USA > Indiana > Henry County > Hazzard's history of Henry county, Indiana, 1822-1906, Volume II > Part 33
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Fall Creek is a well watered and very fertile township, and well improved farms and good buildings indicate that the husbandman is being well repaid for his labors. The creek from which the township takes its name, rising near the northeast corner. and meandering through, leaves the township, near the south- west corner. It once had sufficient fall to furnish valuable water power. Deer Creek, a tributary, rising in Harrison Township, near Cadiz, emptying into Fall Creek, about one and one-half miles north of Mechanicsburg, also furnished fair water power. A "corn cracker" was erected on this stream. about the year 1826. Benjamin Franklin, then a boy, afterward a noted preacher, is said to have dug the race. This was the first mill in that part of Henry County.
A very rude log school house, with split pole benches and greased paper win- dows, did service in the Keesling neighborhood near the present site of Mechan- icsburg, as late as 1831 or 1832. Robert Price was the first teacher. Lewis Swain was afterwards principal of this institution. Some of the earlier settlers can re- member attending the log rollings every day for weeks together.
Middletown, Mechanicsburg, and Honey Creek, are the towns and villages of the township. The total population of the township, according to the census of 1870, was 2,004. or about 66 to the square mile. Of these 31 were foreigners, 36 North Carolinians. 321 Virginians, and 4 colored persons. There were 197 fami- lies living in the town and villages and 209 in the country. The population of Fall Creek Township, according to the census of 1890. including Middletown, Mechan- icsburg and Honey Creek, was 2.320; census of 1900. 3.311. the principal gain arising from the increase of the population of Middletown.
The wealth of the township, in 1870. for the purpose of taxation, was as fol- lows : farms, $522,270 : town lots, $72,650 ; personal property, $412,280 : total, $1 .- 007,200.
The tax duplicate for the year 1904. township, town and villages combined. shows the following : value of lands, $659.780; value of improvements, $124,090 ; total. $783.870: value of lots. $79.600; value of improvements, $127.410: total. $207.010: value of personal property of all kinds, $476,850 ; value of railroad prop- erty including steam and electric lines, incomplete. $171,810; total value of taxa- bles of all kinds, $1,639.540 ; less mortgage exemptions, $37,410, leaving a net value of taxables for the year named, $1.602.130. Total taxes levied on the duplicate for the year 1904. township, town, and villages combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township with the addition of township poor. corpor- ation, bond, lighting streets, and streets, the last named three, being confined to Middletown. $28.404.57. Total polls, the township, 235: tax. $2.50, each. Total polls, Middletown, 241 : tax on each $2.50.
All elections were ordered to be held at the house of Abraham Thomas, but in 1832, it was ordered that they thereafter be held at Middletown. Elections are now
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held at Middletown, Mechanicsburg, and Henry Creek. Vote, 1904, Middletown, precinct "A," 118; "B," 163; "C," 105; "D," 127; Mechanicsburg. 129; Honey Creek, 123 ; total, 765.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.
Franklin Township was organized on January 5. 1830. It was constructed out of Dudley and Wayne townships, and, from the order making it a township, we learn that the west line was about three fourths of a mile west of the village of Ogden, and continued north to the line dividing townships sixteen and seventeen, which would make the northwest corner of Franklin as it then existed, about one mile west of the Masonic Cemetery, which joins Greensboro on the south. From this point the northern boundary ran east eight miles, or within three fourths of a mile of the present eastern limits of the township. This gave it jurisdiction over nearly all its present territory, all of Spiceland. a small fraction of Wayne (just north of the "Stone Quarry Mill"), and three sections now claimed by Greensboro. In the following year, a change was made in the western boundary, which gave Wayne another tier of sections and made the northwest corner of Franklin Town- ship, just about the location of the Masonic Cemetery, and perhaps, within the cor- porate limits of Greensboro.
All elections were ordered to be held at the house of Joseph Copeland. John Copeland was appointed Inspector, and Joseph Kellum, Lister ; and the first elec- tion was ordered on the first Saturday in February, 1830. Upon the setting up of Spiceland .Township, in 1842, Franklin, which underwent another mutation, was given a slice off of Dudley, and was then contracted to its present limits of five miles in width, from east to west, by six miles in length.
