USA > Indiana > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Indiana : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 38
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On Wednesday, January 12. 1825. the families of Henry and Abner Robinson came and were domiciled in their new home --. the first families of white settlers in the township and in the county.
It has generally been an accepted fact. recognized by the fam- ily and the old settlers here. that Mr. Robinson was not only the first settler in the township and county. but the first purchaser of land. also. Notwithstanding this prevailing opinion, it is true that Epbraim Chamberlain. on the 17th of February, 1824, made the first purchase. and secured the title to the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 18, in the same Congressional town- ship, containing 62 48 100 acres.
The second family that settled in Deer Creek Township was that of Benjamin D. Angell. the families of Henry and Abner Robinson being recognized as one- - the first. The tracts of land first purchased by Mr. Angell were the west half of the southwest and the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 28, in Township 25 north, Range 2 west, January 3, 1825. After- ward. on the 10th. he purchased another tract-the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 29, in the same township and range -both lying in Deer Creek Township.
Daniel Baum, Sr .. on the 21st of December. 1824-the same day on which Henry Robinson made his first purchase-entered
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BENJAMIN DEAN BRADFIELD, M. D.
Dr. Bradfield is a son of Thomas and Mary (Dcan) Bradfield. Both parents were natives of Ireland, the ancestors of his father having been of English lineage. His paternal grand- father was, at one time, a Quartermaster in the English Army.
His father (Thomas Bradfield) conceiving the advantages of a removal to the New World, in May. 1850. he crossed the Atlantic and came to Logansport, Ind., his mother (Mary Dean Bradfield) remaining in Ireland till two years later.
First seven years in America, his father was employed as Captain on the Wabash & Erie Canal. But, since 1837, has been a successful farmer in Washington Town- ship, Cass County, Ind. Benjamin D., the subject of our sketch, was born in County Cork, Ireland, July 9. 1850, and came with his mother, spring of 1852, to join his father, at Logansport. Beyond the advantages of the common school, our subject first attended the Presbyterian Academy at Logansport. Then, teaching a winter term of school, he entered the Logansport High School, gradu- ating therefrom after an attendance of about two years.
In selecting a vocation for life, his prefer- ences inclined to medicine, and, in the fall of 1873, he commenced to study under Dr. Israel B. Washburne at Logansport. He here spent his time, in the main, till October, 1874, when he entered the Medical Department of the Mich- igan University at Ann Arbor. Remaining here about one year, he accept- ed a situation as Principal of the High School at Eagle River, Keweenaw Co., Mich., for about another year. While thus engaged, his leisure
B.J. Bradfield M &.
time was devoted to the study of his favorite pursuit (medicine) under an older brother, Hon. T. D. Bradfield, who was lo- cited at Copper Falls Mine, a few miles dis- tant from Eagle River. In the fall of 1876, he re-entered the medical school at Ann Arbor, graduating from the same, spring of 1877. June 22, 1877, he located at Deer Creek, and since that time has there bcen successfully engaged in the practice of med- icine. In the meantime, he has been accepted as a member of the Cass County Medical Society, and of the Logansport Medical and Surgical Association.
In the accumulation of property, he has been reasonably successful. His possessions consist of farm lands, village property, etc. The accompanying view represents his pleas- ant home and office at Deer Creek. Besides caring for his own and pursuing the practice of his profession, he fills the position of Township Trustee, to which he was elected the spring of 1880. In politics, he is Demo- cratic. June 28, 1878. he wedded Miss Mari- etta Carney, youngest daughter of James and Anna Carney, of Cass County. Their marriage has been congenial and pleasant , the fruits of which have been two children. viz., John and Etta. The former is now a robust, noble little boy of nearly three years, and baby Etta, sweet child, has passed on to
her home of eternal innocence.
An earnest, sincere physician ; a faithful public servant; an affec- tionate husband and father ; a good citizen, he is widely known and esteemed.
RESANO OFFICE OF B.D. BRADFIELD. M. D. DEER CREEK P. O. WASHINGTON TP. CARROLL CO. INDIANA
215
DEER CREEK TOWNSHIP.
a quarter-section the east half of the southeast quarter, and the from Delphi, as did also his brother William. who came with lim. A more detailed account of all These settlers and the settlements " Reminisconces " of the carly settlers of the connty. west half of the southeast quarter. both in Section 30. Township 24 north. Range 2 west, but he did not arrive with his family . made by them will be found in preceding chapters, among the until the 30th of April. 1825, when he, with his own and four other families, arrived on a keel-boat. coming up Deer Crook from the Wabash River about one- half mile. where the boat landed. and where its keel yet remains imbedded in the sand and mud.
