USA > Indiana > Madison County > Historical sketches and reminiscences of Madison county, Indiana : a detailed history of the early events of the pioneer settlement of the county, and many of the happenings of recent years, as well as a complete history of each township, to which is added numerous incidents of a pleasant nature, in the way of reminiscences, and laughable occurrences > Part 19
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Adams was a tenant living on the farm of Gustave Kra- mer, about six miles from Elwood. He was an industrious man, and always bore a good reputation. lle had removed from Franklin county about two years prior to the occurrence.
Young Conway was about twenty-four years of age and lived near Moreland, in Henry county, and had been visiting his uncle, who resided near the scene of the tragedy. He had been subjected from early life to epilepsy and had been petted
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by his parents on account of the infirmity. and was a badly spoiled boy. Ile was very peevish and of an irritable dispo- sition. On former occasions he had made demonstrations of viciousness several times, and had used his knife, but with no fatal result. George Melrose was acquitted of any criminal action in this matter. Conway was brought into the Circuit Court in Anderson for trial after an indictment had been found against him by the Grand Jury, but took a change of venue to Delaware county. On the 9th day of August, 1888, he was there found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in the penitentiary. Goodykoontz & Bal- lard defended Melrose, and were credited with handling the case judiciously, and thereby gaining for him his freedom.
CHAPTER LXIX.
FALL CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Fall Creek township derives its name from its principal stream and natural falls. The history of no township in the county possesses greater interest, perhaps, for the "old- timers " and their descendants than that of Fall Creek. It was here that the settlement of the county was begun and the. first of all the interesting happenings incident thereto occur- red. The township contains forty-two square miles and is. bounded as follows : On the north by Anderson and Stony Creek townships ; on the east by Adams township; on the south by Hancock county and on the west by Greene township.
As stated in a previous chapter, John Rogers, an Irish- man, was unquestionably the first white man to locate in the. . county. He left a record written by himself in a book which indicates that he came to Fall Creek township December 29,. 1818. It is doubtless true that others visited the vicinity of the falls earlier than this date, but as they did not locate, their names are not known. Mr. Rogers located at a point east of the present site of Pendleton, on what has been known for many years as the " Vernon farm."
The first colony to settle in the township was composed. of Elias Hollingsworth, William Curtis, Moses Corwin, Thomas McCartney, Manly Richards, William McCarty, Saul Shaul and Israel Cox. They were all heads of families excepting Moses Corwin. They came from the vicinity of Springfield, Ohio, and after selecting their respective tracts of land returned home for their families. The journey back to the Falls was accomplished by the aid of an ox team and wagon and four pack horses. There being no roads west of New Castle their journey from that place to their new home was beset by many difficulties and trials. Unele Jimmy Hol- lingsworth, who is still living in Anderson, at the ripe old age of eighty-one years, was a member of the party, and still re- members trudging along behind the ox wagon, as well as many other little incidents connected with the journey.
This colony was joined by Conrad Crossley, Isaac Jones,
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
William Neal, William. Isaac and Henry Seybert. Adam Dob- son, Palmer Patrick, Nathaniel Richmond, Judge Holliday, Adam Winsell, Jacob Shaul, Thomas and William Silver, Kilbourn Morley and Dr. Hiday. It is claimed by good authority that Judge Stanfield and a man of the name of Burras, were living on the prairie north-east of Pendleton about the time of the arrival of the Ohio colony in 1820.
Saul Shaul was the first of the early settlers to enter a tract .of land in the county, a portion of Section 30, which he cleared, improved and cultivated. This farm is situated about two and a-half miles south-west of Pendleton and upon it was planted the first orchard probably in the county. Nathaniel Richmond, John Rogers, John Gunse and Adam Winsell, also set out orchards about this time-1823-4. The trees were brought from Henry county by John Berry. The first nur- sery in the county was planted by William Williams, three miles east of Pendleton in the '30s. Mr. Williams died in 1847.
Adam Winsell started the first blacksmith-shop in the "township on his farm, two miles east of where Pendleton is now situated. It is probable that this was the first blacksmith- shop in the county. He was one of the first Associate Judges elected in the county and notwithstanding he was uneducated, filled the office creditably to himself and acceptably to the people. Ile was one of the Judges who presided at the famous trial of the Bridges, Sawyer and Hudson for the murder of the friendly Indians on Fall Creek in 1824, a full account of which will be found in another chapter.
OTHER PIONEERS.
