USA > Indiana > Henry County > Hazzard's history of Henry county, Indiana, 1822-1906, Volume II > Part 32
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WAYNE TOWNSHIP.
The second grand division named in order, on the public records, was to be known and designated by the name and style of Wayne Township. It was
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originally six miles from north to south, and eleven in length from east to west, including all that territory west of Dudley. It thus included in its fair domain about 42,000 acres of very valuable land, much of it today the most valuable in the county. Its first boundaries included one fifth of the present township of Franklin, all of Spiceland, and one sixth of Greensboro. Although thrice shorn of a portion of its "independent jurisdiction," its present area is a trifle in excess of thirty three square miles.
Wayne township had, at the date of its organization, from thirty to forty families, though the very choice lands, fine springs, and abundant water power of Blue River, Buck and Montgomery creeks, marked it for rapid settlement. A village was projected at the mouth of Montgomery Creek, on the county line, as well as "old State road," at once and known as West Liberty. This became the emporium of trade for the region round about, and rejoiced in all the metro- politan splendors of a "one-eyed grocery" and dry goods store kept by Aaron Maxwell. This "Chamber of Commerce," in 1822, consisted of a very indifferent log cabin, with a wide fire place, flanked on one side by a rude table, where Mrs. Maxwell compounded "red bread," and on the other by a barrel of whisky and about as many bolts of calico, etc., as could be piled upon a chair.
Raccoon pelts seem to have been the principal circulating medium, and several years afterward, when the stimulus of sharp competition had taxed the energies of the merchant princes of the day, the old ladies were at times under the necessity of sending by the mail boy for a little tea or other luxury, and young ladies in quest of à bridal trousseau would mount their palfreys and make a day's journey to Connersville for the outfit.
The Methodists had preaching at West Liberty, in a very early day. perhaps as early as 1823. Reverend Constant Bliss Jones officiating. The preaching was held at Mr. Hatton's private house for some time. Jones was succeeded by Reverend Mr. Brown, who seems to have resided at West Liberty. Mrs. Eliza Jones ( then Miss Cary, ) taught a school. in 1825 and 1826, and was the first female teacher in those parts. She, with Mrs. Peggy Jones. the minister's wife, organized the first Sunday school in the township, perhaps in the county.
At the first meeting of the Board of Commissioners, an election was ordered to be held at the house of Joseph Watts, July 6th, for the purpose of electing the one Justice of the Peace for the township. Abraham Heaton was appointed Inspector, and seems to have been elected the first Justice. In August, Elijah McCray and E. Harden were appointed constables of Wayne Township, until the February term, next in course. In November. Daniel Priddy was also appointed constable. Ebenezer Goble and Samuel Furgason were appointed Overseers of the Poor, and Daniel Heaton, Shaphat McCray, and Jacob Parkhurst first "Fence- viewers in and for Wayne Township." and Abraham Heaton was also appointed Superintendent of the school sections in Wayne Township. The elections in this township were afterward held at Prudence Jackson's house, till 1825: changed to Solomon Byrket's, in 1827; then to Jacob Parkhurst's, then to Raysville and Knightstown alternately, and soon afterward fixed permanently at Knightstown.
Abraham Heaton seems to have had, at this early day, a mill erected at the mouth of Buck Creek, a few rods south of what has for many years been known as the "White Mill." John Anderson, afterward "Judge Anderson," then a fresh
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arrival, dug the race and, receiving $100 for the same, walked to Brookville and entered a part of the present site of Raysville.
Immediately after the organization of the township was effected, the Com- missioners ordered the location of a road "to commence at the town of New Castle, and from thence the nearest and best way to Abraham Heaton's mills, and from thence to the county line, where sections thirty three and thirty four corner in township sixteen and range nine, on the line dividing fifteen and sixteen." The terminus was West Liberty, and the route selected was the river route from New Castle via Teas' mill, the stone quarry, and Elm Grove. This was the second ordered in the county, the first being from New Castle via John Baker's and David Thompson's, on Symons Creek, to the county line, on a direct course, to Shook's Mill, in Wayne County, which shows of what importance the opening of the "Cracker line" was to the early settlements. Not to be wondered at either, since "going to mill" required about two to four days out of the month.