Prior to the settlement of Mr. Baum. however. Aaron Wilds and John Carey came, the former settling on the east half of the southwest quarter, and the latter on the west half of the same quarter. of Section 22. in this township. the purchases having been made on the 4th and on the 6th of May, respectively, in the year 1825 James Odell. having, on the HOth of January proced ing. purchased the west half of the southeast quarter of the same section all of the parties becoming permanent settlers in Carroll County.
Of the families that came here on the keel-boat with the fam- ily of Daniel Banm. Sr .. that of Robert Mitchell. Sr .. settled on the bank of Deer Creek. not far from Mr. Baum's homestead. After making some improvement there, and otherwise putting himself in a condition that would. in the course of time, have rendered himself and family comparatively comfortable. Mr. Mitchell sickened and died on the 27th of August. 1526. His remains were buried at the section corner, at the Foot of Front street, in the city of Delphi.
Jacob Baum. another of those who, with his family. were pas. sengers on Daniel Baum's keel-boat. soon after his arrival settled on the tract of land one mile cast of the city, on the Delphi and Logansport road. afterward owned by Poter Tonginman.
Thomas Stirlen landed in Carroll County ou the 3d of March. 1825. and settled on the cast half of the northwest quarter of Section 24. in Deer Creek Township. Ho, with his Family, came from Wayne County. Ind .. in company with the family of Mr. Odell, and has since that time been an honored citizen of this county.
In the fall of the same year. Hugh Manary became a resident of the county and a permanent member of the new settlements on Deer Creek, establishing himself in the creek bottom, on what is now known as Manary's Addition to Delphi. Not Far From the same period indeed. somewhat earlier ( May 5, 1995) John R. Ballard. with a few other young men. arrived here from the State of New York, and became members of the new settlement on Deer Creek, and assisted in making improvements on the lands already partially opened. He has continued to be a resident of the county ever since. though not of Deer Creek Township.
A few months later, the settlements in this vicinity received numerous accessions, among them Isam Adkinson, stames Me Dowell. John Kons and some others, most of all of them settling in upper part of the township. Mr. Adkinson purchased and made an improvement upon the north fraction of the northeast quarter of Section 3: Mr. McDowell. on the cast half of the northeast quarter of Section 10: John Kous, on the fractional northwest and southwest quarters of Section 2. and the others in the immediate neighborhood.
During the fall of the year 1526. in the month of October. Gen. Samuel Milroy, with his family, came here and settled on Deer Creek. on the farm since known as the "Milroy farm" the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 21. about one mile east of Delphi, on the margin of Deer Creek.
On the 28th of April of the same year. Daniel MeCain and his family settled in this county. on Deer Creek, to the castward
From the beginning of the year 1827 forward. settlements . began to be made more rapidly, as the influx of sockers for new homes in the " wild woods" of the West increased, so that, in the course of a year or more, there was a population sufficient to justify the experiment of self-government as a township. subor dinate to a county jurisdiction.
ORGANIZATION. BOUNDARY. FTI.
The county was organized accordingly, as we have seen, on the let day of May. 1925, and, at a meeting of the board doing county business on the 12th of that month. Deer Creek Town ship, of Carroll County, was defined by boundaries as follows:
" Ordered, that all that part of the county of Carroll south east of the Wabash River. lying south of the north line of See tion 16. Township 25 north. constitute one township. to be known and designated by the name of Deer Creek Township, and that the elections in said township be holden at the house of Daniel Mel'ain."
Afterward, at a regular session of the Board of County Com missioners, on the 4th day of December. 1532. the boundaries of Deer Creek Township were re defined as follows:
" Ordered. that all that part of the county of Carroll within the following bounds, to wit: Commencing at the southwest corner of Township 25 north. Range ? west: thenew south two miles: thenew cast six miles: thenee north sovon: thene west to the Wabash River: theneedown said river to the place of begin ning shall form and constitute one township, to be known and designated by the name of Deer Crook Township."
Subsequently. one tier of sections in Range 2 west. southeast of the Wabash River, was taken From the south side of Rock; Crock Township and added to Deer Creek Townshipon the north. making the boundary as at present defined, comprising all the. territory in Rango 2 west. north of a line drawn due west from the south side of Section 12. in Township 24 north and south of the north line of Township, east and southeast of the Wabash River. At the time of its organization. Deer Creek Township contained a population of aboat two hundred and ten, more than one third the entire population of the county outside of Bel Township of Carroll County, which comprised all the territory now embraced in Cass County, then under the jurisdiction of Carroil.