Besides the pioneers already mentioned there came to the township at an early day : Thomas M. Pendleton, in whose honor the town of Pendleton was named, F. M. Richmond, Dr. Lewis Bordwell, Thomas and Jame- Scott, Enos Adam- son, Martin Chapman, Thomas and Isaac Busby, Moses White- cotton, James Irish, Absalom Ulen, Jesse Boston, Thomas Sny- der, Joseph Carter, Jacob Mingle, George Nicholson, Thomas Bell, J. T. Swain, and B. F. Gregory. Dr. Bordwell was the first physician in the township and enjoyed the confidence and and esteem of all who knew him. The-e carly pioneers have all passed from earth, but many of their descendants are still living in the township and are universally esteemed;
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
THE FIRST MARRIAGE.
The first marriage in the county occurred in Fall Creek township. This social event took place sometime during the year 1821, Stephen Corwin and Miss Hannah Ellsworth being the contracting parties. Their marriage was consummated under difficulties. The county at that time was not organized and Mr. Corwin was compelled to go to Connersville on horse- back to procure a marriage license. The incidents relating to the marriage are meagre, but the descendants of the early set- tlers still remember some of the circumstances as related by those who were present on that occasion. It is said that there was no table upon which to spread the marriage feast and that a door was lifted from its wooden hinges and utilized for that purpose.
THE FIRST WIIITE CHILD.
The first white child born in the county was E. P. Holl- ingsworth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elias Hollingsworth and brother of James Hollingsworth, of Anderson. Mr. Hollings- worth was born in Fall Creek township, November 7, 1820. While he has the distinction of being the first child of civilized parentage born in the county it is shared to some extent, if not fully, by Electa Shaul, who came into the world on the same night. Mr. Hollingsworth is still living.
THE FIRST DEATII.
Sometime in the fall of 1823 a man of the name of Martin and his wife were stricken with fever and both died, it was supposed about the same time. The fact that they were sick was not known to the settlers and they died unattended. They were not discovered for several days after their demise. They were buried in the same grave on the west side of the present site of Pendleton.
THE FIRST SUICIDE.
The first suicide in the township occurred in 1838 on the farm owned at the present time by John Goul. An old man named Jacob Fox entered an untenanted cabin and hung him- self. The cause of the suicide was not known.
AN INCIDENT OF EARLY TIMES.
There were no social cliques or classes among the early pioneers, the interest of one being the concern of all, and the ·consequence was that many acts of neighborly kindness were
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
performed by them that are worthy of remembrance. A case in point is that of the generosity and good will displayed by Conrad Crossley on one occasion. In 1822 Mrs. Elias Hol- lingsworth was stricken with a fever and was. very ill. She conceived the idea that if she had some imported tea she would not only get better, but would soon recover. There was no tea in the settlement and the nearest point at which it was thought the commodity could be obtained was New Castle. Conrad Crossley heard of Mrs. Hollingsworth's de- sire for a drink of the beverage and at once volunteered his services to procure it. He immediately set out on horseback for New Castle, but on arriving at that place found that there was no tea in the village. Nothing daunted, he remounted his horse and rode to Richmond, where he was again disappointed, the merchants of that place having no tea in stock. He once more rode forward and at Eaton, O., found what he had gone so far to obtain. He returned to the settle- ment on Fall Creek after an absence of several days and the craving of his sick neighbor was fully satisfied. Such an ex- hibition of self-sacrifice is seldom heard of in these times. The journey was fraught not only with great inconvenience, but danger, matters that did not deter the big-hearted back- woodsman in his willingness to assist a friend in distress.
THE FIRST CORN-CRACKER.
The first settlers on Fall Creek experienced many diffi- culties in securing breadstuff for their families, there being no mill in the county, until the latter part of 1821, when one was built by Thomas McCartney. Previous to that they were compelled to go to Connersville for their meal and flour. In 1820 corn was very scarce in the settlement, and Elias Hol- lingsworth, Samuel Shaul and William Curtis went to Straw- town, Hamilton county, where they purchased two canoe loads of that cereal. They pushed or " poled " the canoe up White river to the present site of Anderson, when the corn was loaded into an ox wagon belonging to Mr. Hollings- worth and hauled to the Falls. It was afterward taken to Connersville and ground into meal. Monday morning was the usual time for starting to mill and very often the trip would consume a week.