In 1870, Wayne was the most populous and wealthy townships of the county, but now Henry Township holds that rank, Wayne being second. According to the census of 1870, its area was divided into 206 farms ; an average of about 103 acres each, and had a population of 3.334, or about 100 per square mile. The value of lands and improvements for 1870 was $664,710; of town lots and im- promevents, $433,120; while personal property footed up to the snug little sum of $682,540, making a total of $1.780.370. Something more than one half its population was then to be found in Knightstown, Raysville, and Grant and Eliza- beth cities, 330 of its 680 families residing in Knightstown alone. Dudley and Wayne, with the townships carved out of them, constitute the First Commissioner's District, as they always have and do now.
The population of Wayne Township, according to the census of 1890, in- cluding Knightstown incorporated, Raysville, Grant City, and Elizabeth City, not incorporated, was 3,333 ; census of 1900, 3,370.
The tax duplicate for 1904, township and towns combined, shows the fol- lowing: Value of lands, $694,530; value of improvements, $119,560; total, $814,090; value of lots, $172,260; value of improvements $357,570; total, $529,830; value of personal property of all kinds, $824,850; value of railroad property including steam and electric lines, $445,020; total value of taxables of all kinds, $2,613,790; less mortgage exemptions, $27,920; leaving net value of taxables for the year named $2,585,870. A comparison of the census figures above set forth, shows that Wayne like Dudley Township, has had a very steady population since 1870.
Total taxes levied on duplicate for the year 1904, township and Knightstown incorporated and Raysville, Grant City, and Elizabeth City, not incorporated, com- bined, which taxes are all in items set out in Dudley Township, with the addition of township poor, corporation bond, lighting streets, school library and water works, the last four being confined to Knightstown corporation, $50,879.69. Total polls in Wayne Township, 226; tax on each, $2.25 ; total polls in Knightstown cor- poration, 283 ; tax on each, $2.25
Formerly, there were voting precincts at Knightstown, Raysville, Grant City, Elizabeth City and perhaps at other points in the township, but for the general election, held November 8, 1904, the total vote was cast at six precincts, all in
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Knightstown. Perhaps one of them was east of Blue River, at Raysville. The vote was, first precinct, 166; second precinct, 134; third precinct, 161 ; fourth pre- cinct, 154 ; fifth precinct, 181 ; sixth precinct, 156; total, 952.
HENRY TOWNSHIP.
Henry, the third township, in the "order of their going," upon the records, was also called up June, 1822, and was a strip of territory six miles wide, extending quite across the county from east to west, and including what is now Liberty, Henry, three fifths of Harrison, and nearly all of Greensboro township. This con- stituted the Second Commissioner's District. It at first contained 118 square miles, or over 75,000 acres.
Henry Township now contains thirty-six square miles, and is nearly the geo- graphical center of the county, and is the only one in the county in which the Congressional is identical with the civil township. Ten years after the organi- zation of the county, this township had not over 500 inhabitants, while in 1870 it numbered over 2,800, nearly one-half of whom lived in the "rural districts." It contained 135 farms of near 160 acres each, and maintained a population of 78 to the square mile. There were 592 families, 67 colored persons, 121 of foreign birth, and 152 natives of old North Carolina, in the township. The population of Henry Township, according to the census of 1890, including New Castle incorporated, was 4,009 ; census of 1900, 4,682.
Blue River, dividing the township nearly in the center, is too sluggish to furn- ish good water power for a mill within the limits of the township. Duck Creek skirts through the northwest corner of the township, and Flatrock through the southeast corner. The table lands between these streams are nearly one hundred feet above the bed of Blue River, and, although there is perhaps as much rolling land in this township as any in the county, there is very little so rolling as to merit the term broken, or too much so to admit of culture. Repeated efforts at ditching and straightening the channel of Blue River have completely redeemed to cultiva- tion the marshy bottom lands which are of inexhaustable fertility.
The county seat being located in Henry Township would of itself (even in the absence of natural advantages), have secured to this township an important position in the county, both financially and politically. The value of the real and personal property in the county, by the assessment of 1870, was shown to be : Lands and improvements, $689.350; lots and improvements, $300,870; per- sonal property, $609,400, making a snug total of $1.599,620.