Flatrock "drags its slow length along" near the middle of the township, and, although at two or three points it was compelled to do duty as a mill stream, it never established much of a character for energy. It, however, is the natural drain of a remarkably fertile body of land. Buck Creek drains the northwest corner of the township.
The present area of the township is about 17,200 acres, which according to the census of 1870, was then divided into 151 farms, an average of about 114 acres each. Lewisville, the only village in the township. then contained 86 families. while 213 families resided in the country. Of the population in 1870, 42 were foreigners, 13 colored, 124 North Carolinians, and 29 Virginians : total population of township for 1870, 1,696; population according to the census of town and town- ship combined, for 1890, 1,330 ; census of 1900, I, 137 ; loss in ten years 193. How- ever, the recent improvement in Lewisville, must make a gain in the population of the township for 1905. more than equal to the loss as stated. The loss in popula- tion since 1870 must be accounted for in Franklin Township for reasons given in other similar cases, viz. : the consolidation of small farms into large ones.
The wealth of the township. 1870, is reported thus : farms and improvements. $500.750 ; town lots and improvements, $42.960 ; personal property, $332,260 ; total, $875.970.
The tax duplicate for the year 1904. township and Lewisville combined, shows the following : value of lands, $591.920: value of improvements, $88.720; total, $680,640: value of lots. $36.400: value of improvements. $29.330; total, 65.730;
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value of personal property of all kinds, $368,870; value of railroad property, in- cluding steam and electric lines, $325,240; total value of taxables of all kinds, $1,440,480 ; less mortgage exemptions, $25,290 ; leaving net value of taxables for the year named, $1,415,190. Total taxes levied on the duplicate for the year 1904, township and Lewisville incorporated, combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township with addition of township poor, and corporation bond tax for Lewisville corporation, $20,626.66. Total polls in township, 136; tax, $1.50 each ; total polls in Lewisville, 72; tax, $2.00 each.
Formerly there was but one voting precinct in the township. Now there are two, both in Lewisville. Vote for 1904, West Franklin precinct, 172; East Frank- lin precinct. 162; total,'334.
GREENSBORO TOWNSHIP.
Greensboro Township, so named from an ancient village of North Carolina, was organized September 7, 1831. It was at first described as "all that part of the territory of Henry Township west of the range line dividing nine and ten." This made it seven miles from east to west, and six miles from north to south, which would include nearly all of the present area of the township and three fifths of Har- rison. In 1838, one half its territory was given to Harrison, and a small addition -four square miles-was made to it, taken from the townships of Wayne and Franklin. This change removed the township line one mile south from the village of Greensboro, and left the township with an area of twenty five square miles, or about 16,000 acres, divided, according to the census of 1870, into 118 farms ; an average of about 135 acres each.
Greensboro and Woodville (now extinct), on the line between Harrison and Greensboro Townships, were the only villages. Of the 315 families in 1870 in the township, 70 lived in Greensboro. The population of the township numbered 1.490. Of these six were reported of foreign birth; 81 colored; 221 were North Caro- linians ; and 52 were natives of Virginia. Population according to the census of 1890: Greensboro, Kennard, and Shirley, in Henry County, combined, 1,612; cen- sus for 1900, 1,658.
The tax duplicate for the year 1904, township and towns combined, shows as follows : value of lands, $514.320; value of improvements, $72.760 ; total, $587,- oSo: value of lots, $16,610; value of improvements, $65,820; total, $82,430; value of personal property of all kinds, $269,850; value of railroad property, no electric lines, $137,020 ; total value of taxables of all kinds, $1,076.380 ; less mortgage ex- emptions, $32.330 ; leaving net value of taxables for the year named, $1,044,050.
Greensboro is a well watered and fertile township. Blue River, skirting through the southeast corner, and Duck Creek, running across the eastern end, furnish fine water power. Much of the land along these water courses is quite rolling and there are numerous knolls, supplied with excellent gravel. Mont- gomery Creek, crossing the township near the middle, and Six-mile Creek rising in, and running across, the western part of the township, made the complete drainage of a large and fertile portion of the township (originally counted as wet ), a matter of no great difficulty.
The assessed value of Greensboro Township, tax duplicate of 1870, was : farms, $364.850 : town lots, $34,190 ; personal, $196,330; total, $595.370.