The mill built by Mr. McCartney was situated on the south side of Fall creek at the Falls. The work of construct- ing the mill, dressing the stone and arranging the machinery
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
was done principally by himself. Mr. McCartney also had a little store at the Falls which he kept in connection with his mill. Besides the pioneers, he did considerable business with the Delaware Indians, who had not yet left the county. He kept a small stock of beads, brooches and other trinkets which he disposed of to the red men in exchange for furs and other peltries. Mr. McCartney was among the first merchants in the county, if not the first.
THE FIRST ROAD.
The first road surveyed in the township was known as the New Castle and LaFayette State Road. By an act of the Legislature Morgan Shortridge and Zenas Beckwith were ap- pointed to locate this road, and on the 13th of December, 1828, they reported to the Board of Justices of each county through which it passed, that the line of the road had been surveyed. The road passed through Pendleton, and a portion of it is yet known as the Pendleton and New Castle pike.
THE FIRST POTTERY WORKS.
Among the first industries established in Fall Creek town- ship was a factory for the manufacture of potteryware, such as crocks, jugs, etc. The factory was erected by James Perkins at a point on what is now Tariff street, on the east side of the Big Four railroad, in Pendleton. Mr. Perkins manufactured potteryware at this place for some time, when he sold out to Lewis, better known in his day as "Potter" Johnson. The product of this industry was in great demand at one time and it flourished for a number of years.
THE FIRST TANNERY.
It was in 1827 that Thomas McCartney built the first tan- nery in the township. It was located in the north-west part of the town of Pendleton, on out-lot No. 2, and was operated with more or less success until 1863, when it was abandoned. Among others who owned this tannery in its day were Aaron Shaul, Charles Mitchell, H. Neal, A. M. Ulin, A. E. Russell, James Thomas, Neal and J. O. Hardy.
THE FIRST CAMP-MEETING.
The first camp-meeting in the county was held in 1832, about three miles south-west of Pendleton on the Samuel Hund- ley farm, now owned by John Hickey, Esq., of Anderson.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
The meeting was held under the auspices of the Methodists and was conducted by Rev. James Havens and others. Camp- meetings were held at this place every summer or in the early fall for many years, and were always largely attended by the early settlers. The scenes of religious fervor witnessed at these annual meetings were peculiar to the times and people and are seldom, if ever, seen at the camp-meetings of to-day. People who had religious convictions were not ashamed to shout in those days. They were not afraid of criticism. They became happy when the old-time Christian songs were sung and gave expression to their feelings in loud but honest, heart- felt hosannas. Their descendants are Christians, too, but not demonstrative. They are "conservative." The old-fashioned religion and the old-fashioned songs that the pioneer ministers of the Gospel used to preach and sing are not " popular " in this age of " progress." They are too rude and boisterous to suit "society " as constituted to-day. «Still, it is no doubt true that society, as constituted to-day, does a great many things that would have been quite as shocking to the early Christians as their old-fashioned singing and praise-offerings are to the modern Christian. The modern Christian, it may be said, is not always a Christian, except by profession.
THE FALLS OF FALL CREEK.
Much has been said and written about this historic spot and its picturesque surroundings, yet few, comparatively, of the younger class of people living in the central and northern parts of the county know anything about its beauties or its history. This freak of nature is not surpassed in the State for romantic beauty, and much of the interest attaching to the early history of the county arises out of the many incidents that have occurred in its immediate vicinity. It would be a matter of more interest than importance, perhaps, to know the name of the first white man who gazed upon the pellucid waters of the stream as they dashed over the solid rock, a dis- tance of ten feet, to the eddying pool below. As stated else- where in these pages, the Falls had no doubt been visited by explorers and home-seekers before John Rogers located in the vicinity, but who they were or whence they came is not known. The quarter section on which the Falls are located, says IIelm, is a part of the sixteenth section set apart by Congress in each township for school purposes. The proximity of the Falls made it a desirable point. Here there was a natural mill-
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
site-a dam constructed by nature, and settlers were attracted to it regardless of the fact that the land was not in the mar- .ket. No one took the matter in hand until the year 1850. By that time the peaceable possession of twenty years was about to expire. It was then suggested that measures be in- stituted to restore the land to the school fund, which, it was claimed, could then be done at a trifling expense ; but the matter was neglected until it was too late.
