de- ceased, built a 10 x 12 storeroom near the blacksmith shop and supplied the villagers and weary travelers with groceries and an occasional dose of " Old Kaintuek," and in the follow- ing spring Jacob Pyles moved from Lebanon and opened a wagon and repair shop, in a log building, on the corner where McDaniel & Bro.'s magnificent storeroom now stands. Pros- perity crowned his efforts and he now lives on his farm ad- joining town. He is the only one of the oldest settlers living in the county. There were but few changes or improvements made until the year 1865, when Fielding Denny bought the Pauly farm which had passed through several hands prior to this, and also bought a small tract on the northwest corner of John Darrough's land. This he sold out in small lots to parties who began to build and improve the town. In 1866 Dr. Israel Kirk located here ; he was the first resident physi- cian. In the following spring John Hall built a tile factory and continued in the manufacture of that much needed article for three or four years. In 1866 a Mr. Chaney bought the stock of groceries from Mr. Adtkins and moved into a more pretentious building and increased the stock of merchandise, but in 1868 he sold his stock of goods and moved away. The first church was built by the Baptist and Methodist denomina- tions, but in a few months the former bought out the interest of the latter. Fielding Denny donated the lots for the church and cemetery. During the same year Dr. Kirk moved to Darlington and Dr. W. A. Ware located in his place and is
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still here practicing his profession. In 1871 the Presbyterians built an elegant frame structure for worshiping in, and in 1873 the Reformers, or Campbellites, through the instrumentality of Thomas McDaniel, erected quite a respectable church of a rather more modern style than either of the other two. At present all three of the churches are in a prosperous condition. There have been various changes in the past few years, which we fail to note on account of space."
NORTHFIELD.
Northfield was laid out in the year 1834. Jesse Lane was the proprietor. It is situated in Union Township, on the Mich- igan road. Big Eagle crosses the Michigan road just north, and Findly Creek on the south. It at one time was a place of considerable business, and at one time a piece of ground was purchased with a view of building a court-house. But the prospect of the county seat being located there vanished. But Northfield lived, notwithstanding. Among the first settlers and business men were as follows: Hiram McQuidy built the first horse mill or corn cracker. Mr. A. Sanburn was the first postmaster. First merchants were Mr. Long, Chance Cole, Jacob Tipton. Doctors were Knowlton, McLeod, Presly and Samuel Hardy. First blacksmith was Mr. Robinson. First school teacher Mr. Bray. First justices of the peace was Mr. Sanburn and Riley B. Hogshier. The first church was built by the Methodists. A church called Adventists' was built here in 1886, and dedicated in December of that year by Rev. Covert, of Howard County. It is a very good frame building ; cost $800. Northfield now and for the past forty-five years had a postoffice, and is now the voting place of Union Town- ship. Election day several years ago was looked forward to with interest, when it was understood that sundry disputes were to be settled, and an occasional fight was no unusual sight. Among the early families of the place were: George Shirts, Hiram McQuidy, Mr. Sanburn, Jacob Tipton and Mr. Robin-
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son. The first tavern was kept by Hiram MeQuidy. The town contains a good brick school house and M. E. Church. Northfield was once the home of Jonathan H. Rose, also that of Jacob Tipton. The present postmaster is Henry Nicholas. Among the early citizens of Union Township now living within its borders are: Mrs. Nicholas, Mrs. Koontz, Wash- ington Hutton, Mr. Alexander, Mrs. Sedgewick, Andrew Harvey, Squire Duly, Samuel Davis, John J. Ross and Jesse Lane.
CLARKSTOWN.
This once thriving little town was situated on the Mich- igan road, just north of where Little Eagle crosses the same. It kept this name for years, when it was changed to that of Hamilton, about the year 1838 or 1839. It was first named after Walter Clark, who came from Ohio. It was laid out on the land of Jacob Hoover, in or about the year 1833. The following were its first citizens: Frederick Lowe, who built the first house and kept public house, Elias Bishop, John Lowe, George Lowe, the Duzans, Jacob Hoover. The first blacksmith was Critchfield. The first doctors were W. N. Duzan, George Selders, George W. Duzan. The first mer- chants were Jacob Hoover, John Duzan, Oel Thayer, Zach- ariah Owsley. Zachariah Turpin kept a grocery and some- thing for the inner man occasionally. The first tanner was James Sheets. The first carding machine was built by Jacob Hoover and Moses Lyons as early as 1837, and has been kept up ever since ; is now owned by Paul D. Liebhardt, with a saw mill attached. Andrew Hopkins, Clinton Osburn and Allen Broek were the saddlers and harness makers in an early day. The town has all gone down, there are only a few dilap- idated houses remaining that mark the site of the once flourish- ing town of Clarkstown.