At the first session of the board. when the boundaries had boon defined and Deer Crook Township declared a separate and subordinate jurisdiction. William G. Bishop was appointed In spector of Elections therein, and the house of Daniel MeCain was designated as the place for holding elections. On the same day of the session. it was ordered that an election for township officers be hold on Saturday, the 7th day of June. then sneered- ing. The appointed officers were: Joseph MeCain. Constable: Samuel Wells and James Odell. Overseers of the Poor: and Will iam McCord, John Givens and Thomas Stirlon. Fonce Viewers. for Deer Creek Township. The election for Justice of the Peace was hold as ordered. on the 7th of June, and Heury Robinson was chosen, having received sixteen out of the twenty seven votes cast for thut office. He was commissioned by the Governor. on the 14th of July. 1828. for a term of service of five years, and served accordingly.
216
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
The following persons were appointed to fill the offices named. ; ginning, but this appears to have been, the first public meeting. at the February session. 1829, of the Board of County Commis- participated in by all, ever held in Deer Creek Township -in- deed. in Carroll County. At the time referred to, it is stated that there were but ten heads of families in the entire county, and that. thereafter, even until the present day, meetings of that kind had been held by those pioneer fathers and mothers, and the de- scendants of them. with the same fervency and zeal that actuated them more than half a century ago. in the quiet cabin homes of the distant past. In November, 1826, a Methodist society was organized in this township, composed of the following members: Jolm Odell and Sarah Odell. his wife: Elizabeth Angell. widow of the late Benjamin D. Angell: John Carey and Ruth Carey. his wife; Thomas Stirlen and Frances Stirlen. his wife -- under the charge of Rev. Henry P. Buell. of the Crawfordsville Mis- sion, who preached once in about four weeks in the settlement. sioners: Sanmel Wells aud James Odell were ro- appointed Over- seers of the Poor: David Baum and Robert Cade. Fonce Viewers: and William G. Bishop. Inspector of Elections. The new public schoolhouse in Delphi was designated as the place for holding. for the; future. in Deer Creek Township. Moses Standley was appointed Constable. At the same session, road districts wore formed for working and keeping the road from Delphi to Logans- port in repair. The first district embraced Deer Creek Town- ship, and William McCreery was appointed Supervisor, with an- thority to work the following.hands: William George. William Wilson. Graham. Samnel Milroy. Honry B. Milroy. Joseph McCain. Thomas R. MeCain. Moses Thompson. Joseph Jackson. Thomas Burk, John Givens, Joseph Patterson, John Robbins, James McDonald and Dr. John M. Ewing. A change was made at this session in the road district, and Joseph Dunham was ap- pointed Supervisor, to work the same hands, with a few addi- tions ..
Township officers were again appointed, at the February ses- sion. 1830, of the Connty Board, as follows: Overseers of the Poor. John Knight and James Odell: Inspector of Elections, William George: Fonce Viewers, Joseph Dunham. John Knight and David Baum. At a special session in November, 1829, Jonah T. Hopkinson had been appointed Constable for this township, with Isaac Griffith. William George, Aaron Dewey and Joseph Dunham as his sureties.
The following township officers were appointed at the Febru- ary session, 1831. to wit: Fence Viewers. James H. Stewart and Milton M. Morris; Overseers of the Poor, John Knight and James Odell: Constable, Oliver D. Butler: Inspector of Elec- tions. William McCreery.
EARLY DEATHS.
By reference to Chapters II and III of the " Pioneer Period." on pages 102. 103 and 104 of this volume. the reader will find not only a register of the name and date of death of all persons who died within the limits of the settlement - especially that portion of it now embraced in Deer Creek Township but some account of the circumstances attending the sickness. death and burial of such of them as had been remembered, by the narra- tors of those reminiscences. It would seem, therefore, to be un- necessary here. in this connection, to re-state in substance what there appears in comparative fullness.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES AND SOCIETIES.