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
Total taxes levied on the duplicate for the year 1904. township and towns combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley township with the addition of corporation tax, Kennard, Shirley, and Greensboro, and corporation bond, Kennard, and street tax, Shirley ; total, $19,259.59. Total polls in township. 154; tax, $3.00 each : Greensboro corporation, 49; tax, $2.50 each ; Kennard, 97 : tax, $3.00 each ; Shirley, 41 ; tax, $3.50 each.
For many years and until after the building of the Big Four railroad across the northern part of the township, all elections were held in the village of Greens- boro. The first election in the township, was held on the fourth Saturday in September, 1831, and Thomas Reagan was made the first inspector of elections. There are now two voting precincts, viz. : Greensboro, and Kennard, all voters liv- ing at Shirley, Henry County, voting at Kennard. Vote for 1904, east precinct, Greensboro, 192; west precinct, Kennard, 302; total, 494.
HARRISON TOWNSITIP.
The large and important township of Harrison was formed out of the north half of Greensboro and two tiers of sections off the south side of Fall Creek, No- vember 7, 1838, and all elections were ordered to be held at Cadiz.
The general aspect of this township, which is five miles from north to south and seven miles from east to west, is that of high gently undulating table land, with considerable portions formerly inclined to be wet, but very fertile under a system of intelligent drainage, now practically complete. A larger number of small streams find their head waters in this than any other township of the county. A small portion of the northeast corner of the township finds drainage into Bell Creek, and runs north, and near the same spot rises Honey Creek, also running north. Deer Creek, rising near the center of the township, also runs north by west, and empties into Fall Creek near Mechanicsburg, while two other small tributaries of Fall Creek have their source in the north and northwest portions of the township, and in the central and western portions, Sugar Creek takes its rise and runs west, while Montgomery Creek rises in the south part and runs south, and the west fork of Duck Creek rising near Cadiz, also runs south, while the principal branch of that creek, with some small tributaries, pretty effectually drains the eastern end of the township. A little south and west of Cadiz can doubtless be found some of the highest land in the western part of the county. Cadiz, and a part of Woodville, now extinct, are the only villages of the township.
Harrison Township contains, exclusive of town lots, Cadiz and Woodville, more than 22,000 acres of land, which, according to the census of 1870, was di- vided into 183 farms, an average of about 122 acres each. The total assessed value of the township, villages included, on the tax duplicate for 1870 was as fol- lows : farms with improvements, $445,010 ; town lots including improvements, $II,- 030; total value of personal property of all kinds, $217,390; grand total, $673,430.
The tax duplicate for the year 1904, township and villages combined, shows the following : value of lands, $761,280; value of improvements, $102,200; total. $863,480 ; value of lots, $4,250; value of improvements, $14.450; total, $18.700; value of personal property of all kinds, $314.560; total value of taxables of all kinds, $1,196.740; less mortgage exemptions, $33.370; leaving net value of tax-
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ables for year named, $1,163,370. It will be noted that there is no railroad property, either steam or electric lines included in the above. Harrison town- ship is the only one in the county not touched by a railroad. The total taxes levied on the tax duplicate for 1904. township and villages combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township, with the addition of corpor- ation bond and street tax for Cadiz. Total, $20,828.12. Total polls in Harrison Township, 246; tax, $1.50 each : Cadiz corporation, 33 ; tax, $2.00 each.
At the first election, on the first Saturday in December, 1838, William Tucker, inspector, there were thirty two votes cast for Justice of the Peace. According to the census of 1870, Harrison had a population of 1,916, of whom 32 were colored, 15 foreign born, 101 natives of North Carolina, and 109 Virginians. Population, according to the census of 1890, township and Cadiz combined, 1,674; census of 1900, 1,488; loss in ten years, 186; loss from 1870 to 1900, 428. The loss in pop- ulation can be accounted for by the purchase and consolidation of small farms into large ones, and the exodus of farmers and their sons and daughters from country to town life.
The first church and school house was probably at Clear Springs, in the south- east corner of the township, constructed in 1831-2 while it was a part of Greens- boro Township.