The tax duplicate for 1904, the township and New Castle, incorporated, com- bined, shows the following: value of lands, $912,810; value of improvements. $230,020 ; total, $1,142,830 ; value of lots, $677,040; value of improvements, $611- 130; total, $1,288,170: value of personal property of all kinds, $1,182.720; railroad property including steam and electric lines, $403,890; total value of taxables of all kinds, $4,017,610; less mortgage exemptions, $155-340; total, $3,862,270. Total taxes levied on duplicate for the year 1904, township and New Castle, incor- porated, combined, which taxes include all items set forth in Dudley Township with the addition of the township poor tax, corporation, corporation bond, lighting streets, streets, school library, and cemetery, all of which, except township poor
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tax, are confined to New Castle corporation : total, $82,864.85. Total polls in Henry Township, 202; tax, $2.50 each; New Castle corporation, 912; tax, $2.50 each.
In 1904, the vote of the whole township cast at six precincts, all in New Castle, was as follows: first precinct, 268; second, 287; third, 340; fourth, 200; fifth, 268; sixth, 330; total, 1,693. This total vote indicates a marked increase in the population of Henry Township for 1904 as compared with the census of 1000. In the four years intervening. the population was largely increased by the location of many new manufacturing establishments in New Castle.
The first election was held at the house of Samuel Batson ; Charles Jamison, Inspector. Asahel Woodard, Micajah Chamness, and Thomas Watkins were ap- pointed Fence-viewers for Henry Township. William Shannon and Samuel Batson were elected first Justices of Peace.
PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP.
The fourth of the original townships, included all the territory lying north of Henry, and was eight miles in width and nearly twenty in length, thus giving it an area of nearly 160 square miles or about 105.000 acres. Within its ample limits were all of the present townships of Blue River, Stony Creek, Prairie, Jefferson, Fall Creek, and about two fifths of Harrison.
In spite of the mutations which have since overtaken it, the township re- mains five miles in width by eight in length, thus containing over 25,000 acres, which were divided. according to the census of 1870, into 201 farms, averaging about 122 acres each.
The population of Prairie Township according to the census of 1890, includ- ing Luray, Springport, Mount Summit. and Hillsboro, not incorporated, was 1,603 : census of 1900, 1,662, thus showing that the township, in ten years, lost one inhabitant.
Prairie contains four villages, viz. : Luray, Springport. Mount Summit and Hillsboro. The value of farms and improvements for the year 1870. was $559,210; of town lots and improvements, $10,610; of personal property $258,650; making a total for the township. of $828.470. The tax duplicate for 1904, the township and towns combined, shows the following value of land. $686,730: value of im- provements, $70,000; total, $756,820; value of lots, $6,900; value of improve- ments, $25,470; total, $32.370: value of personal property of all kinds, $287,290 ; value of railroad property, no electric lines, $222.320; total value of taxables of all kinds, $1,298,800 ; less mortgage exemptions, $45.700 : leaving net value of tax- ables for the year named, $1,253,100. Total taxes levied on the tax duplicate for 1904. township and towns combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township, except corporation tax, there being no incorporated town in Prairie, $18.750.44 ; total polls, 293 : tax on each, $2.50.
This is a remarkable township in many respects. Situated as it is, on the "divide" between White and Blue Rivers, about one half its surface finds drainage to the north and the remainder southward, and although thus situated on the "water shed," nearly one sixth of its surface consists of low, wet meadows, from fifty to eighty feet below the general level of the table lands. It is from these meadows or prairies that the township takes its name. These "flowery leas" seem
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
ever to have been coveted, although within the memory of the oldest inhabitant large portions of them were so flooded with water much of the year as to be chiefly valuable as the resort of waterfowl. Today, however, under an extensive system of drainage. even the wettest portions of these prairies have been thor- oughly redeemed, making farms which for inexhaustible fertility cannot be sur- passed.