That there was a strong current of practical religious zeal pervading the elements that composed the body of early settlers in Carroll County, in this township especially, will scarcely be gainsaid, since there are still in existence, at this distant period. evidences of Christian culture and the observance of religions ceremonies long established and carefully guarded. Among these evidences, let it be noted, there are some facts worthy the atten- tion of all readers. It is stated, on the authority of written tes- timony. that the people of this settlement. by common consent, met on Sunday, the 18th day of January, 1826, little more than a year from the date when the first white family sought a home within the limits of this township, and held their first social general prayer-meeting. with hearts full of gratitude to the Giver of all good for the manifold blessings vouchsafed unto them. Private family prayers were common, and had been from the be-
A branch of the Presbyterian Church was organized on the 22 of May. 1828. composed of the following members: Henry Robinson and Elizabeth Robinson, his wife: Abner Robinson. and Sarah Robinson his wife; William McCord; Jolm M. Ew- ing: Jone Waugh; Aaron Dewey and Charlotte Dewey, his wife; William Wilson and Ann Wilson. his wife -nearly all of whom were residents of Deer Creek Township, the others in Delphi, jnst thou established as the seat of justice of Carroll County. It was organized through the agency of Rev. James Crawford and James Thompson, a committee appointed by the Crawfordsville Presbytery for that purpose. The society thus constituted took the name of " The Presbyterian Church of Deer Creek," which name it retained until January 22, 1833, when "Delphi " was substituted for Deer Creek, Henry Robinson and William Mc- Cord were chosen Ruling Elders
EARLY ROADS.
So intimately is the road system of Deer Creek Township connected with that of Carroll County that the separation of the same so as to make them exclusively the ontgrowth of a necessity in the one or the other of these jurisdictions, would be extremely difficult, if not really inappropriate. Under the division of "Or- der and Law, " Chapter V, commencing on page 125. appropriated to " Avenues of Travel." the early roads of the county, and of Deer Creek Township as well, are very fully set ont, and need not be repeated here.
MILLS.
Some time in the early part of the summer of 1825, the mill site on the creek, just beyond the city limits to the eastward. began to be improved by Henry Robinson, who at that time was the owner of the premises. Because of the want of the proper tools and other facilities, [the work progressed very slowly. notwith- standing the mechanical ingenuity of the proprietor. Persever- ing, however, in forwarding the enterprise. using such tools and mechanical appliances as were at command, in the course of time he succeeded in getting the mill in operation in May or June of the following year. This was a saw-mill, but. in two or three weeks after it commenced running-in the latter part of Septem- ber. 1826 Mr. Robinson procured a pair of small mill-stones, and, adjusting them to the machinery of the saw-mill building, it was not long before he had a grinding-mill. known as a " corn- cracker," in snecessful operation. also. These additions to the facilities 'already possessed for promoting the comfort and con- venience, and at the same time lessening the uncertainties of subsistence on the part of the settlers of the neighborhood, were hailed with delight as a foreview of the prospective future -- ob-
217
DEER CREEK TOWNSHIP.
viating, in no small degree, ns it did. the inconveniences to which they had been subjected in being obliged, sometimes. to go to Fountain County, at other time. to Crawfordsville, but then more recently to La Fayette, where a mill had been erected but a short time before, to get. their corn ground. Mr. Robinson's " corn- cracker," as its nawe indicates. was of that class of grinding- mills especially adapted to grinding corn. not extra fine. as wo sometimes have it in these days, but redneed to finer particles than it was the custom to "pound it" in the " hominy mortar." Since there was no blacksmith nearer than Crawfordsville. Mr. Robinson had to go there for all his iron work about the mills. In the end, ho accomplished all he proposed in that original on-
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during as time. In after years - 1829 and 1830 be erected a general merchant and flouring mill ou Door Creek, the site now occupied by the Delphi Mills. This last mill was his ultima- tum. and he lived to enjoy it for many years. in the meantime erecting a saw-mill near the same site.
The mill privilege first ituproved by Mr. Robinson. on the creek east of town, was afterward greatly improved by subsequent owners, and the facilities for manufacturing flour and corn- meal were greatly enlarged.
Some time in the fall of 1881. in consequence of a lack of water in Deer Creek to prope! the machinery of the Delphi Mills. the last erected by Mr. Robinson. the proprietors added steam power, which enables them to keep up with the demands of their customers without encountering the delays incident to low water.
TARLY MERCHANTS.
About the middle of summer in the year 1827, Danie! F. Vandeventer. from New York. brought up by keel-boat a small stock of goods, which were placed in a log storehouse erected by Daniel Bauin. Sr .. in the yard adjacout to his own cabin. in the low grounds on the margin of Deer Creek. just below where the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad crosses. This. it is gon. erally conceded, was the first stock of goods over brought hore. This pioneer mercantile establishment continued in operation at the same point for many years afterward. and when the county was organized. Dr. Vandeventer being elected Clerk. the room. with his store, was occupied for the double purpose of a store- room and Clerk's office, although it was a little outside the county seat.
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