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 6
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At this time there were but three other members of the bar; Jacob Angle, Joseph E. Hocker and Stephen Neal. The latter, however, gave but little attention to the law, being mostly engaged in farming. Angle and Hocker were substan- tial lawyers and valued citizens; both "went west" many years ago. Subsequently, Lorenzo C. Dougherty located in Lebanon and soon after became my partner. He attained high standing in the profession and was honored by the citi- zens of the county, first as representative and afterwards as senator. He died in the height of his usefulness. A. J. Boone was a few years later admitted, and like Dougherty, attained high rank at the bar. It was my good fortune to know him intimately, and all who did will testify to his high standard of integrity. He, too, died in early manhood. Others also might be mentioned, O. S. Hamilton, T. J. Cason.
The year following my location at Lebanon, feeling that there was a better future in store for Boone County, I began to feel permanently located. I had made many valued friends, whose memory I shall cherish while reason holds her throne. Some I have already named. William Zion, many years a foremost merchant, Chauncey King, hotel keeper and mer- chant, Abner Shephard, hotel keeper and tailor, Westley Martin, my partner in the first carding machines at Lebanon, propelled with bull power at first, subsequently with steam. Levi Lane, " honest Levi," as we were wont to call him, long the accomplished and accommodating clerk of the court, his brother Josiah, also a merchant, and still another brother Addison, merchant aud preacher. He stood by me in the most momentous moment of my life; he officiated on the occasion of my marriage. Joseph T. McLaughlin, the faith- ful guardian of the county funds, William Staton, once sheriff of the county and my colleague in the legislature of 1851-2, Father McCann, for years county recorder, whose life was a continuing benediction and whose memory will for years be cherished by all who knew him. His son, Robert McCann, still one of the most valued citizens of the county. Robert
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Newell, my partner in a brief mercantile career and as true a specimen of honest manhood as it was ever my good fortune to know. He is now a citizen of Missouri. His son, Olney Newell, I need but name, as he was until a recent date a citizen of Lebanon, and well known as a gifted writer and genial gentleman. He is now a citizen of Denver, Col .. and assistant editor of the Colorado Live Stock Record. There are many others whom I might mention, but your space will not permit.
In the fall of 1845, I was invited to a corn husking at Uncle Jake Kernodle's. At the time I had but a slight acquaintance with him. Of course I attended. A good, jolly party it was. Red ears meant something to take-Uncle Jake had t, and that which was good, for he made it himself- apple brandy, peach brandy, whisky and cider. But Uncle Jake was not the man to permit a too frec use of the cup which cheers and inebriates, and I do not remember that even one of the party became mellow. I should say, with Bobby Burre :
" They were not fou, . But just had plenty."
The husking over, a bountiful supper was spread and dis- patched, and then on light fantastic toe we chased the glowing hours with flying feet till early morn. On this occasion I met his daughter, Sarah M. Kernodle. She became my wife in the following August. Forty years have past and well has she earned the proudest title due to womanhood, faithful and affectionate wife and mother. She died November 22, A. D. 1886. Jacob Kernodle settled in Boone County in 1836 and remained a citizen of the county, and on the same farm, until his death in -. His was the model farm of the county for many years, and until his death. Located one mile east of the court-house, and having ample room in both house and barn, where man and beast found good cheer in abundance. He always had plenty of company, especially when the courts were in session. His farm consisted of 300 aeres of excellent
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land, cultivated with great care in meadow grain, orchards of apples and peaches. Coming to the county at an early day, when mechanical facilities were poor, he was forced to do all . such work himself, or go a long way for it. The result was he became miller, carpenter, wagonmaker, shoemaker and black- smith. His great crop of apples and peaches must go to waste or be made into cider and brandy. He became a distiller, and his peach and apple brandy gained a wide celebrity. No farm in the county was better supplied with every kind of farm utensils, nor was there one where they were put to a better use. Nothing went to waste. Of course he prospered and became one of Boone County's most independent citizens. His large family of four sons and seven danghters were