The first' election for Justice of Peace was held July 6, 1822, at the house of Absalom Harvey; William Harvey, Inspector. William Harvey and Abijah Cane were appointed first Overseers of the Poor, and Abraham Harvey, James Massey, and Robert Gordon, Fence-viewers "in and for said township." In 1826, the place of holding elections was changed to Sampson Smith's, afterward to Enochi Dent's, and again to Ezekiel T. Hickman's, where it remained for many years, but, in 1846, was changed to James Harvey's. Later, there were several changes in the voting place, and now there are two voting places, viz. : south precinct, Mount Summit ; north precinct, Springport. Vote, 1904, south precinct. 209; north pre- cinct, 232 ; total, 441.
The first school house in the township was built on Shubal Julian's land, better known of late as the "Shively farm," perhaps in 1824 or 1825. It was a small affair, with split saplings for seats, and a fire-place across the entire end.
The late Dr. Luther W. Hess, of Cadiz, once a State Senator, and ex-County Treasurer, and Emsley Julian, graduated from this school. Milton Wayman, the last Probate Judge for Henry County, was the teacher.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
Liberty was the fifth township organized, this important ceremony bearing date of February 12, 1822. It was a clipping from the east end of Henry Town- ship, and, according to the metes and bounds prescribed, it was at first one mile less in extent from east to west than at present. It is now six miles wide by six and three fourthis in length, thus embracing about forty square miles, mostly table land, and of a very fine quality generally. Flatrock, rising in Blue River Township, enters the township near the middle of its northern boundary, passing out near the southwest corner. The valley of this stream is so slightly depressed as to form nothing worthy to be called bluffs, and, although too sluggish to be of much value for hydraulic purposes, it, with its small tributaries, seems in some way con- nected with the drainage and fertility of a wide belt of superb farming lands. The two Symons creeks, heretofore mentioned, find their sources in Liberty Town- ship, and now furnish ample drainage to many sections of fine land that, doubt- less, in the early days of Henry County, passed for very wet land.
The aggregate value of the farms and improvements of Liberty Township exceeds that of the farms of any other township of the county, except Henry, and the evidence of thrift and "farming for profit" are nowhere more generally visible than in Liberty Township. Four villages have been projected in the township- Millville, Ashland, Petersburg, and Chicago, though it is presumed that the propri- etors of the two last named, if still living, have long since abandoned the hope of seeing them outstrip their namesakes. Under the old turnpike law, many miles of turnpike sprang into existence, and now the people of this township rejoice in the advantage of traveling to almost any point on good roads.
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
According to the census of 1870, the population numbered 1,868, being almost exclusively rural. Its 24,000 acres were then divided into 203 farms, an average of about 120 acres each. The population then numbered about 49 to the square mile, being divided between 376 families. There were then 6 persons of color, 19 foreigners, 64 North Carolinians, and 32 Virginians, within the township. The population of Liberty Township, township and towns combined, according to the census of 1890, was 1,538; census of 1900, 1,416; showing a loss in ten years of more than one hundred, which is explained by the purchase and consolidation of small farms into large ones.
The wealth of the township was estimated for the purpose of taxation, in 1870, as follows : farms and improvements, $712,430; town lots and improvements, $5,950 ; personal property, $325,410 ; total valuation, $1,043,790. The tax duplicate for the year 1904, the township and towns combined, shows the following, viz. : value of lands, $843,720 ; value of improvements, $104,130 ; total, $947,850; value of lots, $970; value of improvements, $3,120; total, $4,090; value of personal property of all kinds. $301,607 ; value of railroad property, no electric lines, $244,- IO0: total value of taxables of all kinds, $1,497.647 ; less mortgage exemptions, $42,410; leaving net value of taxables for year named, $1,455,237. Total taxes levied on the tax duplicate for the year 1904, the township and towns combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township, except corpora- tion tax, there being no incorporated town in Liberty Township, $20,854.80; total polls, 241 ; tax on each, $2.
The first election was held at the house of Ezekiel Leavell, on the first Satur- day in May, 1823, for the election of two Justices of the Peace. Ezekiel Leavell was Inspector. John Smith was made Supervisor of all the roads in the town- ship. Jacob Thorp and Cyrus Cotton were appointed Overseers of the Poor. In 1825, the elections were ordered to be held at the house of Samuel D. Wells, and continued to be held at his house for a number of years. After the railroad was , built through the township and the town of Millville established, the voting place was moved to that town. There are now two voting precincts in Liberty, one at Millville, the other at Ashland. Vote, 1904. East Liberty precinct, Millville, 209; West Liberty precinct, Ashland, 164; total, 373.