All elections have been held at Cadiz, from the organization of the town- ship to the present time. Formerly, there was but one voting precinct. Now there are two. Vote for 1904, South Harrison precinct, 196: North Harrison precinct. 170; total, 366.
SPICELAND TOWNSHIP.
This township, the smallest in the county, except Stony Creek, was organized, June. 1842, at which time, Ogden was the principal village. Room for it was found by taking a slice off Wayne and a four mile slip off the west side of Frank- lin Township. It is of irregular shape, being six miles in length on the eastern side, with an average length of five miles and width of four and one half miles. Blue River forms the boundary for about three miles on the northwest. Its area is a little short of twenty two square miles, or about 13,000 acres, which, according to the census of 1870, was divided into 173 farms, giving an average of only about 75 acres each, the smallest average in the county.
Buck Creek, running in a southwest course, crosses the southeastern corner of the township into Rush, where it makes a short turn and re-enters Henry County about the middle of the south line of the township and bearing in a north- west course, nearly four miles, passes into Wayne Township and falls into Blue River at the old Heaton or White Mills. Blue River on the northwest, and the classic little stream named Brook Bezor, which rises near the center of the town- ship and runs north two and one-half miles with an average descent of about thirty feet to the mile, constitute the only water courses of note in the township.
Notwithstanding the smallness of Spiceland Township in respect to area, it is by no means insignificant in some other respects, being fourth in point of popula- tion in the county, and up to the average in point of wealth, while its farm lands are assessed higher for purposes of taxation than many other townships in the county. This is doubtless owing in part to its division into smaller farms and
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
consequent thorough tillage, but much is owing to the high average quality of the land for general farming purposes.
The population of Spiceland Township, according to the census of 1870, num- bered 2,020, or about 92 per square mile : of these 334 were born in North Caro- lina, 45 in Virginia, 17 out of the United States, and 65 were colored persons.
Population of Spiceland Township, including Ogden, Spiceland, and Dun- reith according to the census of 1890. 1,823: censits of 1900, 1,844: the last census showing a total loss as compared with the census of 1870. of 176. This loss of population, between the years above mentioned, is explained by the im- proved general school system of the county as compared with the most prosperous days of the Spiceland Academy, under Clarkson Davis, as principal, when it out- ranked every other school in the county and many people moved to Spiceland to educate their children. The school is yet a most excellent one but the improved educational facilities elsewhere in the county, have stopped the migration to Spiceland as the great educational center.
The first election was held at Ogden, August, 1842. A few years afterwards, the poll was divided and elections held at Spiceland and Ogden. There are now three precincts, two at Spiceland and one at Dunreith. Vote for 1904, West Spiceland precinct, 132 ; East Spiceland precinct, 196: south precinct. Dunreith, 185; total vote. 513.
The assessed value of the tax duplicate for 1870, in farms was $457.460; town lots, $65,870; personal. $296,310; total, $819, 640. The tax duplicate for the year 1904, township and towns combined, shows as follows : value of lands, $453,590; value of improvements, $101,410 ; total, $555,000 ; value of lots, $24,550 ; value of improvements, $60,830 : total, $85,380 ; total value of personal property of all kinds, $393,160 ; value of railroad property, steam and electric lines, $393,180; total taxa- bles of all kinds, $1,426.720 ; less mortgage exemptions, $29,410; leaving net value of taxables for the year named, $1.397.310. Total taxes levied on the duplicate for the year 1904, township and towns combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township, with the addition of township poor, lighting streets, corporation and street tax, the last three for Spiceland corporation, and corporation tax for Dunreith, total $21,988.26. Total polls in township. 159: tax. $2.00 each ; Spiceland corporation, 81 ; tax, $2.50 each ; Dunreith corporation, 30: tax, $2.50 each.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.
This township was organized September 5. 1843, out of the spare territory of Fall Creek and Prairie. The eastern half of it is eight miles in length, while on the west line it is but six miles. It is four miles in width and contains twenty eight square miles, or nearly 18,000 acres, all passably good land, and much of it very fine farming land. Its principal stream is Bell Creek, which with its tributaries traverses nearly the entire length of the township. Honey Creek is in the southwest; and a branch tributary of Buck Creek, in the northeast corner, carries into White River a portion of its surplus waters. Sulphur Springs is the only village.