com- fortably provided for as they married, and all became prosper- ous and respected citizens of the county. The only one of the daughters remaining, so far as I am informed, is Margaret, wife of Captain James Bragg, of Lebanon. Captain Bragg, though not enjoying the best of health, has earned a compe- tency for the evening of his years, and also that which is more abiding than worldly possessions, the respect and confidence of all who know him. He faithfully and ably served his country from nearly the beginning of the rebellion until the return of peace. Let me close this recital by saying, I long since forgave Judge Peaslee for locating me in the State of Boone, and I rejoice to know that his picture of the future of Boone County, which he gave me on that memorable night, has become a reality, and that she stands to-day in the foremost rank of rich and enterprising counties in the state-a mon- ument to the wisdom, intelligence and liberality of her citizens in draining their swamps, building gravel roads and railroads. By the way, let me claim a modest share of credit for your railroads. At the solicitation of your lamented Colonel Har- vey G. Hazelrigg, I made several speeches in the county, urg- ing the citizens and the county to take stock in the Indianap- olis & Lafayette Railroad. The county took, I think, $25,000. This was the beginning. I hope I may again, ere life is spent,
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revisit my old and. dearly-loved home in Boone County. I know I shall find my many dear friends, to some of whom I owe much for honors bestowed. Their names are still found in the Lebanon papers, which I see and read with pleasure. Three cheers for old Boone.
RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN LOWE.
My father moved from Washington County, Indiana, in the early winter of 1826. He stopped in Marion County on Big Eagle about ten miles from Indianapolis until the 10th of March, when, with his family of eight children, he moved on his land in the thick forest with not a stick amiss save the cabin logs that then lay at the stumps from which they were cut. Through the kindness of friends we called neighbors (though some of them came ten miles), we had our cabin raised on the day we got there, having arrangements previously made. Mr. Austin Davenport, with his ox team, hauled the logs while the neighbors notched them up, covered with clap-boards and cut out a door, so we slept under the shelter of our own roof that night. We were unharmed, though serenaded by wolves, which was a nightly occurrence. Our cabin is up, but there is yet no floor, fire-place or door shutter, nor a foot of land cleared, and one-third of March gone. Six acres of land was measured off that would have to be cleared, under-grubbed and fenced. Father and two of us boys (aged eleven and thirteen years) found we would have to build some kind of a pen to protect our horses from the horse-flies. We raised a pen fourteen by twenty feet, high enough for the joists, then covered it with brush to make it dark. That kept the flies off when in the stable, but when working they were very annoy- ing. Deer was plenty, but there was no time to look after them. The creek, too, was full of fish, but they must also be let alone (only on Sundays we boys would take them in out of the wet). Turkeys would make their presence known by gobbling close by in the early morning. Father would take
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in one of them once in a while. By the 10th of June we had six acres of corn planted. The squirrels came as though it had been planted purposely for them, but we stoutly con- tested their claim, and when they were out of the way the raccoons entered their title. We contested their claim, too, and many of their skins went into the fur market at from five to twenty-five cents apiece. Coon skins and ginsang were the staple articles of trade with us in those days. In the winter of 1827 father got his leg so badly cut by the flying of an axe handle in the hands of Austin Davenport, that he was laid up all winter and spring till our erop was in the ground. With the help of our neighbors we had added another six acres to our farm. We helped to roll logs and raise cabins every week in the early spring. We had to keep a sharp lookout for rattlesnakes, for they were very plenty on Eagle Creek when first settled by the whites. Indians were very plenty when we first came to the territory afterwards organized into Boone County. Our house was on the trace leading from Thorntown to Billy Conner's, who was agent for the Miamis. We saw Indians nearly every day the first sum- mer we lived on the old homestead, and it was interesting to see the ingenuity of these red men. When they wanted a sack to carry potatoes, turnips or corn, they would spread down a blanket and double the first side over two-thirds of the width, then the other side so as to lap over one third of the first lap, then gather the ends and tie a string tightly around each end. They would open the fold in the middle and fill the ends with whatever they wished to take with them. If they bought pumpkins they would, with their butcher knives, plug out the stem and blossom ends, double a small rope and put this through four pumpkins, two on each end, with a small stick to keep them from slipping. Throwing them across their ponies they would scamper. They always had handkerchiefs, shawls, calico, broadeloths, fancy moccasins or some beads to trade for our produce. The nearest mill was fourteen miles and no good roads. We would shell two sacks of corn, throw them
