USA > Indiana > Bartholomew County > History of Bartholomew County, Indiana : From the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc. : Together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 29
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street, facing Jackson. The foundation, ISxIS, was made of white oak timber, one foot below the surface of the ground; this was crossed with other timbers, all 12x12; between the timbers were four inches of gravel. The first story was ten feet high with double walls; the inside wall of 12x12 inch timbers with plank two inches thick, spiked on with four inch spikes not more than six inches apart; the outside wall of 10x12 inch timbers which contin- ned upward seven feet above the inside wall so as to make a room below 14x14x8, and above 14X14x7; the second floor of 12X12 inch timbers and heavy plank spiked like the inner wall, and the upper room ceiled with six inch timbers. There were two small windows and a door in each room, all grated with iron bars - the lower room with much heavier iron than the upper. This entire house was surrounded by a brick wall thirteen inches thick, commenc- ing at the base of timber foundation and running to the top of the inner structure. The whole was covered with a shingle roof. A staircase ran up the outside of the building to the door of the upper room. When finished it was received and the contractor paid $1,088, a deduction of $100 having been made because of some changes in the original plans.
In 1845 a contract was made with John Craig, Joseph Pervis and Michael West, for the building of a jail on lot No. 106, fronting on Walnut Street, and standing eight feet therefrom, and a Jailor's residence on the southwest corner of said lot for $2,575. The jail was of stone, 20x20. The first floor was of stone slabs three feet square and ten inches thick; the second and third floors were of hewn timber one foot square, covered with heavy sheet iron and then with oak planks and all securely spiked together. The Jailor's residence was of brick with stone foundation, 25x20, and two stories high. Both jail and residence were under one roof. The building was received by the Board of Commissioners in Jan- uary, 1847, and the contractors were allowed $29 for extra work and materials. In March, 1870, a contract was made with Frank L. Farman for the building of the jail and Jailor's residence, now standing near the southeast corner of the public square, facing Washington Street, for $41,900. The plans for the building were prepared by I. Hodgson, architect, of Indianapolis. The building
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is very handsome in design, substantial, secure and commodious. It is two stories high, built of brick, with stone trimmings and lined with iron. After a thorough examination of all its parts it was re- ceived by the Board of Commissioners on February 14, 1871. A bill for extra work done, aside from that specified in the contract, amounting to $875.45, was filed by the builder, endorsed as correct and justly due by the architect, and allowed by the Commission- ers. In round numbers, including allowances to architect and su- perintendent, the structure cost the county $45,000.
In November, 1838, a market house, 50x20 feet, was built by Joseph Bevis on the public square at a cost of about $200. In May, 1839, it was delivered as a gift to the Trustees of the town of Columbus " to be dealt with or disposed of as they might see fit." It has long since passed away, and is mentioned here only because it was a public building erected by the county.
Avenues of Travel .-- The highway as a means of bringing men into social and business contact is an educator and producer of wealth. The pioneers had only the blazed trail and the cleared out serpentine road winding its way through dense and wolf-infested forests from settlement to settlement. From this beginning there are now highways of banded steel traversing the land from ocean to ocean and from lake to gulf, as results of the aggressive, enter- prising spirit, which has brought into cultivation a rich, but once unappreciated, territory, and built busy towns and magnificent cities where not long since were unexplored forests.
This county and other portions of the State soon after settlement, produced a large surplus of agricultural products, which was likely to become worthless for the want of a market. As early as 1822 Governor William Hendricks in his message to the Legislature ur- gently called attention to the importance of internal improvement. The Assembly adopted a progressive policy, encouraging and aiding plans for the development of the country without examining closely as to their feasibility, or the necessities which were supposed to de- mand them. A favorable sentiment grew strong among the peo- ple, at one time amounting almost to a frenzy, commencing about 1832 and ending in 1838. New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio were successfully prosecuting internal improvements. There ap-
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peared no good reason why Indiana should not follow the example of these older States. Hopes of profit to land and town lot specu- lators and to prospective engineers, contractors and jobbers of all sorts gave an additional impetus to the demand for extensive public work. At the session of 1835-6 the Legislature adopted a system of internal improvement, which at length bankrupted the credit of the State. The completion of the works authorized would have cost $30,000,000, and probably the only thing to prevent the ex- penditure of this entire sum was the inability of the State to secure the necessary credit. Works were commenced that did not lead to a market, where no surplus of labor or produce existed and when the only interests to be benefited were those of the specula- tor in new lands or the promoters of insignificant towns. Notwith- standing the lack of prudence which permitted the overdoing and stranding of the work, some good was ultimately accomplished.