The population of the township, according to the census of 1870, numbered 1,234. divided into 230 families, 172 of whom lived in the agricultural districts.
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
There were 23 foreigners, 12 North Carolinians, and 169 Virginians in the town- ship. The average size of a farm in the township was about 103 acres, and the population numbered about 46 to the square mile.
The farms and improvements on the tax duplicate for 1870 were valued, for the purpose of taxation, at $359.290 ; town lots, $18,800 ; personal, $188,050 ; total, $566,140.
The tax duplicate for the year 1904, townships and town combined, shows the following : value of lands, $543.460 ; value of improvements, $73,010 ; total, $616,- 470 ; value of lots, $2,310; value of improvements, $19,840 ; total, $22,150 ; total value of personal property of all kinds, $214,200; value of railroad property in- cluding steam and unfinished electric line, $143,820 ; total value of taxables of all kinds, $996,640, less mortgage exemptions, $30,470 ; leaving net value of taxables for the year named, $966.220. Total taxes levied on the tax duplicate for the year 1904, township and town combined, which taxes include all items enumerated in Dudley Township with the addition of corporation and street tax, Sulphur Springs, $13,269. Total polls in Jefferson Township, 165 ; tax, $2.50 ; total polls in Sulphur Springs, 49; tax, $2.25 each.
The elections were first ordered to be held at the house of Michael Swope, on the 2nd day 'of October, 1843. for the purpose of electing a Justice. Since the building of the Panhandle railroad through the township, 1855-56, and the es- tablishment of Sulphur Springs, the elections have been uniformly held at that place. Formerly, there was but one voting place, now there are two. Vote, for 1904, West Jefferson precinct, 140; East Jefferson precinct, 173 ; total, 313.
Population, according to the census of 1890, township and town combined, I,I32; census of 1900, 1,144.
BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP.
This was the last organized, and is one of the smallest townships of the county, and contains a trifle more than twenty two square miles. It was formed from the south half of Stony Creek Township, by act of the Commissioners, on June 6, 1848.
Blue River Township takes its name quite aptly from being the source of both branches of the stream of that name, so intimately connected with the pros- perity and history of the county. "Big Blue," as it is often called, rises near the middle of the western portion of the township, and runs nearly north about three and one half miles to within about one half mile of Rogersville, in Stony Creek Township, where it bears to the west and is soon wending its way amid the prai- ries of Prairie Township. The slashes or head waters of this branch of the river are known in the Duke neighborhood by the classic name of "Goose Creek." The stream has a fall of perhaps twenty feet per mile for the first three and one half or four miles, and, although the volume of water is small, at the ordinary stage there were formerly two pretty valuable mill seats on it before it reached Prairie Township. "Little . Blue" rises near the north line and northeast corner of the township, and run- ning in a general southwest direction into Prairie Township, unites with the main . branch about two miles north of New Castle. On this branch of Blue River were
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HAZZARD'S HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
formerly situated the flourishing woolen mills of Mowrer and McAfee and later of Ice, Dunn and Company, and the celebrated Hernly Mill, as well as some of the finest farms in the northern part of the county. Flatrock also rises in the north- eastern portion of this township, and takes a southerly direction, while a small branch of Stony Creek, almost interlapping with "Little Blue," somehow finds its way through the water shed of this part of the county, and runs north into White River, near the western boundary of Randolph County. From the number of streams having their initial point in the township, and running in opposite direc- tions, the conclusion is easily reached that some of the highest lands in the county are to be found here; but being the highest by no means signifies the dryest. Large portions of the township required drainage to make them available to the husbandman, but being reclaimed are of the very best quality.
The woolen mills mentioned in the preceding paragraph were for many years a land mark in Henry County. There is now no sign of this once flourishing industry except the remnants of a fast disappearing mill race. The factory was first best known as Mowrer and McAfee's and later as Ice, Dunn and Company's. From the destruction of the timber and the drainage of the county and the con- sequent immediate flow of the waters on their way to the sea, Little Blue River as well as all other rivers and streams in the county have been rendered practi- cally useless, so far as power is concerned, for mill and factory purposes. For the same reason, the Hernly Mill, so long another land mark, was put out of business. This mill and factory stood near each other about three miles northeast of New Castle and not far from the old village of Hillsboro.
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