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across two horses, mount two boys and away to mill. Some- times we would live for two days and a night on parched corn. Sometimes we would throw corn into a mortar made by burn- ing out a stump or the end of a block, and pound it into a kind of a coarse meal, sieve out the finest for bread, and use the rest for hominy. Although we had hardships to undergo, we had a great deal of pleasure. The social relations among our friends was fine. A man only had to say he was going to roll logs such a day and the men and boys would be on hand. The women are worthy of great praise for the part they took. As a matter of course our fare was very plain, consisting of corn bread, hog meat, potatoes, turnip greens, with sometimes pumpkin pies. Often after a hard day's rolling logs, the young folks would have a dance ; the women having a quilt- ing, wool pieking or some other attraction to bring them to- gether. After a few years, when they began to raise a few sheep, the farmers would take their wool to the carding machine and have it made into rolls, then they would spin, seour and color such as was to be used for wearing apparel, but for blankets they wove in the grease as it was spun. Then the scouring was to be done. Some neighbors having a suitable floor in his house would have what they called a " blanket kieking." This was the work of the boys. Taking off their shoes and socks they would sit down in a ring with their feet together. The women would then throw down four or five blankets between their feet. Then warm water and soap were thrown on the blankets and the kicking commenced. The flow of soap-suds on the floor can be im- agined. The boys would sit on bloeks four or five inches high and the girls on chairs at their baeks to keep them in place. The girls for fun would sometimes kick the blocks from under the boys, letting them sit down in the soap-suds, but it was all taken in good part. When the blankets were finished the floor was cleaned, supper was set, and that disposed of. After that the fiddle was brought out and the dance commenced, lasting till twelve or one o'clock. These are some of the pas-
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times of early settlers. Those that were heads of families sixty years ago are gone, and those that were children are now old and but few in number. Many have died and others moved away, and in counting my playmates I find many of their names on tombstones. There are many incidents I might record that would be more amusing than interesting, but I will now try to give a short history of our family. My father, Frederick Lowe, was born in Gifford County, North Carolina, October 13. 1786. He was married to Patience Grist, in the spring of 1811; they lived in Roan County, in the same state, until October, 1816, when, with his family of four children, he moved to Indiana and settled in Washington County, where he lived ten years. With an addition of four children he moved to what is now Boone County. He re- mained in this county until his death. In the meantime six other children were added to the family, four of whom died in infancy. Of the ten left seven are now living. Their names are as follows: Sarah, who is now dead, was married to Jacob Hoover ; John, the writer; George, who is now dead ; Celia, who is now dead, was married to Jesse Essex ; Polly, widow of James W. Blake ; Charity, widow of Hiram Wolf; William Grist; Nancy, widow of Asa Cox; David G. and Benj. F. These constitute the ten that reached maturity. Father died March 20, 1866. Mother was born March 17, 1788, and died May 13, 1878. Sarah Hoover died in Kansas; Celia Essex died in Pulaski County, Indiana ; George Lowe died in Stock- well, Tippecanoe County. Mother also died in Tippecanoe County, at the advanced age of ninety years and two months. The settlement in Boone County, commencing at the south line, was first Jacob Sheets, E.g., his brother John, P. H. Sul- livan, David Hoover, who was the first elerk of Boone County, Austin Davenport, the first sheriff, also first representative ; Jesse Davenport, John Johns, Robt. Johns, Henry Johns, their father, Jesse Lane and Edward Jackson. These were here when we came. In the fall of the same year John King settled adjoining our place. The county then began to be