For cartways and wagon roads, provision had been made long before the date mentioned. When Indiana was admitted to the Union the statutes of the National Government provided that five per centum of the proceeds arising from the sale of the public lands should be set apart for the purpose of building roads; two per cent. for a State road leading to the permanent seat of government, and three per cent. to be used by the several counties on the roads within their borders. At the time of the organization of the county her territory was already traversed by some tolerably well defined roads. On May 15, 1821, the subject was first officially considered by the Commissioners. On that day no less than seven road peti- tions signed by " divers and sundry citizens" of the townships or locality wanting the outlet were presented to the Board of Commis- sioners, who, upon consideration granted the prayers of the petition- ers, and in each case appointed viewers to view, mark and lay out the proposed highway, if in their judgment it was of public utility. The routes were not well defined as is required in such petitions at the present day, indeed, only the designed termini were named, the object, as expressed, being to get from one to the other "by the nearest and best way," and this was left to the good judgment of the viewers. The seven petitions named were for the following roads: first, from the public square in Columbus to intersect the
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State road to the seat of government; second, from the ford on Big Sand Creek to the public square in Columbus; third, from Big Sand Creek to intersect the State road at David Vanblaricum's; fourth, from the public square in Columbus to Brookville, by Robertson's ford on Clifty as far as the county line; fifth, from Columbus to Vernon; sixth, from the public square in Columbus to intersect " a road to Hensley's ferry cut out by the citizens of Jackson County"; seventh, from the public square in Columbus to intersect the State road from Madison to Indianapolis. The roads described in the foregoing sentence, as the first, second, third, fourth and sixth petitioned for, were, upon the sworn report of the viewers, established and declared public highways on August 14, 1821, and are thus seen to be the oldest county roads in Bartholomew County. Supervisors were appointed to keep these roads in repair, having power to warn out hands in the manner familiar to most men of the present day.
The first Supervisors were David Stepp, David McCoy, Joshua McQueen, David Keller, Anthony Head, Jacob Lane, and Richard Wall. From that time road petitions and the roads established were so numerous that at the present a closely printed octavo volume of a thousand pages would hardly hold the descriptions of the routes traversed. Many a hot war of words has attended the hearing of these petitions. Remonstrances have been filed; dam- ages claimed and secured; neighborly friendships broken and life- long enmities made. In 1833, the State road from Greensburg to Columbus via Hartsville was established; that from Shelbyville via Goshen and Newbern to intersect the Madison State road; that from Napoleon in Ripley County, to Bloomington in Monroe County, passing through Bartholomew County, and many other State roads followed soon thereafter. In every year since the organization of the county and at nearly every regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners road petitions or papers pertaining thereto have been considered. Annually, Supervisors were appointed and road districts formed until the Commissioners were relieved by law from the performance of such duties. As to the " three per cent. fund " referred to, Commissioners were appointed from time to time who were charged with its safe keeping and proper disbursement.
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They gave bond and received for their services $I for each day actually and necessarily employed. As the sale of public lands advanced, the money going to this fund was from time to time ap- propriated by the Legislature and paid to the proper officers of the several counties. . On the belief that a part of the fund was never distributed to the counties entitled to it, in ISSI efforts were made to obtain the same from the State officials but without avail.