The Falls property and surroundings have undergone many changes. The corn-mill erected by Thomas McCart- ney on the south side of the creek at the Falls gave way to a large grist-mill built by Thomas Bell which did a flour- ishing business for years. This mill, as well as the Falls property, was afterwards owned by James M. Irish, one of the early settlers of the township, who purchased the land of the County Treasurer at a sale of school lands. He transferred his interest in the property sometime during the '30s to his son Samuel D. Irish, and removed to Texas where he remained until 1848, when he returned and remained until 1859. During that year he removed to Texas again and died there. Mr. Irish was a man of progressve ideas and on account of his dark complexion was given the sobriquet of "Black Hawk" by the pioneers. Andrew Jackson, who afterward became one of the most prominent men in the county, had built a woolen or carding mill, in the vicinity of the present site of the Universalist church at Pen- dleton, and as Mr. Irish wanted to erect a woolen-mill on his Falls property he purchased Mr. Jackson's factory and saw- mill on the north side of the creek opposite the grist-mill. These mills were operated very successfully for many years by Samuel D. Irish and attracted a great deal of business to Pen- dleton. It is said that this saw-mill supplied the lumber for the first court house built at Indianapolis. In 1850 the woolen- mill was enlarged and provided with improved machinery ; trade increased with the development of the country and a large business was done in woolen fabrics and textiles up to the death of Mr. Irish in 1864. Soon after his death the prop- erty was sold at a Commissioner's sale by George R. Boram to a syndicate composed of J. W. Bomgardner, J. N. Zenblin. J. E. French and Dr. Madison G. Walker. This company, with Bomgardner as manager, constructed a system of stone work across the creek just above the falls for the purpose of augmenting the water power. The work was arranged in
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HISTORY OF . MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
three semi-circles about three feet above the bed of the stream. This masonry may answer the purpose for which it was in- tended, but adds nothing to the primeval beauty of the Falls. In fact, every change, every improvement that has been made in their surroundings since the white man first settled in this vicinity has detracted from their native grandeur. Nofarther back than forty years ago the Falls and their environment pre- sented a scene of picturesque beauty rivaled only in the idle visions of the romancer and poet. What they were in the solitude of long ago when the Mound Builders were here, can only be imagined.
The mills owned by the company were swept away by fire June 1, 1865, and a large two-story flouring-mill was afterwards built upon their site. This property is now owned by B. F. Aimen, one of the oldest and most enterprising of Fall Creek township's citizens.
The raising of flax in Madison county has nearly become a thing of the past. It was for many years one of the leading industries and yielded large and ready profits to the farmer, but as the soil became worn it was no longer a paying busi- ness, and now it is a rare thing to see a field of growing flax. It takes strong, fresh land to grow a paying crop, and it will not grow a second time on the same ground to a profit. In the flax-raising period all of the towns of importance had flax mills, where the straw was manufactured into jute for bag- ging and similar uses. Pendleton, not behind its rival towns, had one of these mills erected by J. Casely & Son, in 1869, at a cost of $5,000. It did a flourishing business until the pro- duction of flax ceased to be profitable, when it was abandoned.
Just above the Falls and west of the Big Four railroad, on the north side of the creek, is the spot where Hudson, Bridge and Sawyer expiated their brutal crime-the murder of the Indians-a crime which caused the greatest alarm throughout the settlement at the time and aroused to the highest pitch the indignation of the pioneers against the murderers. Just below the Falls is where the noted negro politician and ex-slave, the Hon. Fred. Douglas, was assaulted by a mob of pro-slavery men in 1843, a full account of which will be found elsewhere in this work.
TOWN OF PENDLETON.
A large per cent of the first settlers of Fall Creek town- ship located along the creek near the Falls, and the proximity
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
of their homes gave the locality the appearance of a town. The ground upon which the town of Pendleton now stands belonged to Thomas M. Pendleton and the density of popula- tion in that vicinity suggested to him the idea of founding a town. With this end in view he had his property surveyed and divided into town lots on the 13th of January, 1830. He had entered this land in 1823. The lots were platted and duly recorded. Several additions have since been made to the original plat and the town to-day is one of the prettiest in the State. But few of the old landmarks of the original village remain ; the buildings devoted to business, to worship, to education, to private residences-all impress the beholder with the fact that while improvements have been going on in other parts of the county, the citizens of Pendleton have kept pace with the times. To one not familiar with the history of the place it would be difficult to believe that it is the oldest town in the county, and that for many years it was one of the most important business points in central Indiana. There is an appearance of refinement, an air of independence and progress that is presented by but few towns of its size in the West.