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settled very fast, and improvements increased. In the winter of 1829-30 the legislature passed the law organizing the terri- tory into what is now Boone County. My father was ap- pointed agent of the new county, consequently I was one of the boys to cut the brush off of the public square, and carry one end of the chain to lay out the lots in the original plat. Geo. L. Kinnard and Jas. P. Drake were the original proprietors, and donated every alternate lot, and brick to a court-house for the county. There was some trouble about the location. of the county seat. It was first located where Northfield now is, but being so far from the center, a protest entered and commissioners were appointed to locate the spot. The com-
missioners were John Harlin, of Clinton County, A. M. French, of Montgomery, P. H. Sullivan, of Boone, Bazil Brown, of Marion, and the fifth I have forgotten. They located the cap- ital of Boone County, and called it "Lebanon." The site was not very promising for a town, but through the energy of the people and the natural growth of the country, it has attained to its present condition, a little city of four thousand inhabi- tants. As the country became settled up by hardy frontiers- men, and the dense forest gave way to the woodman's ax, improvements in implements advanced. Our harvesting was first done by the sickle, then the cradle, next the McCormack horse-power, and now we have the various self-binders. The many social gatherings, such as husking parties, flax-pullings, chopping-frolics, log-rollings and house-raisings are things of the past. The flax and wool wheels have no place in our farm-house, and the loom is used only for rag carpets. In the loss of these social gatherings much of genuine friendship is lost. I believe that selfishness is growing and caste in society is on the increase. In writing this imperfect sketch I have lived over some of my juvenile days.
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
THEN AND NOW.
BY SOL. SERING, OF WARD, P. O.
The writer of this sketch was born in Liberty, Union County, Ind., on March 29, 1837. While thinking of the past our mind runs back into the forties, and we remember of hearing grandfather and grandmother Dunbar tell of their trip to Boone County to see the country. They came on horseback to Jackson Township, which was at that time an almost unbroken wilderness. There were no roads and they rode through the woods the best they could and camped at night, using their saddles for pillows. They had to keep a fire burning to keep the wolves away. There were only two houses ( bothi log) between Jamestown and Lebanon, one at the farm then owned by Strodder Wall, now owned by M. M. Henry, the other at the farm of Meiken Hurt, now owned by J. M. Martin. In February, 1837, grandfather entered the land we now live on with several other pieces. He gave my father this and the land now owned by Wash Emmert. Father made regular trips to Boone to pay his taxes. It required two weeks, and we children were always anxious for his return to hear him tell about the West. As we grew up we had an anxiety to see some of the world. In August, 1860, we packed our carpet bag, walked sixteen miles to the nearest station, and for the first time we boarded the cars for a ride. In due time we arrived at Crawfordsville, and for a week took in the sights of the mighty West in that vicinity. Again taking our carpet bag in hand, we started on foot for the long heard of land of ponds and frogs, with a few chills mixed in. We followed the state road to Fredericksburg, thence to Beekville, and just one-half mile east of the latter place we struck the " promised land " O, Lord! we thought if this is Boone, we don't want any more of it. The farther we got into the country the harder it looked. From Shiloh church west it was almost a wilderness, or at least we thought so, but
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here and there we saw a cabin with a small clearing around it. As we passed along the children would perch upon the rude fence to get a good look at ns, while the mother looked from the inside of the door. The hazel brush came up to the road on either side. As we were passing up the road west of Shi- loh we were startled by some one saying: "Good morning, stranger, come out and get some blackberries to eat." He was a tall, raw boned man, with an ax on his shoulder. We sized him and thought it was no use to run. We soon found he was from old Union. His name was Shelley, and he did his part in building up the country in which he lived. After resting we trudged on and for the first time saw Jackson Township. We staid a week with uncle Geo. Sering on the farm that Shiloh church stands on, now owned by Bud Jones. Our uncle came out from Union County in 1849, and has lived in Boone nearly all the time since. We believe he has done as much hard work to build up the country as any other man. He and his wife are still living in Lebanon at the ripe age of seventy-five years.