As the county grew in wealth and population the need of bet- ter facilities for reaching the markets began to be pressingly felt. In winter and spring " roads without bottom " were what the far- mers had to contend with. It was not deemed wise for the county to undertake the macadamizing of all the roads forming the vast network in the county, and a field for private enterprise was opened in the matter by the passage of a State law authorizing the incor- poration of gravel road or turnpike companies. As a result turn- pikes have been constructed on all the principal thoroughfares leading out of Columbus, as well as on many of the cross roads in various parts of the county. At this time the following companies are operating such roads in this county, the points connected by them being usually designated in the title: Columbus & Hope Turnpike Company; Columbus & Hartsville Turnpike Company; Columbus & Burnsville Turnpike Company; Geeensburg, Mil- ford & Hope Turnpike Company; Junction, Hope & Hartsville Turnpike Company; Morristown, Hope & St. Louis Turnpike Company; Hope & Flat Branch Turnpike Company; Hartsville Junction Turnpike Company; Hope & Clifford Turnpike Com- pany; Hope & Hartsville Turnpike Company; Hope & Passing Glory Turnpike Company; Edinburgh & Kansas Turnpike Com- pany; Legal Tender Turnpike Company (in Rock Creek Town- ship) ; Driftwood Valley Turnpike Company (three branches) ; Haw Creek Turnpike Cumpany. Rates of toll and condition in which the road must be kept are prescribed by law. The purchase of all toll roads by the county, with a view of making them public highways free to every one, was the subject of much agitation early in 1886, and for some time prior to that year. A petition with that object in view was presented to the Board of Commis- sioners, who, after due consideration, ordered an election to be held
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in the several voting precincts in the county, on the 5th day of April, 1886, for the purpose of taking the votes of the people in regard to it. A majority of the votes cast at this election were op- posed to the plan of purchase. The turnpike under the manage- ment and control of the Columbus & Flat Rock Turnpike Company was voluntarily and without compensation therefor to the com- pany, thrown open to the public, and made perpetually free in March, ISS7, the directors of the enterprise declaring that after a ten years' trial it had proved a financial failure. In June, ISS7, the Board of Commissioners purchased for the sum of $6,000, the five miles nearest Columbus of the turnpike owned by the Colum- bus & Greensburgh Company, and the remainder of the road was donated by the company to the public.
Railroads .- No sooner had the practicability of railroads been demonstrated to the world than there was among the most intelli- gent and enterprising citizens a desire to adopt and reap the benefits of the new mode of travel. Excepting, perhaps, some crude efforts at railroad construction in short local lines the first efforts in this direction-at least the first that resulted in permanent good -- were directed toward the construction of the lines now forming the J., M. & I. system. On February 2, IS32, an act of the General Assembly was approved, which authorized the organi- zation of the Madison, Indianapolis & La Fayette Railroad · Company with a capital stock of $1,000,000, whose purpose was to construct a line from Madison to La Fayette by way of Indian- apolis, on such route as would best serve the interests of the public and be most beneficial to the company. On February 3 of the same year, another act was approved authorizing the incorporation of the Ohio & Indianapolis Railroad Company, with a capital stock of $1,000,000, whose purpose was to build a road from the Falls of the Ohio River to Indianapolis by way of Columbus. To keep the charter alive it was required that all the stock should be subscribed for within five years. The conditions were not com- plied with, but on January 20, 1846, another act granting similar privileges was approved. February 1, 1834, authority was given by legislative enactment to the first named company to change its name to the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad Company and to
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reduce its capital stock to one-half the amount first authorized. Indianapolis was to be the northern terminus, where connections were to be made with another road running thence to La Fayette. January 27, 1836, by the act providing for the general system of improvements throughout the State, there was appropriated for the use of the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad Company $1,300,000. February 6, 1839, an additional $400,000 was appropriated for the same purpose.
By an act approved February 15, 1841, the General Assembly authorized the Board of Commissioners in Bartholomew and other counties along the line of the proposed road to aid in the further construction of the road by levying a tax of five cents on each $100 worth of taxable property in the counties named, for five years, be- ginning in 1841. At its June session, 1841, the Board of Com- missioners of this county, pursuant to the authority thus given, lev- ied the tax and directed that it be put on the tax duplicates for five years thereafter; provided, however, the other counties named in the act would enter a like order on their records before the follow- ing August, and provided further, that the Fund Commissioners would receive from the suspended debt or from the Morris Canal & Banking Company $100,000 worth of iron to be used in the con- struction of the railroad from Vernon to Edinburgh. The tax du- plicates for the years named do not show that the tax was collected, but the facts mentioned prove the public spirit as it existed in this county at the time.
In February, 1843, the railroad was put into possession of a company whose principal office was at Columbus. Geo. E. Tingle was Secretary of the company, but did not long hold the office. From that time the State had nothing to do with the management of the road.