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FAYETTE.
Fayette is located in Whitelick, in Perry Township, and in the southern part of it near the Hendricks County line and on section ten. The town is well located on an elevated, well drained piece of land. The town contains two stores, school house and several good private residences. Fayette was laid out on the land originally owned by Edmond Shurly and Mr. Turner. The present merchants are Mr. McDaniel and Shurly, Drs. W. E. Everts and Jourden. Drug store by Josephus Dodson. Former merchants were Charles J. Lump- kins and Thos. Fitch. Dr. Jorden's family kept the drug store here. Fayette is the voting place of Perry Township, and is the center of considerable trade, not only of Boone County, but that also of Hendricks County. The postoffice is now kept by Dr. W. E. Everts, who has been here several years and has a fine practice. The town contains some three hundred inhabitants, of sober, industrious habits. The settle- ment here on Whitelick dates back in the thirties. The town,
however, is not quite that old.
NEW BRUNSWICK.
The above town is in the southwest part of Harrison Town- ship, and about seven miles southwest of Lebanon, in a rich, fertile part of the county, containing several good residences, Christian Church, brick school house, postoffice, store, doctors, etc. Among the first merchants here were Samuel Vest & Son, Dr. Horner, Mr. Sexton, Aaron Frazee, Colonel Letcher, Franklin Walters & Son, D. M. Watts. I. W. Smith is the present merchant and postmaster. The doctors who have practiced here from time to time are Dr. Horner, George and William Kane, W. E. Everets, James Leach and Dr. T. N. Bunnell. The last two are now practicing here. W. H. Crose, the old veteran wagonmaker is here, and has been for
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many years. Blacksmiths have been here as follows: Wash Dale, O. C. Willson and Joseph Chitewood; the last named is now located here. The first postmaster was Nelson Watts. The town was laid out in 1850, on the lands of Joseph and Nathaniel Wainwright.
1 MILLAGEVILLE.
The above village is situated rather in the north part of Harrison Township, and five miles south of Lebanon. It was laid out on section twenty-six, by G. O. P. Crawford. The fol- lowing have sold goods here from time to time: W. H. Camp- . bell, Henry Tomlinson, J. E. Pernell, Henry Ulin, William Higgins, John Bartlett and Theodore Dickerson. The following doctors have practiced here : Henry Tomlinson, Melvin Leach- man, E. W. S. Hilligoss, and James Turner, who is now located here, a young man of promise. Postmaster, John Bartlett, who is now keeping it. The office was discontinued for several years, but was restored in November, 1886. The blacksmiths have been William Edwards, John Troutman and Edwards, the last two now located here. The village contains a good briek school house, Protestant Methodist Church and several good dwelling houses. The postoffice was formerly kept by J. P. Pinnell before it was discontinued, and he was perhaps the first one here.
HAZLERIGG STATION.
This town is located on the Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette Railroad, six miles northwest of Lebanon, in the southeast corner of Washington Township. It was laid out on the land originally owned by the late H. G. Hazlerigg, and named in honor of him. It has been a stopping and shipping point of some note for the last twenty years. The town contains a store, kept by S. Klepfer, a blacksmith shop,
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postoffice, and several dwelling houses. Over the store of Mr. Klepfer is a public hall, used for general purposes, such as lectures, meetings of a religious character, etc. Hazlerigg is located in a fine part of the county ; its nearness to the county seat and Thorntown will in all probability keep it from becom- ing a town of large proportions, but it will no doubt increase to some extent and will be a place of considerable local trade. The people here could illy do without a postoffice and other conveniences now afforded at Hazlerigg Station. The popu- lation of the town is eighteen persons, all told, big and little.
WARD.
The above village is located in the northeast part of Jack- son Township, in section twenty. It was laid out in 1883 and named after Congressman Thomas Ward, who was instru- mental in getting a postoffice established there. It is situated in a fine productive country, about seven miles southwest of Lebanon, and five miles northeast of Jamestown. The first merchant was John B. Bennington, succeeded by Greenville Dodd, and he by the present merchant, Thomas Burris. The first postmaster was J. C. Bennington, succeeded by G. Dodd, and he by Thomas Burris, who is now postmaster. There is a Christian Church, a brick school house, and two or three residences. About the year 1870 George Jackson built a steam saw mill here which is now in operation.
ADVANCE.