The Bellefontaine railroad ( Big Four) was completed to Pendleton in 1850, and on the 24th of December, 1853, a vote was taken to determine whether the place should be incorpor- ated as a town or remain a village. Nathaniel Richmond, G. M. Rogers and T. G. Mitchell were the inspectors and the vote stood 37 for, to 4 against the proposition. The first Board of Trustees was composed of Nathaniel Richmond, T. G. Mitchell and John Houston and the first meeting of the Board was held March 31, 1854. David Bowsman was the first Marshal of the town. The first street Commissioner was John Houston, who was elected in 1855. John Taylor Wall was the first School Trustee.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The Pendleton Methodist Episcopal church was the first religious society organized in the county. Its organization occurred in 1823, before there was a frame building in the town or township. The first members of this society were Thomas M. Pendleton and family, Mrs. Thomas McCartney, Mrs. Samuel Holliday, Mr. and Mrs. Elias Hollingsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hundley and Mr. and Mrs. James Scott. Religious exercises had been held in the township, however, two years at least before this society was organized, by a Rev.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
Mr. Taylor, who preached at the house of Elias Hollingsworth to the early settlers. Whenever a circuit rider would visit the settlement a courier would be sent out to inform the settlers that religious services were to be held, designating the time and place. Uncle Jimmy Hollingsworth, mention of whom has been frequently made by the authors, was then a mere lad and often discharged this office. Rev. Nathan Fairchild also preached to the early settlers of the township and is still kindly remembered by the few remaining old-timers.
On the 28th of April, 1832, or nine years after this society was organized, Thomas M. Pendleton and wife deeded to F. M. Richmond and others, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the northi half of Lot 32, in the town of Pendleton, forever, in trust, "in consideration that they erect, or cause to be erected, a house of worship for the use of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church." Up to this time services were held at the homes of members. A log church was at once erected on the lot donated by Mr. and Mrs. Pendleton. where services were held until 1839. when it was torn down and a frame building, with a seating capacity of about 600, erected in its place. This building was enlarged and re- modeled in 1877. Among the early pastors who have minis- tered to the congregation of this church were: Revs. James Reeder, James Havens, Edward Ray, F. M. Richmond, J. II. Hull and W. H. Goode. Many of the ablest and most elo- quent ministers connected with the North Indiana Conference . have visited Pendleton and preached from the pulpit of this church. The congregation is the largest in the township and is composed largely of the best and most prominent citizens in this part of the county.
The Baptists at one time had a small congregation at Pen- dleton, and in 1834 erected a house of worship, but in 1872 the society united with the Baptists at Anderson and disposed of the building. Nathaniel P. Richmond. Martin Brown and wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Irish and Susannah Richmond were among those who organized this society.
The Society of Friends once had a place of worship at Pendleton at an early day, but it was abandoned, and there is now no regular place for holding religious services in the township, although there are a good many Friends in the locality. John Middleton was the first minister of the society. and held services at the house of Jonathan and Ann Thomas as far back as 1836.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
The First Universalist church of Pendleton was organ- ized February 20, 1859, at Huntsville, a previous meeting hav- ing been held on the 6th of that month at Pendleton for the purpose of taking preliminary steps towards organizing a society of those who believed in the doctrine of Universalism. A committee was appointed at the Pendleton meeting to draft a constitution and by-laws for the government of the society, and at the Huntsville meeting the report of the committee was received and adopted. Those who participated in this meet- ing were James Cassady, Joshua Crawford, John Tillson, John Houston, David Bowsman. Jacob Weford, Lewis Cas- sady, John Wert and T. G. Mitchell. A board of trustees, consisting of John Houston, John Tillson and David Bows- man, was elected, and preparations were begun at once for the erection of a church. Meetings had been held by mem- bers of the society previous to this in the second story of the seminary and other places. The late Rev. B. F. Foster, of Indianapolis, the memory of whose gentleness, benevolence and Christian effort is still fragrant throughout Indiana, preached the first Universalist sermon in Pendleton. Rev. Gibson was called to the pulpit soon after the church organiza- tion had been effected, and during his incumbency a place of · worship was erected on the corner of Main and Water streets. The paper circulated for subscriptions to the building fund de- clared that this church " shall always be open to moral, scien- tific, religious and political lectures so long as and whenever they are conducted in an orderly manner." The building was a frame, but in 1895 it was reconstructed and is now a brick edifice, of neat and substantial appearance. Many of the leading citizens of the town and township are connected with this society. The present pastor is the Rev. Forshire.
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