At length the line was completed to Columbus in IS43-44, and a new era vas begun. This Madison and Indianapolis railroad was the first built west of Cincinnati, and though the road bed has been much changed and improved the general route traversed re- mains the same. At first the track was of flat-bar iron and the equipment very modest when compared with the elegant and luxur- ious accommodations afforded the traveler of the present day. The
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Jeffersonville road was completed to this point about 1853, and sub- sequently the two main lines were united under one management and with one main stem from here to Indianapolis, making the gen- eral system of the J., M. & I. R. R. Co.
The Columbus & Shelby Railroad Company was in fact a part of the Madison & Indianapolis Company, but enjoyed a separ- ate charter. Of its stock, the M. & I. road held $25,000, and the city of Madison, $50,000. Its road from Columbus to Shelbyville was constructed in 1853-54, at a cost of about $300,000. It sub- sequently became a part of the J., M. & I. system, and as extended, now forms what is called the Cambridge City Branch. The entire J., M. & I. system is leased to, and is under the control of, the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company. It may be interesting to the reader to know, as evidencing the general improvement brought about chiefly through the agency of railroads, that prior to the construc- tion, corn was a drug on the market at 10 cents per bushel; wheat brought but 35 to 40 cents; pork, $1.50 to $2 per hundred pounds, net; and other farm products in proportion.
Many efforts have been made to induce capitalists to build other roads through this county, but without avail except in one instance. In March, 1882, a petition was presented to the Board of Commis- sioners asking that an election be ordered in Columbus Township for the purpose of taking the votes of the people on the question of aiding the Columbus, Hope & Greensburgh Railroad Com- pany in building its road through the township, by donating $70,000. The election was held April 22, ISS2; the votes were: for the appropriation, 813; against it, 521. A like pedition had been filed in February, ISS2, by the citizens of Haw Creek Town- ship, who proposed that said township should take $24,000 of the stock of said company. The election was held March 20, 1882; the votes cast for taking stock, 338; against it, 190. The construction of this road has greatly benefited the county. Since its con- struction the city of Columbus has almost doubled in size, and while this increase is by no means sought to be attributed to this single cause, yet it deserves credit for a very large part of the gen- eral prosperity now enjoyed. The Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad Company are lessees of this line, mak-
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ing it practically a branch of that trunk line connecting with the main stem at the city of Greensburgh.
In June, 1849, the Board of Commissioners of the county or- dered the votes of the people to be taken at the August election of that year, on the question of aiding the Jeffersonville Railroad Company, the Bloomington Railroad Company and the Greens- burgh Railroad Company (each of which enjoyed a special char- ter granted by the General Assembly), by levying a tax of ten cents on each $100 worth of taxable property in the county. The votes for or against each of the proposed works were to be cast independently of the others. A majority of the tax-payers were unwilling to thus burden themselves, and voted against the propo- sition. In December, 1849, however, the Commissioners sub- scribed, in behalf of the county, for 400 shares (at $50 per share to be paid for in bonds), to the stock of the Columbus, Nashville and Brownstown Railroad Company. The bonds were issued in 1850, bearing seven per cent. interest, to run for ten years, and Isaac S. Boardman was made proxy to vote the county's stock. The bonds were delivered to the company, and $400 worth of them went into the possession of Michael G. Bright, who asked the Commissioners, in 1854, to pay the interest then due, and had his request denied. Mr. Bright brought suit against the county, and the matter finally went to the Supreme Court, where he recovered judgment for $924.50, principal, interest and damages. The Commissioners allowed the amount in June, 1862, and in September, 1863, allowed $30 to W. H. H. Terrell, for inci- dental expenses as Treasurer of the defunct railroad company, in- curred by him in the organization of the company and the survey . of the road. The old bonds, which had never been sold, amount- ing to $19,600 were returned by Treasurer Terrell to the Com- missioners, and by them burned in the presence of William C. Ab- bett, Joseph E. Mitchell, James C. Mitchell, Isaac Helfman, John S. Long, and many others.
In June, IS71, elections were ordered, to aid the Lake Erie, Evansville & Southwestern Railroad Company, in Sand Creek and Rock Creek townships, by donating $10,000 and $8,000, respect- ively. In the former township there were 206 votes for, and 17
5
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against the donation : in the latter, 70 votes for, and 101 against it ; the election was held August 5, 1871.