One day we went south to where Advance now stands. There was not even a house-nothing but a rail pen inhabited by a man and woman. We thought the place ought to have a name, so we put up a board with the name Osceola on it, and it was known by that name until the postoffice was established. We passed on to Raccoon, then east to the farm of John M. Shelley, who came from Union in 1859. His farm was like the rest and he lived in a little cabin. On east to the town ship line it was the same, the only signs of civilization we saw was an old church. It stood a little to the northeast of the farm owned by Geo. Bush. After spending a few days there I went home; and, as a trip to Boone was then equal to a trip to California now, I had to answer a good many questions. That winter my father gave me forty acres of this half quarter if I would buy the other at five hundred dollars. The trade was made ; that was easy enough, but I had no money. But where there is a will there is a way. In the winter I cut
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wood at forty cents a cord, and in the summer worked for thirteen dollars a month, and kept it up till the land was paid for. Then I began to look around for a wife, for I always said I would not marry until I had a home for her, let it be ever so humble. To make a long story short, I found a wife. Iler name was Mary J. Demoret, of Butler County, Ohio. We were married October 3, 1867; afterwards came to the farm we now live on. We will pass over eighteen years. Every man that has cleared a farm in Boone knows that it takes courage and hard work. To-day as I look over the same country I did twenty-seven years ago, a finer country and bet- ter improved would be hard to find. The log churches have been replaced by good frame ones ; we see brick school houses every little way; but we must hasten on. Here we are at J. M. Shelley's, our old friend and pioneer, but we look in vain for the cabin. In place of it we see three nice frame dwell- ings, occupied by himself and sons. With the cabin has dis- appeared the logs, brush and ponds, and a finer farm you will not see on the Ladoga gravel road. Just above us you can see the farm of Wmn. Mangers, an old Virginian. He came to Boone in 1857. As you pass along take a look at his farm ; call in and see the old folks-you will always find the latch string out. On we go; and what's this? Why, that is Ward, a new town only three years old. It has one store, postoffice. school house, church and saw mill. The church was built by the Disciples in 1882, through the perseverance of Elders Smith and Heckathorn, who never gave up the good work till they got the house finished, and now they number some sixty members. The store was put up by Elder Bennington, who also worked for and got the postoffice established. I believe it was about the winter 1884. He staid one year and then sold out to G. W. Dodd. In a few months he sold out to T. J. Burress, who now keeps the store and postoffice. Geo. Jack- son, who is a native Boone County boy, runs the saw mill. Jas. H. Fink is principal of the school, which numbers about sixty-five scholars. Ward is on the Lebanon and Ladoga
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gravel road, seven miles southwest of Lebanon. The road was built in the year 1884. It is thirteen miles long and cost twenty-one thousand dollars. Land can not be bought for less than fifty or sixty dollars per acre.
COMMUNICATION FROM GEORGE W. GIBSON.
In writing a reminiscence in relation to pioneer life in Boone County, it requires a person of better memory and cdu- ·cation than I am in possession of to do the subject justice. But having lived here longer than any voter in Jackson Township, and on account of my pioneer life, by request, I am induced to add something to the old settler's history (there being no correct rule for such writing and as many others that write on the same subject labor under the same ill-convenience), if my homily is not as scholastic as others, or my aphorism is at fault. My parents were natives of North Carolina. My mother, at the age of sixteen years, made the journey on foot to Ken- tucky, having the idea that as the sun rises in the Oriental .country and makes the journey to the Occidental lands, where it is hidden by the shades of night, the people learned to travel in like direction until lost in obscurity by the shades of death. After wandering around in the mountainous regions and form- ing some acquaintances she met a man, and after traveling four miles up the rocky branch, over the mountains and down the creek, in a lonely ravine hard by a spring that gushed from among the stones of a mountain which, with its sparkling, cooling looks, gave inducement to the wearied wanderers to .quaff a portion and satiate their thirst, they rested. The sweet songs of the many-hued birds, and the breeze that played upon the boughs of the cedar and pine trees, awakened that feeling in them that was created in Adam when God said, " It is not good for man to be alone," and made woman for him. They sat down on a log far away from any inhabitants, and in old pioneer style talked business. They came to the conclu- sion as neither of them were incumbered with worldly goods
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MRS. CYNTHIA WOODY.
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BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.
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