STONY CREEK TOWNSHIP.
This township, the next in order of organization, was established November II, 1828. By its creation Prairie Township lost about one third of its "inde- pendent jurisdiction," as Stony Creek was bounded on the west by the range line separating ranges ten and eleven, and extended to the eastern boundary of the county, including all north of Liberty Township, which made it a region of no small consequence. It was at first eight miles from north to south, six miles wide on the north, and about six and three fourths on its south line, and had in its ample area about forty nine and one half sections of land. A tier of eight sections has since been re-annexed to Prairie to compensate, no doubt, in a measure, for the loss of more than two townships on the west. Blue River Township has also been carved out of Stony Creek, thus reducing it in size to barely twenty square miles, about two fifths of its primal area, and leaving it the smallest of the townships.
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
The township is fittingly named from a creek, which, rising near, runs nearly parallel with, its southern border, then runs north across the township and finally into White River. The immense quantities of bowlders or "traveled stones" scat- tered over some of the highest ridges and points in the township must not only arrest the attention and excite the curiosity of the observer, but at once obviate the necessity of inquiry as to the township's name.
This township presents, perhaps, a greater variety of surface and soil than any other equal area in the county, and while there was every variety of timber to be found in the county, there was a larger proportion of oak here than elsewhere, and less poplar, ash and walnut.
There is a portion of two or more prairies in this township, similar to those in Prairie. The bottom lands are doubtless equal to any in the county, while the higher lands, which the casual observer would perhaps, pronounce thin or poor, not only produce abundant crops of the smaller grains, but Indian corn of more than average size. Blountsville and Rogersville are the only villages. The population, according to the census of 1870, was 934; divided between 197 families. There were then 13 colored persons, 10 foreigners, 21 natives of North Carolina, and 35 Virginians in the township. There were 118 farms, averaging about 109 acres each.
The population of Stony Creek Township, according to the census of 1890, including Blountsville and Rogersville, was 1,088; the census of 1900 shows a less population, the number being 962. Since then, the Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad has been built through the township, and now no doubt the township exhibits a marked increase over that of 1900.
The assessed value of farms and improvements for 1870 was $178.940; of town lots, $6,500; and of personal, $112,330; making a total of $297.770. The tax duplicate for the year 1904, township and towns combined, shows the following : value of lands, $333,010 ; value of improvements, $43,910; total, $376,920 ; value of lots, $3.480; value of improvements, $10,140; total, $13,620; value of personal property of all kinds, $141.740: value of railroad property, no electric lines, $30,- 140 ; total value of taxables of all kinds, $562,420 ; less mortgage exemptions, $25,- 180; leaving net value of taxables for the year named. $537,240. Total taxes levied on the duplicate for the year 1904, township and towns combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township except corporation tax. there being no incorporated town in Stony Creek Township, $9,383.63 ; total polls, 179: tax on each, $2.00.
The first election was held at the house of Thomas Hobson, Jr., December 20, 1828, for the purpose of electing one Justice of the Peace; William Wyatt, In- spector. There were formerly two voting precincts, but this was in the days of bad roads, and want of suitable and satisfactory conveyances. Now, since the days of free gravel roads and rubber tired buggies, the two precincts have been consolidated into one, at Blountsville. Vote, 1904, one precinct, Blountsville, 237.
FALL CREEK TOWNSIIIP.
The next township in order was named Fall Creek, organized August, 1829. This was at first declared to be eight miles in length, from north to south, by seven in width. It thus embraced within its limits fifty six square miles, or 35,840 acres,
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
and yet with this ample domain the township could only muster twenty nine votes at an exciting election, in 1830, and of these but three were Whig votes, yet now the township is largely Republican. Since the organization of the township a strip two miles in width has been given to Harrison Township, and two miles on the east of Jefferson, leaving the township six miles in length, from north to south, and five miles in width.
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