€ In September, IS71, an election was ordered to be held on No- vember 4, following, at all voting places in the county, upon the question of taking stock by the county to the amount of $100,000 in the Cincinnati & Terre Haute Railroad Company. The votes were 1,962 for, and 1,345 against the proposition. In January, 1872, an election was ordered to be held in Haw Creek Township on February 10, following, when the question of taking stock to the amount of $8,000 in the same company by the township was submitted and carried by a vote of 306 for, and 224 against it. In February, 18So, an election was ordered in Haw Creek Township to be held on March 6, ISSo, on the question of donating $24,000 to the Hope & Greensburgh Railroad Company. The votes were 388 for, and 243 against the proposition. In March, 1880, elections were ordered to be held in Clifty, Sand Creek and Columbus town- ships, on April 10 in the first, and on April 3 in the two last named, on the question of donating to the Evansville, Seymour & Belfoun- taine Railroad Company $9,782.10, $12,861.98 and $69,714.90, by each township in the order named. The votes were as follows: In Clifty, 117 for, 21 against; in Sand Creek, 88 for, 209 against; in Columbus, 718 for, and 229 against the donation. In December, 1886, elections were ordered to be held on February 2, 1887, in Jackson, Wayne, Sand Creek and Rock Creek townships, on the question of donating to the Evansville & Richmond Railroad Com- pany the sums of $3,300, $17,000, $12,700 and $9,900, respec- tively. The votes were: In Jackson, 102 for, 34 against; in Wayne, 185 for, 219 against; in Sand Creek, 204 for, 89 against; in Rock Creek, 61 for, 131 against the donation.
In April, 1887, an election was ordered to be held June Io, fol- lowing, in Columbus Township, on the question of donating $45,000 to the St. Louis & Cincinnati Railroad Company. The votes were 802 for, and 704 against the appropriation.
Ferries and Bridges .- Inasmuch as ferries and bridges are es- sentially a part of all good highway systems in a country traversed by streams, they deserve mention in this connection. In early days at many points along the streams where now spanning them are
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costly bridges, not even the convenience of a ferry was enjoyed. At most seasons of the year it was not a difficult matter to ford the water, but often freshets entirely blocked travel. These ford- ing places became known throughout all the country and were recognized land marks. It may be noticed elsewhere how they were officially recognized as starting points for roads or named in the description of a civil township's boundary lines. On the 19th day of March, IS21, the Board of Commissioners established the first licensed ferry in the county by granting to John Lindsey the exclusive right to own and operate a ferry at his place on Drift- wood River on fractional Sections 24 and 25-near the present site of the bridge across Driftwood River at Columbus- Lindsey appeared in court with his bondsmen and executed a bond obligat- ing himself to keep " one good and sufficient skiff or canoe, and one boat, commonly called a flat, with one sufficient hand to attend the same." For the privileges granted he paid $5 per year and was permitted to charge the following rates of ferriage: For each horse, 614c .; for a man, woman or child, 614c .; for cattle three years old and upward, 614c .; for all cattle under that age, 41/2c .; for each sheep, hog or goat, Ic .; for a two-wheeled carriage or wagon, 25c .; for a four-wheeled carriage or wagon, 5oc .; and for lumber per boat load, 5oc. In November, IS27, the privileges granted under this license were withdrawn for the reason that he did not comply strictly with the stipulations contained in the grant, and Joseph Mckinney was granted license to keep a ferry only a short distance from the one vacated. The ferry on Flat Rock Creek where it was crossed by the State road leading from Madi- son to Indianapolis kept by D. McEwen, and that crossing Drift- wood " at the mouth of Jackson Street" kept by James Parker, were among the earliest established. Then followed those kept by Thomas Hinkson over Driftwood River at his place; by Samuel Patterson, over Flat Rock Creek near his house; by William Hal- lowell, over Clifty Creek, on the Madison and Indianapolis State road; that where the Greensburgh and Bloomington State road crossed Driftwood near Columbus; and so on until ferries were established at almost every point on the larger streams when crossed by a much traveled road. The ferry crossing Driftwood
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