This town is located in the northeast part of Jackson Township and on the Midland Railroad, nine miles south west of Lebanon and five miles north of Jamestown. The place is comparatively new, springing up when the above railroad was proposed. The people here have waited long and patiently for the completion of it, and the outlook to-day, March, 1887,
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WILLIAM ZION.
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AMELIA ZION.
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
is encouraging. When this railroad is finished here it will give the town and surrounding country an outlet which is very much needed. The town contains several stores, shops, mechanics, doctors, churches, school house, etc. The popula- tion is near one hundred, all told. We hope before long to hear that the above railroad is a fixed fact. Advance contains several good residences; also a postoffice, which is a great convenience to the people of northeast Jackson and surround- ing country.
ROYALTON.
Royalton is like the whisky was said to be by the Indian : " Very little to its age." It nestles among the hills of Fishbeck and Eagle Creek, and near the Marion County line on the south, in Eagle Township, southeast of Lebanon. Among the first merchants were John Rodman, Dr. Horn, John W. Vaughn. The early doctors were Dr. Horn, Dr. Ross, Dr. Graham. First hotel kept by John Smock; first blacksmith shop by Thomas Smock ; first postmasters were Dr. Horn, John McCabe, J. W. Vaughn ; first shoemakers, Jeremiah Washburn and Daniel Thompson. Samuel Jones was the first › to sell whisky in Royalton. Mr. Strowmire is the principal merchant of Royalton at this time. There is a postoffice kept here ; also trades of the various kinds going on. It was near here that the famous Forman murder occurred sixty-eight years ago in Marion County.
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COMMUNICATIONS.
COMMUNICATION FROM HON. WILLIAM B. BEACH.
PROVIDENCE, R. I., January 13, 1887.
Dear Sirs: As requested, I write you my early impressions of Boone County. As I am neither historian, novelist, or poet, you must be content if "I a plain, unvarnished tale relate," concerning men and things as I now remember them.
In the spring of 1845 I received my license to practice law. My uncle, Judge William J. Peaslee, with whom I had studied, advised me to locate in the "State of Boone." He was then presiding justice in that circuit. Taking his advice, the next Monday morning I took a seat in his buggy and in the evening of the same day I was landed in Lebanon, at the hotel Joseph Fish. That night the judge was eloquent in his praises of the future Boone County. It was to be the fore- most county of the state in agriculture. Its swamps were to be drained and thus rendered the best producing lands in all the state. Its broad acres were pictured as covered with fine stock, horses, cattle, etc., etc., feeding upon richest pastures, her fields pouring out their bountiful harvests of wheat, corn, oats, etc. I. said but little in reply to his fancy sketch, as I then regarded it, for instead of the future, my mind would go back to those abominable, yes, frightful corduroy bridges, floating in interminable seas of mud and water, over which we had passed from Royalton to Lebanon, with scarcely an inter- mission of a rod, while both of us were fighting with might
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and main, armed with green boughs, to keep the greedy hoard of flies and mosquitoes from draining the last drop of our precious blood.
Morning came, and as we dressed preparatory for breakfast, I could but note the sad condition of our apparel. Mud and blood gave evidence that the conflict had been no mere skir- mish. Breakfast over, the judge bade me good-bye and returned to Indianapolis, first giving me a few words of encouragement ; probably he thought he saw evidence in my countenance of a wilting tendency. I went at once to the " weightier matters of the law," my finances. I found $2.50 the amount of available assets, and already one night's lodg- ing due the landlord. What could be done? The more I pondered the more I was puzzled ; it was as deep and dark as Boone County mud. I began to think my good uncle had been mocking me and was now "laughing at my calamity." But that could hardly be, as I felt he wished me success, and probably he was only applying the old doctrine, " root hog or die."
There is, I believe, a "silver lining" to every cloud ; Sat- urday night brought to me that best of good Samaritans, Dr. James MeWorkman. I settled with the landlord and took up my abode with the doctor in a small house just opposite the Methodist church. I need not tell to the good people of Boone County that he was a specimen of God's noblest work. Many of them will long remember his genial face and manly form, and many of God's unfortunate ones, in both Indiana and Missouri, will bless the day when Dr. McWorkman was elected superintendent of the Institution for the Blind in both those states. And scarcely with less gratitude will they cherish the memory of his noble and devoted wife, who was matron in both institutions. Both rest from their labors in honored graves. I took an office in the northeast room of the court house, put out my shingle and waited. After the delay usual to young attorneys, I received my first fee and began to feel quite well established in business.
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